Naturally beekeepers applied the same pest managment methods to the TBH that they were using on thier existing hives, why not? it was working there! Around the same time the dreaded Africanized Honey Bee was on the move spreading it´s territory. Now the question arised, How can this be? Our best bread bees are being devistated by mites yet these bees are thriving and they make more honey. Two major areas of interest that need to be explored are cell size and hygienic behavior. Hygienic behavior being defined as grooming and uncapping infested cells, removing the larve and disposing of it. Ultimately these two factors will be the tools used NOT to defeat the Vorroa mite, but to establish a workable host parasite relationship.
Back to the Africanized bee, this bee was never bread for anything it survived naturally. Africanized bees fiercely defend their hives because they are constantly preyed upon by man and honey badgers just to name a couple. They will alert at a greater distance and pursue their victim over a longer distances. Africanized bees have a tendency to abscond leaving behind a whole nest much more readily than the European honey bee, and swarm very often. This is a defensive behavior and leads some to believe it is carried over to the Varroa mite in the form of hygienic behavior, grooming and removing infested brood. Interviews with Brazilian bee keepers posted on the net state that they report the Africanized bee as much calmer to handle once the constant threats are removed. The grooming trait has also been observed in Russian bees which have been battling Varroa for 150 years. See this article for more about Russian bees.
All of the facts stated above would support “survival of the fittest”. The AHB and Russian bee have managed on their own to deal with Varroa mites. Let’s look at cell size. What is important to remember here is man studied cell size and its effect on bee size then made foundation and introduced it to the hive. The man who compiled all the info on cell size is Michael Bush see his info here:
Man’s motivation for manipulating bee size was more honey! What we did not foresee was that larger cell sizes were ideal environments for Varroa to breed in. Why? Larger cells and larger bees mean longer development time and more mites per cell. Smaller cells and smaller bees mean shorter development times less mites in the cell. A larger cell stays capped two days longer then a smaller cell. A smaller cell bee spends two days less capped in the cell then a larger bee. This interrupts the Mites breeding cycle resulting in fewer mites in the hive!
LET’S RECAP
Africanized bees are hygienic = less mites getting into the cells to breed.
Africanized bees have not been bread for specific traits.
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Russian bees are hygienic = less mites getting into the cells to breed.
Smaller cell bees weather it be small cell foundation or just natural cells spend less time capped= less mites getting in the cells to breed.
Less mites getting into the cells to breed= Less of an overall mite load on the hive.
Less of an overall mite load on the hive= A mite load bees can handle.
A mite load bees can handle= No need for chemical treatment.
Will all strains of bees be able to handle mites even at a lesser load, probably not, but breeding the survivors you have in the spring is a good start. Yes, it is selective breeding but not for just one trait. Selective breeding for a specific trait gave us chickens with large breasts too bad their legs could not support the body and their hearts could not pump enough blood.
THE TBH'S ROLE
A TBH is one of a few hive types conducive to bees building a natural nest with the proper, natural management the nest can be culled until bees that were once conditioned by artifical foundation return to building natural nests on their own. Once established a natural nest can maintain a sustainable host parasite relationship with minimal interference.