# Genetically Modified Varroa Mites



## mybeeguy (Jan 26, 2016)

My thought is that they are so incestuous that it wouldnt be very effective. Typically Varroa in one hive are from a single family. You modify some varroa to reproduce sterile progeny then you end that particular families reproduction but other families aren't affected. The female varroa mite has 5 offspring, 1 male and 4 female. The male then mates the 4 females the male dies and then the 4 females leave. They then replicate this process. If you introduced sterility into their gene pool you'd just end that family and none of the others in the other hives. Mosquitoes breeding and life cycle are different so introducing sterile progeny would be much more effective. Great question and hope I make sense.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Anytime you genetically modify something to have a reproductive disadvantage you ensure those genes will not get passed on as often as the natural ones without the reproductive disadvantage. I'm not in favor of GMO, but if you were to pick a goal for GMO Varroa mites, it would be that they don't cause as much problems while still reproducing at the same rate so the ones that don't kill their host have a slightly better then even chance of propagating that trait.


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## Marcin (Jun 15, 2011)

I think Beeologics/Monsonto is working on RNAi research in relation to varroa mites.


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## SS Auck (May 8, 2015)

Yes Michael is right. This would be diminishing returns. I can see how it would work but you would have to give the males in the offspring some advantage over the unaltered males.


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## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

They already made a GMO mosquito


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## The General (Apr 22, 2014)

Billboard said:


> They already made a GMO mosquito


They did. And it is already causing vast outbreaks of the Zika virus because as always, Nature finds a way.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Solutions create problems. The govt needs to start keeping bees so they can learn to quit solving problems that are way out of their league.


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

Aunt Betty, the government does keep bees. https://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/inside-white-house-bees
I wonder if there are any pictures of the president using a Varrox?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Sevareid's Law: "The leading cause of problems is solutions."--Eric Sevareid


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

The General said:


> They did. And it is already causing vast outbreaks of the Zika virus because as always, Nature finds a way.


Don't make stuff up.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Beeologics did do some initial RNAi work, but it was only 40% effective and cost was about 10k per hive. I'm sure with some fine tuning, it could be more effective and the process was easy, feed the bees syrup with the oligos in it, the mites were exposed via hemolymph feeding. They also knocked out DWV and IAPV which might be the more prudent approach. I'm pro biotech, but I find the approach of trying to eradicate pests via GMO kind of short sighted. It would be much more effective to modify the mosquitos to make them less virulent or unable to carry virus via RNAi then trying to interrupt their biology.


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## SoylentYellow (Dec 10, 2013)

JRG13 said:


> Don't make stuff up.


+1


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## The General (Apr 22, 2014)

JRG13 said:


> Don't make stuff up.


I wish I wasn't. You could do the research yourself if you really cared. But since you don't, I'll spoon feed you.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-...genetically-modified-mosquitoes-released-2015

Read it and make up your own mind. You can attack the source all you want but the information is freely available on the internet(they even link them to you at the page). 

I just wish humans would stop trying to play God.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

The mosquito is there already, what does the genetic modification have to do with anything? Initial release had 90% control, but obviously it wasn't enough and now they're back. Also, they only speculate as to what may have happened, where's the data showing all these mosquitos are gmo survivors? Don't spoon feed me crap and say you're doing me a favor.


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## fatshark (Jun 17, 2009)

The General said:


> I wish I wasn't. You could do the research yourself if you really cared. But since you don't, I'll spoon feed you.
> 
> http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-...genetically-modified-mosquitoes-released-2015
> 
> ...


For a slightly less biased information source you could look at the WHO website which has just called for an increase in mosquito control measures to limit the transmission of Zika.

http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/articles/mosquito-control/en/

This includes the following:

_For genetically modified mosquitoes, the WHO Advisory Group has recommended further field trials and risk assessment to evaluate the impact of this new tool on disease transmission. Trials previously conducted in the Cayman Islands showed significant reductions in the Ae. aegypti population.
__
Another technique being developed involves the mass release of male insects that have been sterilized by low doses of radiation. When sterile males mate, the female’s eggs are not viable, and the insect population dies out. The sterile insect technique has been successfully used, on a large scale, by the International Atomic Energy Agency and FAO to control agriculturally important insect pests.

_A range of biological control measures - more larvae-eating fish for example in El Salvadore - are also being trialled.


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## Cyan (Jan 27, 2015)

Obama probably cooks his rock in the OA vaporizers- just my opinion. 😊


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