# Saw this on the BBC News page on bees. Thought it was interesting.



## julysun (Apr 25, 2012)

Yes, I saw that. So in effect selecting for V resistance is selecting for biting bees! :applause:


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Since the mites look like small crabs their shell is too tough for the bite/ venom?


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

You might get more responses in Bee Forum or Diseases since this area is for welcoming.
What makes you think the mites' shells are too hard or thick? If you combine this trait with shallow cell brood frames the bees can reach imature (soft) varroa.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Varroa and wax moth larva become comfortably numb -- http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...oa-and-wax-moth-larva-become-comfortably-numb
The Bite of the Honeybee: 2-Heptanone Secreted from Honeybee Mandibles during a Bite Acts as a Local Anesthetic in Insects and Mammals
Honeybees secrete 2-heptanone (2-H) from their mandibular glands when they bite. 2-H is a local anesthetic effective against wax moth larva (WML) and Varroa mites, which are paralyzed after a honeybee bite. Honeybees can use 2-H for defense, to paralyze invaders that are too small to sting.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%...l.pone.0047432


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