Lithium! Who'd'a'thunkit?

[yes2matt]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-022-00949-y

Lithium chloride fed in syrup kills 80+% of mites, no harm to adult bees, effects on bee larvae remain to be studied.

To be honest, when the abstract starts with a statement that honey bees survival depends explicitly on varroa treatment success,  I think of my favorite kool-aid. But it's still interesting research!

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[Michael Bush]

Not very recent now.  I haven't heard anything recent on this.  I suppose they need all the lithium for the batteries for the coal generated electric powered semi-trucks and farm tractors...

[The15thMember]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-022-00949-y

Lithium chloride fed in syrup kills 80+% of mites, no harm to adult bees, effects on bee larvae remain to be studied.

To be honest, when the abstract starts with a statement that honey bees survival depends explicitly on varroa treatment success,  I think of my favorite kool-aid. But it's still interesting research!

Very interesting.  Thanks for posting. 

Not very recent now.  I haven't heard anything recent on this.  I suppose they need all the lithium for the batteries for the coal generated electric powered semi-trucks and farm tractors...

I'm not sure what you mean, this paper was literally published this past weekend. 

[Michael Bush]

The first I heard of it was several years ago.  I haven't read this one, but I have read several papers on the topic from several years ago.  Sorry I didn't realize this was recent.  Looks like they are looking at larval mortality.  Previously they were just looking at adult mortality and efficacy against Varroa.

[BeeMaster2]

Quote from article:
For adult bees, the available data indicate no or only moderate side effects even after overdose treatments of colonies or cage bees with LiCl (Pre?ern et al. 2020; Stanimirovic et al. 2021; Ziegelmann et al. 2018). In contrast, no published data exist on the effect of LiCl on the development of the honey bee brood.

Apparently this study was more into seeing what the affects are on brood compared to the previous studies that were done on adults.
Jim Altmiller

[beesnweeds]

Michael Bush is right a paper came out in 2018.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-19137-5.pdf?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100020465&CJEVENT=410b0bcc0d4c11ed8333b1080a82b821

It became very controversial at the time because Lithium isn't exactly safe to handle.  But what made me laugh when I saw this post was about the same time Purina came out with "Hearty Bee" bee food.  One of the ingredients for protein was chicken blood.  Needless to say, it wasn't recieved very well.

https://www.beeculture.com/catch-buzz-check-newest-honey-bee-pollen-supplement-purina/

[The15thMember]

But what made me laugh when I saw this post was about the same time Purina came out with "Hearty Bee" bee food.  One of the ingredients for protein was chicken blood.  Needless to say, it wasn't recieved very well.

https://www.beeculture.com/catch-buzz-check-newest-honey-bee-pollen-supplement-purina/

I wish I could embed gifs, because this was my exact face on reading that Purina ad. 
https://tenor.com/OdFd.gif