{"id":427927,"date":"2022-04-07T12:00:01","date_gmt":"2022-04-07T09:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/selective-breeding-sustainably-protects-honey-bees-from-varroa-mite\/"},"modified":"2022-04-07T12:00:01","modified_gmt":"2022-04-07T09:00:01","slug":"selective-breeding-sustainably-protects-honey-bees-from-varroa-mite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/selective-breeding-sustainably-protects-honey-bees-from-varroa-mite\/","title":{"rendered":"#Selective breeding sustainably protects honey bees from Varroa mite"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3717c628d2f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3717c628d2f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/selective-breeding-sustainably-protects-honey-bees-from-varroa-mite\/#%E2%80%9CSelective_breeding_sustainably_protects_honey_bees_from_Varroa_mite%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Selective breeding sustainably protects honey bees from Varroa mite&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CSelective_breeding_sustainably_protects_honey_bees_from_Varroa_mite%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Selective breeding sustainably protects honey bees from Varroa mite&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/selective-breeding-sus.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/selective-breeding-sus.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Beekeepers transport colonies to support large-scale agriculture. Image taken in South Dakota. Credit: Thomas O'Shea-Wheller\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2022\/selective-breeding-sus.jpg\" alt=\"Selective breeding sustainably protects honey bees from Varroa mite\" title=\"Beekeepers transport colonies to support large-scale agriculture. Image taken in South Dakota. Credit: Thomas O'Shea-Wheller\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Beekeepers transport colonies to support large-scale agriculture. Image taken in South Dakota. Credit: Thomas O&#8217;Shea-Wheller<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A new breed of honey bees provides a major advance in the global fight against the parasitic <i>Varroa<\/i> mite, new research shows.<\/p>\n<section class=\"article-banner first-banner ads-336x280\">\n         <!-- \/4988204\/Phys_Story_InText_Box --><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>The invasive mite, which has spread to all continents except Australia and Antarctica, has been the prime threat to honey bees since its initial expansion 50 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>In the study\u2014by the universities of Louisiana and Exeter, and the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)\u2014&#8221;Pol-line&#8221; bees, bred for resistance to the mite in a rigorous 20-year breeding program, were trialed alongside a standard variety in a large-scale pollination operation.<\/p>\n<p>The mite-resistant bees were more than twice as likely to survive the winter (60% survival compared to 26% in standard honey bees). While the standard honey bees experienced high losses unless extensive chemical miticide treatments were used.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The <i>Varroa<\/i> mite is the greatest threat to managed honey bee colonies globally,&#8221; said Dr. Thomas O&#8217;Shea-Wheller, of the Environment and Sustainability Institute at Exeter&#8217;s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So far, new methods to control the mites\u2014and the diseases that they carry\u2014have had limited success, and the mites are becoming increasingly resistant to chemical treatments. It&#8217;s a ticking time-bomb.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;By selectively breeding bees that identify and remove mites from their colonies, our study found a significant reduction in mite numbers, and crucially, a two-fold increase in colony survival.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While this is the first large-scale trial, continued breeding and use of these bees has shown consistently promising results.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This kind of resistance provides a natural and sustainable solution to the threat posed by <i>Varroa<\/i> mites, and does not rely on chemicals or human intervention.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The study took place across three US states (Mississippi, California, and North Dakota), where commercial beekeepers move tens of thousands of colonies annually to provide pollination for large-scale agriculture.<\/p>\n<p><i>Varroa<\/i> mites originated in Asia, so European honey bees (the most common species kept for pollination) have not evolved alongside them, and therefore lack effective resistance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/selective-breeding-sus-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/selective-breeding-sus-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Bees in California. Credit: Thomas O'Shea-Wheller\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2022\/selective-breeding-sus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Selective breeding sustainably protects honey bees from Varroa mite\" title=\"Bees in California. Credit: Thomas O'Shea-Wheller\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                Bees in California. Credit: Thomas O&#8217;Shea-Wheller<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Like humans, managed bees are largely &#8220;decoupled&#8221; from natural selection, Dr. O&#8217;Shea-Wheller said, so they cannot develop resistance like they might in the wild.<\/p>\n<p>However, managed bees sometimes respond to mites (which reproduce in the cells of bee larvae) by expelling infested larvae\u2014killing both the larvae and the mites, in a behaviour known as <i>Varroa<\/i>-sensitive hygiene (VSH).<\/p>\n<p>By selectively breeding for this trait, colonies can be produced that automatically protect themselves from infestation, while maintaining large colony sizes and ample honey production.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The great thing about this particular trait is that we&#8217;ve learned honey bees of all types express it at some level, so we know that with the right tools, it can be promoted and selected for in everyone&#8217;s bees,&#8221; said research molecular biologist Dr. Michael Simone-Finstrom, of the USDA Agricultural Research Service.<\/p>\n<p>Colony survival over the winter is particularly important for beekeepers, because honey bees are in high demand in the early spring\u2014a key time for pollinating high-value crops such as almonds.<\/p>\n<p>The study also examined levels of viruses associated with <i>Varroa<\/i> mites in bee colonies.<\/p>\n<p>The colonies bred for <i>Varroa<\/i> resistance showed lower levels of three major viruses (DWV-A, DWV-B, and CBPV).<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly however, when examined separately from levels of mite infestation, these viruses were not strong predictors of colony losses.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of research is focussed on the viruses, with perhaps not enough focus on the mites themselves,&#8221; Dr. O&#8217;Shea-Wheller said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The viruses are clearly important, but we need to take a step back and be rigorous in delivering the best practical outcomes, because if you control the mites, you automatically control for the viruses that they transmit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Dr. O&#8217;Shea-Wheller said bee breeding and testing is expensive and takes time, but that breeding mite-resistant bees is cost-effective in the long term, and is likely to be the only sustainable solution to deal with the <i>Varroa<\/i> pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The paper, published in the journal <i>Scientific Reports<\/i>, is entitled: &#8220;A derived honey bee stock confers resistance to <i>Varroa<\/i> destructor and associated viral transmission.&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"article-main__explore my-4 d-print-none\">\n<p>                                            New insights on how bees battle deadly varroa mite by grooming\n                                        <\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"mb-4\"\/>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n                                                                                                <strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                A derived honey bee stock confers resistance to Varroa destructor and associated viral transmission.&#8221;, <i>Scientific Reports<\/i> (2022). <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-022-08643-w\">DOI: 10.1038\/s41598-022-08643-w<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    University of Exeter<br \/>\n                                                                                                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.exeter.ac.uk\/\"><br \/>\n                                                        <svg>\n                                                            <use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n                                                        <\/svg><br \/>\n                                                    <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Selective breeding sustainably protects honey bees from Varroa mite (2022, April  7)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved  7 April 2022<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2022-04-sustainably-honey-bees-varroa-mite.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. 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Image taken in South Dakota. Credit: Thomas O&#8217;Shea-Wheller A new breed of honey bees provides a major advance in the global fight against the parasitic Varroa mite, new research shows. The invasive mite, which has spread to all continents&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":427928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/selective-breeding-sus.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-427927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}