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gkibbe t1_iwcclr0 wrote

Reply to comment by vw_bugg in The lifespans of honey bees living in laboratory environments has dropped about 50% over the last 50 years, hinting at possible causes for the worrisome trends across the beekeeping industry, according to new research by University of Maryland entomologists. by Wagamaga

Nothing about modern beekeeping is natural, we've been selectively breeding an invasive species for domestication for literally thousands of years. The result is modern honeybee

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Some_Sheepherder6746 t1_iwco62g wrote

So maybe there's just no evolutionary pressure to have a longer life span.

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gkibbe t1_iwddxxf wrote

With Varroa Mites as an evolutionary pressure, I imagine it would push towards shorter lifespans in workers and queens who lay more eggs. That way you are replacing the mite ridden population quicker after each seasonal flare up. Same thing with pesticides, your gonna be choosing for queens who can replace the population quickly, but that would put pressure on food supplies in winter, so shorter lifespans would probably evolve in tandem with stronger laying queens.

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--VoidHawk-- t1_iwep92k wrote

Interesting line of thinking for a gradual, indirect consequence that fits the observations.

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Some_Sheepherder6746 t1_iwett8w wrote

Good point. As we industrialize more, even our bees are affected by the pressure of working in a chemical-filled environment

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vw_bugg t1_iwd0w3m wrote

And they have access to.... things outside the lab.

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