STD In Queen bees

[Jon]

What offspring, might be a good question where nosemic queens are concerned.

From the 'Realclearscience' article:

Luckily for the colony, infected queens do not pass Nosema onto their young. None of the 400 eggs laid by queens in the experiment carried the parasite. However, unluckily for parasite-ridden queens, their days are usually numbered once they take on the parasite. An infected queen's ovaries quickly degenerate, severely reducing her egg-laying capacity. Sensing the queen's infertility, workers then set about rearing replacement queens.

[prakel]

mbc, I'd say that the later queens (here, where we usually have calmer weather than earlier in the season) are probably better, all round. I wonder whether it could be argued that earlier drones might be more susceptable as a result of the initial varroa expansion after winter and possibly lower level of care comenserate with the smaller population?

[prakel]

An infected queen's ovaries quickly degenerate, severely reducing her egg-laying capacity. Sensing the queen's infertility, workers then set about rearing replacement queens.

Screwed if that's how she comes out of winter.

[masterbk]

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

Nosema spores can probably go on to infect workers from the queen when she defaecates as the workers eat her faeces.

[Greengage]

Thanks to everyone for their replies I have to go read the papers before I think of my next question , sure this is better than open university, will i get a paper out of it from you guys for educating me. Appreciate the responses.

[Greengage]

I read through the reports in the Cost of Promescuity it states that Nosema ceranea is an emerging parasite following a host jump from Apis ceraena which reduces the fitness of a colony and has been associated with colony losses. Both species of Nosema mentioned are feacal-orally transmitted parasites but unknown as of yet wheather they are sexually transmitted.
In AI queens could drones be screened for carring the parasite (If they do carry it) If not then what guarantees does a buyer of new queens have that the new queen is not going to bring more harm to your colony than good.
I was not aware that workes also ingest queen feacal, if it is a spore then would something like a feed ogf Tymol give them something like the shits where they could clear it from their systems.

[SDM]

Nosema spores can probably go on to infect workers from the queen when she defaecates as the workers eat her faeces.

Yes but that wouldn't be " sexually " transmitted. Unless your girls are into really kinky stuff.

[SDM]

I read through the reports in the Cost of Promescuity it states that Nosema ceranea is an emerging parasite following a host jump from Apis ceraena which reduces the fitness of a colony and has been associated with colony losses. Both species of Nosema mentioned are feacal-orally transmitted parasites but unknown as of yet wheather they are sexually transmitted.
In AI queens could drones be screened for carring the parasite (If they do carry it) If not then what guarantees does a buyer of new queens have that the new queen is not going to bring more harm to your colony than good.
I was not aware that workes also ingest queen feacal, if it is a spore then would something like a feed ogf Tymol give them something like the shits where they could clear it from their systems.

It was through AI that they proved sexual transmission, so I guess there's no guarantee.

[alclosier]

New market for thornes, bee condoms...

[Kate Atchley]

So we could find DWV among our so-far Varroa-free bees as it gets closer? Drones with Varroa fly miles to mate with our bees but don't transfer mites, just the viruses they bring? Wonder if this might be picked up by the research being carried out at Warwick Uni?