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Author Topic: I have been sending my idea about varroa  (Read 5868 times)

Offline BigRog

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« on: December 19, 2004, 07:25:19 pm »
I have been sending my idea about varroa control to a bunch of people. Tis is the first response I have gotten.

Dear Roger
 
Thanks for your suggestion regarding varroa control.
 
For your information, I believe there is a research programme underway
in  England and Italy which is targeting the chemicals which govern the
development of immature mites. The theory is that if these can be
disrupted, varroa eggs will not be able to develop through into adults.
 
I understand this has been achieved in small-scale lab trials, and work
is now underway on scaling up the production process and developing a
delivery system to get the chemical into the right parts of the hive at
the right time.
 
I am unsure how long before there is any likelihood of a control
product being commercially available. I spoke to one of the people
involved two years ago, and they were very optimistic. Subsequently,
they have been a lot less positive about progress.
 
Regards
 
Paul Bolger
Biosecurity New Zealand
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline Barny

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2004, 11:51:30 pm »
At least clinical testing is being worked on.  Would love to hear more.

Offline BigRog

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2004, 01:18:43 am »
As I get responses I will continue to post them
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline Jake B

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2004, 03:37:47 pm »
Since I do not yet have any hives, I do not know how big a problem varroa is in the hive, but I read and hear a lot about varroa. Is it a major and reocccuring problem for most beekeepers? How big is this problem ? Should I expect to see the mites soon after I get my hives?
Whether you think you can or think you can't-you are right.-Henry Ford

Offline asleitch

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2004, 06:13:31 pm »
Quote from: Jake B
soon after I get my hives?


Correct, if they don't already have it in them. It's just something you have live with, like spotting for wax moth etc.

Adam

Offline Jay

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2004, 09:37:55 pm »
It's kinda like getting a cold! Nobody likes it, everybody does everything they can to avoid them ( handwashing, covering mouth when you sneeze etc. ) but unless you are willing to give up interacting with people, you're gonna get one eventually!  Same with the girls, they can't help rubbing elbows with other bees when they are out on the hunt for food and water. So eventually, they rub up against someone with mites, and bring them home. Then you have them. But they are not the end of the world ( ask Finnmam ). :D
By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
-Emerson

Offline BigRog

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2004, 12:21:36 pm »
Here is another reply, this is from Patricia Denke she s from the Montana state agriculture dept.

"The biggest problem is that both of the materials that interfer with various insects growing up are actually against insects only, and have limited or no efficacy against arachnids (mites).  Findng the material against insects was a luck thing - people were trying to raise insects, and the insects wouldn't grow, so they tried to track down the problem. It eventually was ruled down to "paper factor", which turned out to be a material balsam fir (used to make the paper they lined the rearing cages with) made an analogue of insect juvinile hormone.  This information has been used to develop the material called methoprene.  There is another material that is sometimes used, called dimilan, which prevents the insect from making a new exoskeleton.  
There has been little work on developing anything like them against any arachnids.  I suspect part of the reason is the apparent small market, as well as the difficulty developing something with sufficient specificity"
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline BigRog

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2004, 10:57:31 am »
And another reply

                     In response to Mr. Xxxxxxx’s idea, taking a product used for flea control on pets and modifying it for the control of Varroa mites on bees is more complicated than it sounds. The flea product is a hormone that is formulated for control of an insect on a mammal.  The reason the hormone controls the flea without harm to the pet is related to the major differences in the physiology, morphology and size of the pet and pest.  

 

The problem of the Varroa mite on the bee is a more complicated by the fact the both species are closely related.  Bees and mites are both in the Phylum “Arthropoda” but are separated by their Class – “Bee-Hexapoda, Mite-Arachnida”.  The morphology and physiology of these two classes are closely related and the size differential between the bee and mite is smaller.  Therefore, the pet flea product if used for the control of Varroa mites could have a negative impact on the bee (in my estimation the product would do as much harm to the bee as to the mite).   Another issue is related to residues in the honey, which brings up another major subject.
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline Jay

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I have been sending my idea about varroa
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2004, 01:23:56 pm »
Nothing in life is easy, is it?
By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
-Emerson