The effect of invasion of Varroa jacobsoni on the development of queen bees

The studies on the development of queen bees experimentally infected with females of V. jacobsoni were carried out in 1983 and 1984. Fully formed queen cells were transferred from the hive to the laboratory. At the base of each cell, except for the control group (K 1) a 3 mm opening was made through which females of V. jacobsoni were inserted, collected from brood drone. One female of the mite was inserted into each queen cell for the experimental group I, two - of the group II, three - group III and four - group IV. The openings in the cells were then sealed with warm wax, and the cells were placed in Zander containers and in a thermostat, at the temperature of 34.5°C, and relative humidity ca. 80%. Unopened queen cells constituted the control group (K 1), as well as cells opened and then sealed with wax (K 2). Of 508 control and experimental queen cells, 234 queens emerged (46.1%), of these 90 (88.9%) of a wight 189.8 mg in the group K 1, 72 (86.7%) of weight 189.5 mg in the group K 2, 81 (75.7%) of weight 188.2 mg in the group I, 48 (55.2%) of weight 184.6 mg in the group II, 23 (31.5%) of weight 189.1 mg in the group III and 20 (29.4%) of weight 192.4 mg in the grup IV. The remaining queens died at the stage of straightened larva (99), prepupa (17) and pupa (36). The highest number of queens died in the experimental groups II-IV. The results obtained indicate that the development cycle of V. jacobsoni can not be completed in queen bee cells

The effect of invasion of Varroa jacobsoni on the development of queen bees

The studies on the development of queen bees experimentally infected with females of V. jacobsoni were carried out in 1983 and 1984. Fully formed queen cells were transferred from the hive to the laboratory. At the base of each cell, except for the control group (K 1) a 3 mm opening was made through which females of V. jacobsoni were inserted, collected from brood drone. One female of the mite was inserted into each queen cell for the experimental group I, two - of the group II, three - group III and four - group IV. The openings in the cells were then sealed with warm wax, and the cells were placed in Zander containers and in a thermostat, at the temperature of 34.5°C, and relative humidity ca. 80%. Unopened queen cells constituted the control group (K 1), as well as cells opened and then sealed with wax (K 2). Of 508 control and experimental queen cells, 234 queens emerged (46.1%), of these 90 (88.9%) of a wight 189.8 mg in the group K 1, 72 (86.7%) of weight 189.5 mg in the group K 2, 81 (75.7%) of weight 188.2 mg in the group I, 48 (55.2%) of weight 184.6 mg in the group II, 23 (31.5%) of weight 189.1 mg in the group III and 20 (29.4%) of weight 192.4 mg in the grup IV. The remaining queens died at the stage of straightened larva (99), prepupa (17) and pupa (36). The highest number of queens died in the experimental groups II-IV. The results obtained indicate that the development cycle of V. jacobsoni can not be completed in queen bee cells