Hygienic honey bees are more resistant to destructive parasite

Hygienic honey bees are more resistant to destructive parasite

Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite that affects honeybees. It originated in Asia, but has spread to almost every region of the world. Domestic honey bees, Apis mellifera, are particularly vulnerable to this parasite, which can cause the loss of a colony in just a few months, as well as significant economic losses for beekeepers. Although chemical treatments have existed since the 1980s, they have several drawbacks, including the appearance of parasite resistance, undesirable effects on bees and the presence of residues of substances in honey or royal jelly. Some honey bee colonies have been able to survive the mite without any treatment, thus showing resistance ability to Varroa destructor. The parasite reproduces by lodging in the brood cells of the hive, where bee larvae and pupae grow. By analyzing their behavior, researchers discovered that some bees are capable of detecting the parasite in the cells where it is present. These bees—called hygienic—open the contaminated cells to clean them, sacrificing the developing pupae but controlling the spread of the parasite and preserving the colony. But, how can they detect the parasite hidden in the cells?

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