The survival of honey bee colonies worldwide is threatened by the ectoparasite Varroa destructor. In this riveting episode, we host Dr. Thomas A. O’Shea-Wheller, who has dedicated his research to uncovering solutions to this pressing issue.

O'Shea-Wheller presents an in-depth study of a Varroa-resistant honey bee stock, known as 'Pol-line', and its potential in tackling this parasite threat. The study, conducted on a large scale and over an extended period, showed promising results. The 'Pol-line' demonstrated significantly reduced Varroa levels, lower titres of three major viruses vectored by the mite (DWV-A, DWV-B, and CBPV), and a notable increase in survival.

Interestingly, a fourth virus not associated with Varroa—BQCV—showed no differences between the stocks, hinting at the disruption of the transmission pathway. When Varroa lev ...