Varroa Mite

[GRIMBEE]

Does anyone know what else these varroa mites live on, or are they exclusive to honeybees? Looks like a tick to me. one for bees. Do they just sit on the ground everywhere waiting to cling to honeybees? Or do they wait on certain flowers, does anyone know?

[carbide]

I may be mistaken but my understanding is that the varroa might has been a long time parasite of asian honeybees. The two have co-existed and adapted to each other. It's only been recently (90's) that the mite has made the crossover to apis mellifera. If we would be able to monetarily allow apis mellifera to adapt on their own (by allowing those that will die off) the survivors should be mite resistant and not require and beek assistance (chemicals) to remain healthy. The only problem that I see with this proposition is that the remaining hive situation might be economically unfeasable.

[beemandan]

Does anyone know what else these varroa mites live on, or are they exclusive to honeybees?

They are dependent on honey bees.


Do they just sit on the ground everywhere waiting to cling to honeybees? Or do they wait on certain flowers, does anyone know?

Its my understanding that they travel from colony to colony largely on drifting bees. Some are probably dislodged from a foraging bee onto a flower and pick up a ride on a different bee to another colony.

[IndianaHoney]

I have a plan for getting resistant bees, but it may not work very well. I plan to pick two yards at a time that have at least 20 hives. I don't treat for three years. I won't take any honey and just let them swarm so that they raise new queens. The survivors that thrive will be my breeder queens. I also won't feed them or give them anything, they are simply on their own with good equipment. I'll be starting this next year. I think doing this might be the only way to get resistant bees besides catching feral hives. If the Asian and Russian bees can adapt, so can the others.

[Jeffzhear]

Varroa destructor hangs out on other insects too, like the bumble bee and some beetles and some flys...it doesn't reproduce on them though and my understanding is that it only reproduces on honeybees.

[Ian]

>Some are probably dislodged from a foraging bee onto a flower and pick up a ride on a different bee to another colony.

Whats the chances of that happening.
Drifting, and robbing are the most common methods of mite intoduction.

And then the beekeeper sure helps out quite a bit, when making thier spring rounds!

[Ian]

>>If the Asian and Russian bees can adapt, so can the others

True true,

But you ever wonder why we just dont switch to Asian and Russian bees?
About the only characteristic they hold that we like is mite tolerance!

The trick is to keep all of the 100 years of breeding characteristics, and add the tolerance.

Dont worry, the breeders are trying!

[beemandan]

>Some are probably dislodged from a foraging bee onto a flower and pick up a ride on a different bee to another colony.

Whats the chances of that happening.
Drifting, and robbing are the most common methods of mite intoduction.

And then the beekeeper sure helps out quite a bit, when making thier spring rounds!

Actually the chances are pretty good, I think. With popular forage, such as tulip poplar in my neighborhood, its not uncommon to see one bee after another visiting the same flower.

I have to agree that robbing is a contributor and likely the main one in feral colonies. In managed colonies the beekeeper certainly plays a big role.