Author Topic: The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity  (Read 2752 times)

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Offline Wandering Man

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The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity
« on: January 12, 2018, 02:35:45 pm »
Serendipity can be a fun companion. Unfortunately you don't get to meet her through formal introduction.  You always make her acquaintance accidentally.  It appears that Serendipity may have a few things to say about Varroa mites and Lithium salts.  The study in the link below suggests Lithium Chloride, or perhaps Lithium Citrate has promise as a treatment to rid bees of Varroa. 

For those of you who aren't already aware, Lithium compounds have been used used to treat mood disorders since the 1800's and are still in use today.  I wonder if treating with Lithium would have a dual effect, in terms of killing mites and calming aggressive bees?  The effect would only be temporary, though.  -calming bees, that is.  Death is usually a permanent condition.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-19137-5.pdf

Quote
RNAi-based methods
were proposed recently as a promising new tool. However, the application of these methods according
to published protocols has led to a surprising discovery. Here, we show that the lithium chloride that
was used to precipitate RNA and other lithium compounds is highly effective at killing Varroa mites
when fed to host bees at low millimolar concentrations. Experiments with caged bees and brood-free
artificial swarms consisting of a queen and several thousand bees clearly demonstrate the potential
of lithium as miticidal agent with good tolerability in worker bees providing a promising basis for the
development of an effective and easy-to-apply control method for mite treatment.
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Offline neillsayers

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Re: The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2018, 03:14:45 pm »
This is great WM,

Thanks for sharing it! :)
Neill Sayers
Herbhome Bees
USDA Zone 7a

Offline Jen

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Re: The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2018, 06:45:35 pm »
Now who figured that out, I'm askin' ya? Lithium for bees, to kill varroa and calming factor... Sounds like an bee opium den to me  :D :laugh: :D
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Offline neillsayers

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Re: The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2018, 10:45:14 pm »
This brought back a memory. Originally 7-up had lithium in it. One could drink coca-cola for a cocaine buzz and calm down with a 7-up. 
 All way before my time, I'm not that old. :)
Neill Sayers
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Offline efmesch

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Re: The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2018, 02:25:49 pm »
If this article stands up to repeat testing by additional researchers, we've got a whole new ball game ahead of us.  8) 8) :yes: :yes: :) :)

Lithium is cheap, readily accessable  and should be easily applied to infested hives.

Here's hoping!!!!!!!

Offline Wandering Man

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Re: The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2018, 06:27:33 pm »
If this article stands up to repeat testing by additional researchers, we've got a whole new ball game ahead of us.  8) 8) :yes: :yes: :) :)

Lithium is cheap, readily accessable  and should be easily applied to infested hives.

Here's hoping!!!!!!!

The authors appear to be optimistic!

They ( or at least their school) have applied for a patent pretty much covering any use of lithium to treat for mites:

https://www.google.com/patents/WO2017042240A1?cl=en

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Offline CBT

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Re: The Varroa Mite meets Serendipity
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2018, 08:11:49 pm »
I feel good about mite control. Would like something effective and low cost for hive beetles. :yes: