Varroa jacobsoni & Varroa destructor

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Ruary

House Bee
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any chance you could start a thread regards Varroa jacobonsi and Varroa destructor ?

I have tried to read up on the net but most Science papers get a bit to much to wade through,could you simplify it for us?
Just to start the thread.
Varroa jacobsoni are naural parasites of the East indian bee Apis cerana. Apis cerana and Varroa co-exist because they have evolved over a long time. Apis melifera were imported into Asia and these bees were pasasitised by the mites. These bees also seemed to be able to co-exist with the Varroa mite. As the spread of apis melifera into other parts of Asia occurred it was found that the european honeybee no longer was able to exist with the Varroa mite which was infecting them. This mite was then spread throughout the world by scientists and beekeepers and everywhere where the mite went the honeybee colonies died. Everyone was calling the mite Varroa jacobsoni althought its appearance was subtly different from that of type specimen of jacobsoni.
Eventuall Anderson checking the mite which was doing the damge found that what the world had thought was Varroa jacobsoni was a new species which did not co-exist with Apis melifera. He named the new species Varroa destructor.
Points to notice are:
  • That there are more than one species of Varroa.
  • That Varroa jacobsoni still exists
  • That there are several strains of Varroa destructor, some of which are more virulent than others.
Ruary
 
now that wrecked my day so theres proberly more stuff in the pipeline to hit my bees other than hive beetle etc. wonder do they know where co mayo is.
 
Thanks Ruary,

Is there any way an ordinary beekeeper can tell if he or she has a particular flavour of Varroa and if so, does it really matter to him (or her) anyway.

With regard to the recent BBC piece about (self-cleaning) resistant bees, do we know which flavour (sorry strain) of Varroa the bees are resistant to?
 
Thanks Ruary,

Is there any way an ordinary beekeeper can tell if he or she has a particular flavour of Varroa
Varroa destructor is crab shaped and is the one which features in leaflets like the DEFRA one. Varroa jacobsoni is more round in shape.

I do not know of any morphological difference between the various haplotypes of Varroa destructor. In Europe we have one of the more (if not the most) virulent strain. Central America has apparently a less virulent strain.
and if so, does it really matter to him (or her) anyway
It probably makes very little difference. You have to deal with the Varroa which you have!!
Ruary
 
I'm selecting a super strain of varroa that can grip onto bees better than the old type. My OMF's help me do this.
 
I'm selecting a super strain of varroa that can grip onto bees better than the old type. My OMF's help me do this.

i think my Varroa are learning to high jump i am sure i saw one jump about 2" when i took the varroa board out the other day,

but i think i agree with you midland, the large drop i get with thymol bears no relation to the supposed total varroa calculated use FERA methodology They appear to be hanging on more rather than dropping on to the varroa board or is it just anecdotal or my eyesight :willy_nilly:i
 
I thought the idea of the varroa calculator was to asess natural mite mortality of the mites found on the inspection tray/slide...
 
varroa

"I'm selecting a super strain of varroa that can grip onto bees better than the old type. My OMF's help me do this."

You have a point!

"i think my Varroa are learning to high jump i am sure i saw one jump about 2" when i took the varroa board out the other day."

I read somewhere that hives should have at least 5" clearance below OMF for that very reason.
 
I thought the treatment was to kill them , not make them fall off.
Abit confused here.
 
I thought the treatment was to kill them , not make them fall off.
Abit confused here.

A percentage of those mites on adult bees 'accidentally' fall off. An OMF prevents them from climbing back onto the bees. So, an OMF is part of your IPM. But how worthwhile a part of IPM has probably been overstated.
 
OMF probably better for the general health of the colony re damp and ventilation rather than reducing varroa numbers per se. Just gives a handy means of assessing natural or treated drop without need to disturb the hive.

But midlandbeek does have a point that in solid floor hives any mites that naturally fall off get back into the colony but an OMF removes them meaning that only those with a strong grip persist - over long term will probably select for a strain that the new swindon bees will not be able to pull off each other as easily.

Perhaps someone could collect data about natural and post treatment drops for posterity - might be a better thing for reitnicks to do. Colonies with a "hidden" burden of mites that show up when treating are probably made up of the grippy ones.
 
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