Reading
Scientific Papers
Scientific Papers
If you only have time to read one scientific paper about varroa, this review article from 2015 by Barbara Locke is it:
- Conlon paper from 2019 discussing co-evolutionary host/parasite principles and two distinct populations that independently came up with varroa resistance
- Tom Seeley paper from 2017 showing pre/post varoa colony survivorship nearly identical for feral bees allowed to evolve varroa tolerance:
- Feeding reduces the production of nutritional stress tolerant bees and affects colony division of labor (second paper):
- "The Darwin cure for apiculture? Natural selection and managed honeybee health" -- 2016, Neumann and Blacquière
- Keefus paper from 2016 demonstrating the commercial scale viability of breeding varroa tolerant bees
- Doctoral Thesis from 2012 concluding breeding for varroa tolerance is a long-term sustainable strategy (documented treatment free survival in europe)
- 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. "
- 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
- Functional diversity within the simple gut microbiota of the honey bee:
- RNA Viruses in Hymenopteran Pollinators: Evidence of Inter-Taxa Virus Transmission via Pollen and Potential Impact on Non-Apis Hymenopteran Species:
- Interactions between Nosema microspores and a neonicotinoid weaken honeybees (Apis mellifera):
Queen Breeding References/Resources
Queen Breeding References/Resources
- University of Arkansas ‘Raising Quality Queens’ publication:
- Net Gain Cell Building system from Beeculture Magazine, January 23, 2017
- 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:
Review/Bio/Well-Referenced General Reading
Review/Bio/Well-Referenced General Reading
- 2019 NYTimes article on the 'insect apocalypse'
- Reasons to think more about the 20,000 "other" species of bees in North America:
- Brief Biography of John Kefuss, "Keeping Bees that Keep Themselves" --McNeil
- 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.
- Tom Seeley on 'Darwinian Beekeeping'
- Article outlining a common 'collapse and recovery' cycle when first going treatment free
- July 2015 Bee Culture Magazine article on making splits:
- A Sustainable Approach to Controlling Honey Bee Diseases an Varroa Mites
- Sugar Shake Mite monitoring procedure:
- How to tell if you need a new queen or not:
Informative/Cool Videos
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):
- The Fantastic National Geographic honey bee emergence timelapse:
- 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!
- Heather skep apiary documentary, 8 parts (seriously old school beekeeping).
General sites for pollinator protection
General sites for pollinator protection
- https://xerces.org/
- https://www.beyondpesticides.org/
- http://www.beecityusa.org/
- https://beeinformed.org/
What are we missing?
Perhaps a halictid bee (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/bees/halictid_bees.htm), on one of the sunflowers at the Psycho Chicken Eco Farm.