<
https://entomologytoday.org/2023/01/10/sunflowers-reduced-varroa-infestations-honey-bees/>
"
Varroa destructor is aptly named. It is a parasitic mite of Asian honey bees
(
Apis cerana) that jumped to European honey bees (
Apis mellifera) and then
romped around most of the world, wreaking havoc. In 1987 it arrived in the
United States, where it wins the dubious award of being the most problematic
of the honey bee’s many pests and diseases.
Scientists long thought that
Varroa mites were tick-like—blood-suckers that
transmitted diseases—and that the bulk of the harm they caused came from the
diseases they spread. Even without spreading diseases,
Varroa mites damage
bees because they don’t actually eat replaceable hemolymph (a bee’s
blood-equivalent); rather, they eat its fat body. It sounds benign because the
name is misleading. A bee’s fat body is a bit like a human’s liver. It plays a
role in the bee’s immune system and its ability to survive the winter and detox
pesticides. Any method of lowering
Varroa loads would be a huge boon to honey
bees and their keepers.
A new study published in December in the
Journal of Economic Entomology
provides early evidence that the humble sunflower (
Helianthus annuus) may
provide some relief from those fat body-destroying mites."
Via Diane A.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
