[ExI] Bee dieoff cause found?

[spike]

From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Adrian Tymes
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 6:37 PM
To: ExI chat list
Subject: [ExI] Bee dieoff cause found?

 

Mainly posting this for Spike, since he has an interest:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/22/us/bee-deaths-may-stem-from-virus-study-sa
ys.html?_r=0

But if this is the case, then might there be a way to vaccinate bees against
this?

 

 

 

Genetic engineering that makes antibodies in the venom, then causes the
little bastards to sting each other?

 

Somehow make a specific antibody, then genetically modify mosquitoes to take
up the medication, then go bite the bees?

 

In any case, it is possible that the whole notion of creating artificial
beehives in supers stacked four high and 16 to a pallet might provide a
fertile breeding ground which inherently causes viruses and other pathogens
to evolve and attack.  It might be how we are using the bees is causing
evolution to find a way to devour the ecosystem we have created by
beekeeping.  Nature doesn't present us with enormous beehives that size.
Nature doesn't create situations where 16 hives with different queens all
cohabitate within a meter of each other.  

 

It might be that any strategy we try is at best a temporary solution: RNA
viruses might be able to evolve around anything we throw at them.  Damn.

 

Thanks for the link Adrian.

 

spike

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