Dead bees from apidea

**Jon** · 14-11-2013, 02:06 PM

I only treated this one with Oxalic yesterday though, so if it had mites they would be on the increase rather than disappearing.

**fatshark** · 14-11-2013, 02:28 PM

I'd be pretty sure that abdominal stunting is nothing to do with mites siphoning out the haemolymph … almost certainly it will reflect gross changes in developmental gene expression triggered by the virus (or in the case of CBPV, in the newly emerged worker). There's a helluva lot going on and the virus throws a real spanner in the works, converting individual cells into factories for virus replication and triggering systemic responses which - frankly - bu*ger everything up). What's the highest mite load you've ever seen in a single cell? 5 or 6 perhaps, more usually 3 or less. I doubt that number have the capacity (I accept they'll "use" some of it for growth as well) to account for the smaller volume of the abdomen.

Gavin will probably pop up with a paper citing the haemolymph volume of mite-exposed and unexposed pupae … and whoever wrote that paper is surely someone to avoid at a dinner party.

CBPV has not been fully classified yet … however, treatment with acid appears to generate empty particles (which might be expected to be non-infectious):

http://vir.sgmjournals.org/content/2/2/251.short

though I'm not aware of anyone testing infectivity of these preparations. If you've got any Virkon that is sure to work.

**Jon** · 14-11-2013, 02:33 PM

I have virkon tablets as well as acetic acid.

**greengumbo** · 14-11-2013, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by fatshark

I'd be pretty sure that abdominal stunting is nothing to do with mites siphoning out the haemolymph … almost certainly it will reflect gross changes in developmental gene expression triggered by the virus (or in the case of CBPV, in the newly emerged worker). There's a helluva lot going on and the virus throws a real spanner in the works, converting individual cells into factories for virus replication and triggering systemic responses which - frankly - bu*ger everything up). What's the highest mite load you've ever seen in a single cell? 5 or 6 perhaps, more usually 3 or less. I doubt that number have the capacity (I accept they'll "use" some of it for growth as well) to account for the smaller volume of the abdomen.

Gavin will probably pop up with a paper citing the haemolymph volume of mite-exposed and unexposed pupae … and whoever wrote that paper is surely someone to avoid at a dinner party.

CBPV has not been fully classified yet … however, treatment with acid appears to generate empty particles (which might be expected to be non-infectious):

http://vir.sgmjournals.org/content/2/2/251.short

though I'm not aware of anyone testing infectivity of these preparations. If you've got any Virkon that is sure to work.

Hey FS - i've been quoting this old paper for a wee while, there are no doubt others and better studies.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/apido:19850407

no mites per cell 100% volume (115ul)
1-3 mites - 23% (88.23ul)
4-6 mites - 40% (69ul)

This is on worker brood. Seems a fair reduction in volume !

Yes people avoid me at dinner parties

**Jon** · 14-11-2013, 03:46 PM

I have removed the bottom apidea and floor and replaced it with a clean one.
The old one is soaking in virkon
I got some better pics as well.
I tipped the debris and bees on to a piece of correx and could not find a single mite.

apidea-virus-bee-tongue-small.jpg apidea-virus-bee-shiny-small.jpg apidea-virus-floor-contents-small.jpg apidea-virus-floor.jpg

**The Drone Ranger** · 14-11-2013, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by greengumbo

Hey FS - i've been quoting this old paper for a wee while, there are no doubt others and better studies.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/apido:19850407

no mites per cell 100% volume (115ul)
1-3 mites - 23% (88.23ul)
4-6 mites - 40% (69ul)

This is on worker brood. Seems a fair reduction in volume !

Yes people avoid me at dinner parties

Blinking good read

That's exactly what I would have said if I had known anything about the subject

By the way your safe from me -- What is a dinner party ??