Good Or Bad? Genetically modified Bees Fighting Colony Collapse Disorder!

I don't know if this is a good development or not.

ScienceDaily.com

Bees Fight Back Against Colony Collapse Disorder: Some Honey Bees Toss Out Varroa Mites

ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2009) — Honey bees are now fighting back aggressively against Varroa mites, thanks to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) efforts to develop bees with a genetic trait that allows them to more easily find the mites and toss them out of the broodnest.

The parasitic Varroa mite attacks the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., by feeding on its hemolymph, which is the combination of blood and fluid inside a bee. Colonies can be weakened or killed, depending on the severity of the infestation. Most colonies eventually die from varroa infestation if left untreated.

ARS scientists at the agency’s Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge, La., have developed honey bees with high expression of the VSH trait. Honey bees are naturally hygienic, and they often remove diseased brood from their nests. VSH is a specific form of nest cleaning focused on removing varroa-infested pupae. The VSH honey bees are quite aggressive in their pursuit of the mites. The bees gang up, chew and cut through the cap, lift out the infected brood and their mites, and discard them from the broodnest.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the bees are making a fight of it. Since they are very important to our planet.



But I have misgivings about genetically altering them, not through tampering with their genes but selective breading, from what I can gather from the article.

it just seems like solving a problem by making another eventual problem. Who knows what the result of this genetic tampering will result in?

I guess for now we can just be happy that a solution to one of the problems causing Colony Collapse Disorder has evidently been found.

And just wait to see what the future holds!

Bad idea!!! For all they (the experts) know, releasing genetically modified bees may do more harm than good...perhaps even wipe out bees for good. I say let nature take it's course and see if bees survive. Natural selection is paramount. If the bees fail, then another species will come along and fill the niche left by the bees...

Just my 2-cents

Originally posted by Aggie Man
Bad idea!!! For all they (the experts) know, releasing genetically modified bees may do more harm than good...perhaps even wipe out bees for good. I say let nature take it's course and see if bees survive. Natural selection is paramount. If the bees fail, then another species will come along and fill the niche left by the bees...

Just my 2-cents

A very well spent 2 cents mate, I have to agree with you.

I don't know how damaging this will be, but if it was ideal wouldn't the bees have evolved that way?

Like I said, we will just have to wait and hope!

And what happens when the parasitic mites eventually adapt to these aggressive bees?

People should not support this by not buying honey. Let nature take its course.

Genetically modified bees... Hmmm.

Didn't we already try that? OH YEAH WE DID! And this is what we got.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3d755c4e101d.jpg[/atsimg]

It's an Africanized honey bee btw, aka a killer bee.



For those that don't know, killer bees are not African Honey bees.

They are a mix breed between the African and South American honey bee.

Well... to play devil advocate here... While I am opposed to the Genetic manipulation of anything... they are not talking about Genetic modifying in the sense of tinkering with the DNA of the bees in labs... this is about selective breeding. Selective breeding is something that has been practiced in farming and agriculture for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. I guess i kind of think of selective breeding as a safe semi natural form of genetics.

In my opinion it is merely speeding up the process of natural selection and I think that, with the situation regarding Bees being so dire, it’s worth a try.

However, I also feel that unless we return to more tradition practices of farming and stop relying on Pesticides, Herbicides and Fungicides then it will only be a matter of time before the Bee (and other insects) face another large threat.

i can see it now: Killer Bees Mk 2:

now 10mph faster in level flight, a bit more aggressive, twice as toxic and necrotising, like a recluse spider. impervious to frost and active both day and night! not to mention carnivorous if the opportunity presents itself...


nobody will see it coming of course.


PS: in case you don't know, the ('Mk.1') killer bee is just a hybrid of african and european bees. worked well enough it seems.


[edit on 2009.10.7 by Long Lance]