> Interesting that no self-cleaning (or mate-cleaning) behavior has emerged. Actually, several behaviors have already emerged. Bees can groom each other to re

> Interesting that no self-cleaning (or mate-cleaning) behavior has emerged. Actually, several behaviors have already emerged. Bees can groom each other to remove the mites, and they can also display hygienic behavior where they open up cells with infected larvae and removed them. Apis mellifera has not historically lived with Varroa, but it's close relatives have and they successfully developed a stable host-parasite relationship with the mites. Wild honeybees left alone have quickly (a decade or two) adapted to the mite to develop this same stable relationship. Insect generations are short which enables more rapid evolution. In this case, the re-emergence of some now strongly adaptive alleles. There are many beekeepers today breeding honeybees with these specific behaviors in mind, to avoid the need for chemical treatments. This is not the norm, but it's taking on more importance in the face of an escalating arms race - mites can evolve resistance to chemical treatments, too. It's also not just these behaviors that help honeybees live with mites. Many of the ways humans keep bees commercially to make things easier for us actually make things harder for the bees.