Link to paper: http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(07)01503-5?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982207015035%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
QUESTIONS:
1. On pg R694 in section Steps 1 and 2 - This sections refers to the risk of infection to the nest and colony inside when the nest is open to the environment as opposed to being closed to the environment. This says to me that colonies are most vulnerable during nest construction. What measures can the colony take to protect themselves during this critical stage of construction? Does the queen stay underground until the hive is completed before she enters it?
2. A general question - If social insects can detect infected individuals and remove them from the nest. Would it make sense that parasites could lay dormant for prolonged length of time and then activate when they reach younger individuals further inside the hive? Because colony insects are the same species and closely related, could a parasite lay dormant and then distinguished between an environmental difference to activate once deep inside the hive?
Link to paper: http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(07)01503-5?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982207015035%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
QUESTIONS:
1. On pg R694 in section Steps 1 and 2 - This sections refers to the risk of infection to the nest and colony inside when the nest is open to the environment as opposed to being closed to the environment. This says to me that colonies are most vulnerable during nest construction. What measures can the colony take to protect themselves during this critical stage of construction? Does the queen stay underground until the hive is completed before she enters it?
2. A general question - If social insects can detect infected individuals and remove them from the nest. Would it make sense that parasites could lay dormant for prolonged length of time and then activate when they reach younger individuals further inside the hive? Because colony insects are the same species and closely related, could a parasite lay dormant and then distinguished between an environmental difference to activate once deep inside the hive?
