Comment by Jedd | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Jedd | Hacker News Reader

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This is one of several uplifting stories - especially for beekeepers - the past few years around bio controls for pests.

In Australia we've recently had (yet another) incursion of Varroa (a tiny mite that invades brood, resulting in deformed bees that can't fly, slimed honeycomb that typically ends with the colony either dying out, or giving up and leaving). We're the last remaining large landmass that doesn't have this pest, but we do have small hive beetle, foulbrood, wax moth, etc, that are common around the world.

There's some promising work on a fungus-based control[0] for Varroa (that might then translate to controlling other parasites), or a highly targeted hormone based pesticide [1].

[0] https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-evolve-fu...

[1] https://canberraweekly.com.au/australian-scientists-buzzing-...

Varroa doesn’t cause deformed bees or slimy comb; it just weakens the bees such that they can’t effectively maintain the health of the hive, especially over winter, causing the hive to die out. While Varroa can also be a vector for other pathogens, it’s the effect on hive population before the winter where it’s most harmful.

(I’m a beekeeper in the US, so Varroa is something I’m unfortunately too familiar with.)

That said, I’d much rather deal with Varroa than AFB any day as it stands today. The current required action for AFB in my area is burning the entire hive including the woodenware. A vaccine to prevent AFB would be fantastic, as it’d remove the one thing that I’m actually concerned about from getting into my apiary.

You're absolutely right - the virus that causes deformed wing is typically carried by Varroa, so the two effects tend to be seen in parallel.

Either way, not something we have a problem with in Australia today, though the most recent incursion on the east coast (middle of 2022) is still being brought under control, with new sightings periodically, resulting in 10+ km radius red zones where, similar to the AFB control, full eradication of hives as well as feral nests, is our only remedy.

And as to slimed comb, yes, my apologies, I was thinking SHB (Small Hive Beetle) which we only got in Australia about 15 years ago. Over-wintering for most beekeepers here isn't anywhere near the problem it is for you guys - our winters are much less severe, of course.

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