Beekeeper Rodger Dewhurst has taken it upon himself to save our honeybees from the clutches of the varroa mite by breeding varroa-tolerant native bees, Apis mellifera mellifera. Varroa mites are 2mm wide and feed off developing bees in brood cells and on adults by attaching themselves to their fleshy tissue. They weaken the bees' immune system and are vectors for other viruses and diseases such as Deformed Wing Virus. Within their hives, native bees are known to store two weeks' worth of pollen, the protein-rich food that is vital for their development. Thus, they can carry on replenishing the colony's population, especially important in the spring and summer when worker bees will only live up to six weeks. The behaviors Rodger has been implementing into his bees for 18 years are called 'grooming' 'biting' and 'hygienic cleaning' and have been developed by bees throughout their 10 million year history but are now being adapted to fight off varroa mites. These behaviors are not only passed down genetically but also learned from one bee to another. Rodger hopes to inspire other beekeepers to look for this amazing behavior within their colonies. As with the example of the dolphins' behavior, the behavior of the bees and how it can be explored even further with patience and time to its full extent and to help them defend themselves against mites is incredibly useful to them and to us.
Link to site: http://www.theecologist.org/how_to_make_a_difference/wildlife/649951/photo_gallery_breeding_bees_resistant_to_the_varroa_mite.html
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