@@Swarmstead Yo bud - I don't mind how you handle your bees...its your choice and all. But since you asked - based on the studies of disease in native bees the short answer is yes. The long answer is that there is a strong correlation between diseases found in honey bees that have high mite loads spreading disease to native pollinators as a whole. High mite loads weaken the immune system of honey bees therefore they can't fight disease themselves (literally varroa feeds on the fat bodies of bees which create vitellogenin that controls their immune system) and then they spread it. It sucks. Hence why we keep track of mite numbers and only breed from lines that do well to control the numbers themselves. Its all about the natives. If a honey bee can survive with a high mite load thats great for the honey bee...but they're a super spreader affecting the insects that matter most.
@@mindyourhivesbeekeeping it "sounds" good. A little rote though. And there's a saying about correlation. The subject of native bees is off track anyway. I don't remember it being mentioned in the video.
@@Swarmstead I suppose that makes sense although you're just taking a shot at me saying this is "rote"... The decision of how we keep bees is based on the knowledge we've picked up from studies read and presentations watched by other people much smarter than myself. We're not acting on an opinion or belief. I don't know what you mean about being off track...it's literally a video on how we test for mites, not why...or was i supposed to fall into a trap you set about native bees not having mites on them?? ha...nice try!
I like survivors with high mite counts. 🙂
Sucks for native bees.
@@mindyourhivesbeekeeping how so? Is there evidence of varroa mites on native bees?
@@Swarmstead Yo bud - I don't mind how you handle your bees...its your choice and all. But since you asked - based on the studies of disease in native bees the short answer is yes. The long answer is that there is a strong correlation between diseases found in honey bees that have high mite loads spreading disease to native pollinators as a whole. High mite loads weaken the immune system of honey bees therefore they can't fight disease themselves (literally varroa feeds on the fat bodies of bees which create vitellogenin that controls their immune system) and then they spread it. It sucks. Hence why we keep track of mite numbers and only breed from lines that do well to control the numbers themselves. Its all about the natives. If a honey bee can survive with a high mite load thats great for the honey bee...but they're a super spreader affecting the insects that matter most.
@@mindyourhivesbeekeeping it "sounds" good. A little rote though. And there's a saying about correlation. The subject of native bees is off track anyway. I don't remember it being mentioned in the video.
@@Swarmstead I suppose that makes sense although you're just taking a shot at me saying this is "rote"... The decision of how we keep bees is based on the knowledge we've picked up from studies read and presentations watched by other people much smarter than myself. We're not acting on an opinion or belief. I don't know what you mean about being off track...it's literally a video on how we test for mites, not why...or was i supposed to fall into a trap you set about native bees not having mites on them?? ha...nice try!