Rae Bulter and Linda Newstrom-Lloyd.  2023. Varroa victory: working together to breed varroa resistant bees.  New Zealand Beekeeper, October/November issue.

Varroa victory: working together to breed varroa-resistant bees.
By Rae Butler and Linda Newstrom-Lloyd, The New Zealand Bee Breeding Association

To win against varroa, we need to use every tool we have got. Breeding for varroa-resistant bees is a powerful tool that can easily be incorporated into Integrated Pest Management Plans.

Read the full article here, which covers the following:

  • EVERYONE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BUILDING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE

  • WHAT IS VARROA RESISTANCE?

  • OBSERVABLE TRAITS FOR BREEDING VARROA RESISTANCE

“The essence of varroa resistance is that it harms the mite population by reducing the mites’ reproductive fitness whereas tolerance reduces the effects of varroa on the bees themselves, leaving the mite population unharmed.”

Reference List

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Bilodeau, L., Avalos. A., Danka, R.G. 2020. Genetic diversity of the complementary sex determiner (csd ) gene in two closed breeding stocks of Varroa-resistant honey bees. Apidologie 51:1125–1132. Doi: 10.1007/s13592-020-00790-1

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Leclercq, G., Pannebakker, B., Gengler, N., Nguyen, B.K., Francis, F. 2017. Drawbacks and benefits of hygienic behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.): a review. Journal of Apicultural Research 56(4): 366-375. Doi: 10.1080/00218839.2017.1327938.

Leclercq, G., Francis, F., Gengler, N. Blacquière, T. 2018. Bioassays to quantify hygienic behavior in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies: a review. Journal of Apicultural Research 57(5): 663-673, Doi: 10.1080/00218839.2018.1494916.

Mondet, F., Beaurepaire, A., McAfee, A., Locke, B., Alaux, C., Blanchard, S., Danka, R., Le Conte, Y. 2020a. Honey bee survival mechanisms against the parasite Varroa destructor: a systematic review of phenotypic and genomic research effort. International Journal for Parasitology 50: 433–447. Doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.03.005.

O’Shea-Wheller, T.A., Rinkevich, F. D., Danka, R. G., Simone-Finstrom, M., Tokarz, P. G., & Healy, K. B. 2022. A derived honey bee stock confers resistance to Varroa destructor and associated viral transmission. Scientific Reports 12. Doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08643-w.

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Taylor, M.A., Goodwin, R.M., McBrydie, H.M., Evans, L.J. 2009. Sustainable control of Varroa. Plant and Food Research, Ruakura. Report prepared for National Beekeepers Association Project MAF SFF 07/0800. www.plantfood.com.

Taylor, M.A., Goodwin, R.M.  2021.  Control of Varroa: A Guide for New Zealand Beekeepers.  Third Edition.  Ministry of Primary Industries. Wellington.