Pest and Disease Resistant Behaviours in Honey Bees

This is the recording of the fourth and final virtual lecture in our "Understanding Varroa Mites" series!

Title: Pest and Disease Resistant Behaviours in Honey Bees
Description: A good IPM toolkit contains more than a single solution to pest and disease issues. In addition to chemical controls, cultural management techniques can also play a huge role in controlling incidence rates of pests and diseases in honey bee colonies . One of these powerful tools in the fight protecting bee health is genetic control. Honey bees are able to be bred to possess high levels of certain traits that make them resistant to pests and diseases. These traits include hygienic behaviour, Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH), and grooming behaviour. This talk will explore each of these traits in detail and discuss how the traits are quantified in bee colonies through laboratory analysis and practical field tests. It will also discuss how beekeepers can incorporate these traits into their own operations.

This lecture series was made possible by funding from the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).