Bee virus infection can be controlled by the extract of some fungi

-The so-called "bee mortality" threatens our respected honey producers and pollinators However, experiments have shown that there is reason to hope that an important contributing factor to the problem can be solved: the virus infection of honeybees can be controlled by the extract of some fungi However, for beekeepers to be able to use this treatment, the researchers said that effective mushroom extract production methods must be developed first People are concerned about bees: over the past few years, the number of ecologically and economically important insects has declined Many colonies around the world are weakened and die to some extent Many studies have shown that the causes of colony collapse are complex However, one factor has been confirmed: many people will be infected with some viruses Most importantly, the wing deformation virus and the so-called Lake Sinai virus are promising A natural bee drug? The infection of these pathogens is related to the second major problem of bees: varroa mite has developed rapidly in recent years Vampires spread the virus and weaken bees, reducing their resistance to infection So far, mainly by fighting mites, they're trying to help bees Fortunately, it is now clear that the burden of the virus can also be reduced The study, led by Steve shepherd of Washington State University at Washington State University, is based on the observation that bees eat certain fungal pests when opportunities arise This suggests that it makes them feel good to some extent - it's a natural bee medicine In addition, there is evidence from cell culture studies that some fungal substances may have antiviral effects As a result, the researchers decided to explore whether the management of mushroom extracts, particularly whether it has a beneficial effect on bee resistance, was attacked by wing deformation virus and lake Sinai virus In the test extract, they are produced from the genus scale sponge (ROT) and Ganoderma (Ganoderma lucidum) of the fungus's woven fabric (mycelium) For their testers, they gave different doses of the extract on a mixture with syrup However, the controller only accepts pure sweet carrier material Promising results they reported a surprisingly significant effect in 12 days: treatment with mushroom extract reduced exposure to both viruses in a dose-dependent manner compared to sugar fed bees "We're not sure if the mycelium will enhance the bee's immune system or fight the virus," Shepard said "We are trying to find it." However, according to them, the first is clearly a positive effect At present, they are carrying out further experiments to determine how many extracts should be used to get the best results When they stressed that, now, however, patience, because of the treatment measures announced by the bee farmers, there are still obstacles to overcome: so far, there are not enough fungal substances to produce enough extracts, because Auricularia can grow as easily as mushrooms, "we are increasing the output of extracts as quickly as possible, so we can deal with them on a large scale at some times." Co author Paul Stamets said.