Insights from Norway: Using Natural Adaptation to Breed Varroa-Resistant Honey Bees

Abstract

Introduction Varroa destructor shook the beekeeping world when it hit. The parasite, once it made the jump onto Apis mellifera, was quick to breed itself out of control (Rosenkranz et al., 2010; Traynor et al., 2020). As if the new parasite was not enough, it also developed the potential to vector common viruses. Once those viruses had an easy way to infect bees quickly and thoroughly, the problem became a lethal one (Dainat et al., 2012; Dietemann et al., 2012). The incredible thing about the natural world though, is its ability to shift back to a state of equilibrium after a large disturbance, with species adapting to one another to find some form of novel balance between them. This is exactly what Western honey bees have done.