University of Minnesota professor Marla Spivak studies honeybees. She's fighting a parasite that has killed up to half of all North American bees in the last year.
Spivak leads a bee-breeding program that produces queen bees that remove larvae infested with Varroa sp. mites from their hives. (The mites suck blood from the bees, especially developing ones, weakening them and shortening their lifespan. Infested emerging bees may be missing wings and legs. And an untreated infestation can kill an entire honeybee colony.)
Humans used two chemicals against the mites for years, but the mites have recently become resistant to both and have made a big comeback, destroying honeybee colonies across the country. But beekeepers using Spivak's queen bees have experienced only minor losses.
Don't think humans depend on bees? Think again. Honeybees pollinate about a third of our diet and dozens of agricultural crops. The mite problem affects even the dairy industry, since the cattle feed crops alfalfa and clover are honeybee pollinated, not wind pollinated like most grasses.
Many, many "pest" species are developing resistance to the chemicals we use to control them. Do you worry about this trend? Do you see alternatives to chemical pest control? Would you be willing to pay more for food products that are chemical free?
WOW THIS IS SO AMAZING!!! IT WILL ACTUALLY BE VERY NEAT IF THE SMM ACTUALLY HAS THE PARASITES UNDER A MICROSCOPE. WHERE DID THE PARASITE COME FROM, I WONDER. ARE THESE PARASITES FROND ON ANY OTHER MAMMALS OR INSECTS?(SINCE THESE PARASITES CONSUME BLOOD RIGHT? _( *-* )_
Hey LG,
As far as I can tell Varroa mites are parasites of the honeybee only. They were first recorded in 1908 in Southeast Asia, but since 1987 have spread all over the United States. Interestingly enough, these little parasites were named after Marcus Terentius Varro, the "Most Learned of all Romans," who lived from 116-29 BCE. Marcus Terentius Varro wrote extensively about the natural world and specifically about bees.
On Agriculture, III,XVI. 6. Loeb Classical Library.
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bryan kennedy
Science Buzz Site Admin
Here's a New York Times article about the problem.
Researchers at Penn State think they've identified the combination of factors-including Varroa mites, a virus, and bacteria-that's causing the decline of bee colonies across the United States. Read the article or the published study in today's online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
I am suprised that I haven't seen much more about this in the news lately. I was expecting produce prices to rise because of the decline of the bee population. I wonder if we will see more of an impact next year.\r\n-----------------------------\r\nbryan kennedy\r\nScience Buzz Site Admin
Varroa mites are now threatening bees in Hawaii.
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