From: "klbees" <kytl@chevron.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 16:42:34 -0000
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Selecting for Mite Resistance

--- In BiologicalBeekeeping@y..., DeeALusby1@a... wrote:
> You want the high mite count hives during
> broodnest change over periods and low count hives are losers that end up
> having problems. I want to see lots of mites on the bottom board and being
> chewed out at this time. To see nothing is an indication that the bees cannot
> handle the situation.

Dee, this is very interesting. If I understand correctly, mite
resistance can have two or three origins, controlled by independent
genes:

1. Hygienic behavior, that is, opening of infested cells and chewing
out or removing mites or brood.
2. Suppressed mite reproduction (SMR). The mites do not reproduce
in these bees. Mechanism unknown.
3. Aggressive grooming???

Correct me if I am mistaken. Are you deliberately selecting
for "chewing out" behavior? Is this the same as hygienic behavior
described elsewhere, where diseased brood are removed? Is aggressive
grooming of adult bees involved, contributing to the mite fall?

Are you interested in the SMR trait? It seems to me that selecting
for SMR would take the opposite approach, that is, selecting for low
mite counts. I guess these opposite selection criteria would cancel
each other out and one would be left with no selection at all, other
than breeding from survivors.

Is the chewing out behavior absolutely dependent on 4.9mm cell size?

My instinctive point of view of mite counts is not a sticky board
count. I open drone cells to count varroa. Misunderstanding can
come from not specifying what count method is used.

Thanks for the very interesting information.

Kyle