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We discussed the subject of the derth of honey Bees sometime ago and the problem of the Varroa mite. In today's press is a report that a Brit Bee keeper has isolated a strain of Bees that groom each other and kill the mite.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/195 ... killer-bug

Roy.

It happened after he spotted one of his hives had far fewer varroa deaths. He found that these bees had successfully groomed each other, removing and killing the mites.

Another example of natural selection at work. I have to take this article to another board where there is an idiot creationist ( as if there were any other kind!) demonstrating that he knows nothing about evolution.

That was how I saw it Min and I'm curious to see if any more Bee keepers find that they have the same strain or whether this will turn out to be a recent, and local, change in Bee behaviour.

Roy.

The bees that groom survive the bees that don't die off.

Cleanliness is next to..... to.... Darwin.

Roy.

Good thing you're not a Mod on there Min, could keep you busy!
I liked the quote from Jurassic park BTW, very true IMO.

Roy.

Yeah - too much work.

Anyway, the resident creationist has just left. Unfortunately, there will be another one along in short order....demanding to see a crocoduck.

Get his address and I'll send him one, some people will believe anything. I have a feeling that if that Bee keeper is alone in his find he could end up rather wealthy.

Roy.

The problem is widespread, no doubt about it.

As I understand it Min only Australia is now clear of Varroa.

Roy.

I wonder how fast he can turn out self-grooming honey bees?

Assuming that the queen breeds true, and that the life of a worker during the summer maybe as little as six weeks, and that the hive will number about 50000 Bees at peak, the total in one brood could be as high as 100000.
But the value is in the queens, normally the keeper will prevent queens being raised, as that normally means the hive will swarm. What happens in breeding is that the hive is allowed to raise queens, these are then removed and sold to other keepers. The are delivered in small ventilated boxes and introduced to a hive.
Each queen could be worth a considerable sum as the purchaser could then raise his own queens.
From this you can see that the new strain could be world wide quite rapidly.

Roy.

I hope no one works on the mites!

Animal Liberation Front are daft enough Min, trust me!

Roy.