project apis

[frazzledfozzle]

this is from the latest "Catch the buzz" project apis report makes for interesting reading.

v Dr. Joseph DeRisi, UCSF - - presented the results from his study of a migratory bee operation over the course of a year. Weekly samples were taken to determine the biodiversity of pathogens in the samples. Utilizing pathogen microarray and ultra deep sequencing technology, DeRisi and his team that includes graduate student Charles Runckel and Dr. Michelle Flenniken discovered pathogens never before found in honey bees. These include four new viruses, a protozoan, a bacteria and a tiny fly. Those viruses have been named Lake Sinai Virus 1 and 2, Aphid Lethal Paralysis Virus-Brookings, and Big Sioux River Virus. The Lake Sinai viruses are distantly related to Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV). ; The Aphid Lethal Paralysis Virus-Brookings and the Big Sioux River Virus are novel Dicistroviruses. He also found Crithidia mellificae, a protozoan parasite that peaked in the winter colony samples, bacteria identified as Spiroplasma, and the phorid fly. DeRisi called the phorid fly, “Honey bees’ worst nightmare” because these tiny flies deposit their eggs in the abdomen of the bee. The larvae feed on hemolymph and tissues of the head, altering the bee’s behavior. The bees leave the hive and do not return, thus it is difficult to find phorids within the colony itself. DeRisi will complete his analysis, no doubt find more novel pathogens, and publish complete results soon

[bees in ballard]

Reading about these phorid flies worries me quite a bit. Way too early to conclude anything, but makes me wonder if they are able to make “zombies” out of more than just fire ants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoridae
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...1&searchtype=a
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...s/zombie-ants/

[irwin harlton]

For me, what we know about the honeybee , we might fit on the head of a pin, what we don't know, might fill the universe
Maybe not quite an endangered species just yet,...but if I were a honey packer I'd be laying in quite a big supply

[Gypsi]

So what eats the phorid fly, but not bees?

[Vance G]

I wonder if they could be defeated the same way the screw worm flies were? They irradiated and sterilized hoards of male flies who's matings with the wild females resulted in no offspring. That is my sputter of brilliance for the year.

[Gypsi]

Pretty hefty sputter Vance. Will the great brains at USDA think of
It?

Gypsi