Iwate beekeeper creates possible solution for colony collapse disorder
July 1, 2015
From: The Asahi Shimbun
By RYOMA KOMIYAMA/ Staff Writer
MORIOKA–A small company here developed a method that gives honeybee drones a purpose other than just mating–and could resolve the disappearing-bee mystery that threatens crop production around the globe.
The method targets the Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite measuring only 1 to 2 millimeters in size that latches on to honeybee pupa to suck out their bodily fluids. The host bee gradually weakens and becomes susceptible to various diseases.
Some researchers speculate these mites are causing the so-called colony collapse disorder, a phenomenon observed from around 2006 in which honeybees disappear from their hives overnight.
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