Spider venom kills varroa mites without harming honeybees

299 points · 140 comments on HN · read original →

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Spider venom peptide selectively kills varroa mites without harming honeybees.

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What commenters are saying

Commenters split on whether varroa mites are the primary cause of colony collapse or a symptom of pesticide use and habitat loss. Beekeepers note mites consume 80% of their effort and treatments spoil honey, with mites gaining immunity to pharmaceuticals. Others cite studies linking glyphosate to bee gut biome damage and point to habitat loss as a broader driver of insect decline.