Free Access
Issue |
Apidologie
Volume 31, Number 6, November/December 2000
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Page(s) | 689 - 699 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2000153 |
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2000153
Apidologie 31 (2000) 689-699
Changes in reproduction of Varroa destructor after honey bee queens were exchanged between resistant and susceptible colonies
Jeffrey W. Harris - John R. Harbo
USDA-ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, 1157 Ben Hur Road, Baton
Rouge, LA 70820, USA
(
Abstract:
This study examines changes in reproduction and mortality of Varroa destructor when queens from
stocks of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) that differ in susceptibility to the mites were exchanged
between colonies. Queens were selected for suppression of mite reproduction (SMRD). In two experiments
uniform colonies of bees were established; half the colonies were given queens selected for SMRD, and half
were given unselected queens. Queens were exchanged after 7 (experiment 1) and 13 weeks (experiment 2).
The percentage of mites that had no progeny was determined for each colony at 5 times (2 before and 3
after exchanging queens). Mites that had no progeny included live and dead mites. Results showed (1) that
reproduction of mites is suppressed by adding a queen selected for SMRD, and (2) that a mite population
recovers its reproduction when a SMRD queen is replaced by an unselected queen. Selection of the SMRD
trait can be reduced to counting only live mites that laid no eggs and dead mites.
Keywords:
Apis mellifera / Varroa destructor / resistance to pests / suppression of mite
reproduction (SMRD)
Correspondance et tirés à part : Jeffrey W. Harris
jwharris@ars.usda.gov
Copyright INRA/DIB/AGIB/EDP Sciences