Reading

Scientific Papers

If you only have time to read one scientific paper about varroa, this review article from 2015 by Barbara Locke is it:

• • https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13592-015-0412-8.pd

• Advances and perspectives in selecting resistance traits against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bees, November 2020

  • https://gsejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12711-020-00591-1

• Conlon paper from 2019 discussing co-evolutionary host/parasite principles and two distinct populations that independently came up with varroa resistance

  • https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U3lt_xk6ZwdR8e8WMD3kmPG5obCka5Oy/view?usp=sharing

• Tom Seeley paper from 2017 showing pre/post varoa colony survivorship nearly identical for feral bees allowed to evolve varroa tolerance:

  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-017-0519-1

• Feeding reduces the production of nutritional stress tolerant bees and affects colony division of labor (second paper):

  • http://jeb.biologists.org/content/219/7/949

  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs002650050442

• "The Darwin cure for apiculture? Natural selection and managed honeybee health" -- 2016, Neumann and Blacquière

  • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12448

• Keefus paper from 2016 demonstrating the commercial scale viability of breeding varroa tolerant bees

  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218839.2016.1160709

• Doctoral Thesis from 2012 concluding breeding for varroa tolerance is a long-term sustainable strategy (documented treatment free survival in europe)

  • https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/9036/1/locke_b_120912.pdf

• Doctoral Thesis from 2006 studying honey bee populations in Africa, "In both wild and managed honeybee populations varroa appears to have been reduced to the status of an incidental pest. "

  • https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/27094/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

• Seeley paper from 2016 How Honey Bee Colonies Survive in the Wild: Testing the Importance of Small Nests and Frequent Swarming studying feral bee colony sizes and a proposed mechanism for treatment free honey production management

  • http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150362

• Functional diversity within the simple gut microbiota of the honey bee:

  • http://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/109/27/11002.full.pdf

• RNA Viruses in Hymenopteran Pollinators: Evidence of Inter-Taxa Virus Transmission via Pollen and Potential Impact on Non-Apis Hymenopteran Species:

  • http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0014357

• Interactions between Nosema microspores and a neonicotinoid weaken honeybees (Apis mellifera):

  • http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0014357

Queen Breeding References/Resources

• University of Arkansas ‘Raising Quality Queens’ publication:

  • https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/MP518.pdf

• Net Gain Cell Building system from Beeculture Magazine, January 23, 2017

  • http://www.beeculture.com/net-gain-cell-building-system/

• A proven method of splits, known to work well in WNC from Carl Chesick of chbr.org outlining a good inventory of what you need in a 5 frame walk-away split.

  • https://bit.ly/2JnhTEK Link to more notes from Carl: http://www.psychochickenecofarm.com/2018/04/04/honey-bee-increase-nucs/

• A handy grafting calendar:

  • http://www.thebeeyard.org/queen-rearing-calendar/

Review/Bio/Well-Referenced General Reading

• 2019 NYTimes article on the 'insect apocalypse'

  • https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html

• Reasons to think more about the 20,000 "other" species of bees in North America:

  • https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/how-honeybee-buzz-hurts-wild-bees

• Brief Biography of John Kefuss, "Keeping Bees that Keep Themselves" --McNeil

  • http://www.meamcneil.com/John%20Kefuss%20Keeping%20Bees%20That%20Keep%20Themselves.pdf

• Mite and bee co-evolution to a stable, sustainable relationship "Taming the Mighty Mite: Some Thoughts on Living with Varroa " --Kefyn M. Catley, Ph.D.

  • http://holybeepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/CATLEYFINAL.pdf

• Tom Seeley on 'Darwinian Beekeeping'

  • https://www.naturalbeekeepingtrust.org/darwinian-beekeeping

• Article outlining a common 'collapse and recovery' cycle when first going treatment free

  • http://www.resistantbees.com/krise_e.html

• July 2015 Bee Culture Magazine article on making splits:

  • http://www.beeculture.com/splits-varroa-more-colonies-fewer-mites-new-queens-what-could-be-better/

• A Sustainable Approach to Controlling Honey Bee Diseases an Varroa Mites

  • https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Fact-Sheets/A-Sustainable-Approach-to-Controlling-Honey-Bee-Diseases-and-Varroa-Mites/Text-Version

• Sugar Shake Mite monitoring procedure:

  • https://www.beelab.umn.edu/sites/beelab.umn.edu/files/poster_168_varroa_sampling_interim_s.pptx.pdf

• How to tell if you need a new queen or not:

  • http://www.sandhillbees.com/help-i-need-a-queen/

Informative/Cool Videos

• Because no honey bee website is complete without Marla Spivak's excellent Ted Talk on honey bee decline and how you can help 'save the bees' (plant flowers):

  • https://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing

• The Fantastic National Geographic honey bee emergence timelapse:

  • https://youtu.be/f6mJ7e5YmnE

• One of Dr. Tom Seeley's talks at the 2017 National Honey Show (genetic analysis to determine percentage of matriarchal lines able to tolerate varroa) Really Great work!

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7CB8E7jKBc&t=236s

• Heather skep apiary documentary, 8 parts (seriously old school beekeeping).

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2IjNBbLESY&list=PLYXejt7IvbsPfyUS0CehTWrMo9oGKnXFO

General sites for pollinator protection

• https://xerces.org/

• https://www.beyondpesticides.org/

• http://www.beecityusa.org/

• https://beeinformed.org/

What are we missing?

Please let us know.