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Thread: STD In Queen bees

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    Senior Member Greengage's Avatar
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    Default STD In Queen bees

    I recently posted some questions on queen rearing on this forum and found the answers interesting, (I have being thinking dangerous thing)
    Ok a virgin queen leaves to hive to be mated she then mates with a number of drones some say up to 15, whatever, if she is this promiscuous like this, is it possible she could pick up some STD from these drones which would have some adverse effects on her laying ability, eg Drones only, infertile altogether, or some other STD that we dont know about yet which could slowly kill her during the season or effect the whole colony throughout the season. Maybe i think too much.

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    Senior Member Kate Atchley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greengage View Post
    ... a virgin queen leaves to hive to be mated she then mates with a number of drones some say up to 15, whatever, if she is this promiscuous like this, is it possible she could pick up some STD from these drones which would have some adverse effects on her laying ability ...
    Interesting question ... mating-transmission of disease. I haven't seen any mention of this ... have others?

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    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    It is certainly possible.
    DWV can be transmitted from drones to the queen during copulation.
    There is a reference paper on the forum somewhere.
    Fatshark would be able to add a lot of info on this topic.

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    Senior Member prakel's Avatar
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    Nosema:

    The First Evidence for STDs in Honeybees:
    https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...te25prikt_9D-A

    Which is a report by the 'Real Clear Science Journal' on this paper:

    The cost of promiscuity: sexual transmission of Nosema microsporidian parasites in polyandrous honey bees
    https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...GC9zYKxkqOVIGg
    Last edited by prakel; 14-09-2015 at 10:02 AM.

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    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    Virus and/or nosema offer a very likely explanation for unexpected queen failure or early supersedure.
    Roger Patterson claims that queen problems are far more common now than they used to be when he started beekeeping in the early 1960s.
    We did not have varroa and nosema ceranae to contend with in the 1960s.

  7. #7

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    Nosema apis and N.ceranae can be sexually transmitted , but they only infect the queen and not her offspring.

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    Senior Member prakel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon View Post
    Roger Patterson claims that queen problems are far more common now
    Beekeeping in the 1960s: The halcyon days of youth or historical fact?

    In October 1947 number of the American Bee Journal appeared this article:

    "This is the season of disastrous queen failures. From every direction come reports of supersedure and queenlessness on an unprecedented scale. With an abundance of clover the bees have failed at a very critical time. The failure of the queens results in heavy loss to the colony. When egg laying ceases for ten days to two weeks in the spring much of the productive force is lost. Losses have been especially heavy with package bees. The cold and backward spring was unfavorable for replacement and in too many cases the colony has been lost entirely. Most certainly we need to know more about the reason for this serious condition which has cost the beekeepers a substantial portion of the possible 1947 Harvest."

    Jay Smith: 'Better Queens' 1948

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    Senior Member prakel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SDM View Post
    they only infect the queen and not her offspring.
    What offspring, might be a good question where nosemic queens are concerned.

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    In one of Wally Shaw's presentations in Llangollen last year he expounded the theory that queens mated later in the season were more likely to fail due to std's passed on by drones who were more likely to be infectious later on due to expanding varroa populations. All sounded quite plausible and fits with many people's observations of queen longevity.

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