Goals:
Resilience against Varroa Mite
Varroa Mite
Parasite that feeds on honeybee’s hemolymph fluid
Attaches to the abdominal folds of an adult bee
Effects of Varroa Mite
Wing Deformities
Shorten lifespan of adult bees
Feed on larvae & kill immature bees
Increase virus levels & susceptibility in colony
Scorpion Tail:
Details:
Contains honeybee venom and kills mites
Can be used to remove mites on themself and other bees
Consequences:
Adds weight to the bee and makes flight more difficult
Bees need larger cells for laying eggs due to larger size bees
Armor:
Details:
Made of metal so mites can not easily attach to the bee
Metal is black to reflect less light
Protects from stings from other bees
Consequences:
The metal reflect more light than a normal bees skin and attracts more predators
Black metal absorbs and retains more heat from the sun
Metal adds weight to the bee making flight more difficult
Mite Sensing Antennas:
Details:
Antennas can sense mites so the bees know who in the hive is infected and if other hives are infected as well
Bees can sting varroa mites that make it into the hive
Consequences:
May lead to more CCD due to bees trying to escape the mites
Larger/Stronger Wings:
Details:
Counteracts the flight difficulties from the scorpion tail and armor adding weight
Enables the bee to fly further to collect nectar and pollen
Wings are clear to minimize visibility from predators
Consequences:
Increases the needed cell size even further
May increase energy output for bees
Sources:
Scorpion Thingiverse File: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1001286
Honeybee Thingiverse File: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2352705
Sticky Innovation Laser Cut Bee File
Ellis, James D, and C.M. Zettel Nalen. “Varroa Mite, Varroa Destructor Anderson and Trueman (Acari: Varroidae).” University of Florida, Mar. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_89082
Reflection:
We ran into many difficulties during the creation of out ideal bee including:
We were unable to cut the bees wings and the scorpions body from them in the file, so we had to do so after the model was 3D printed.
The legs and antenna did not correctly 3D print due to the small scale so I had to make the antenas out of wood sticks and the legs out of hot glue.
The scorpion tail does not reach the bees back as expected and needed to be bigger and longer but we did not have time to reprint.
It was extremely difficult to unravel the yellow string and superglue it to the bee as fur without it sticking to my fingers, the table, and everything else.