Process and Theory

Varroa Destructor is perhaps one of the most well-known ailments

affecting bees today. These mites attach themselves to the joints in
between the body segments, where there is little or no exoskeleton. This
vulnerability is hard to manage, and presents a real problem for bees,
beekeepers, plants, and so many other industry stakeholders. The Varroa
mite gets into the beehive and attaches itself to the weakest parts of the
bee’s exoskeleton, normally on their back at each connection point. The
mite then bites into the bee and starts sucking out its fatty organs such as
their kidneys. Once the mite has its fill, they begin laying eggs on the
larva. Then destroying the bees brood as hosts on the young bees.

We started our process of our Ideal bee by studying the anatomy of

the bee. This gave us a good perspective on where to start our research.
We studied where and how the Varroa mite attaches and preys on the bee
so successfully. This led us to our first change in the bee’s anatomy, the
exoskeleton.
 The exoskeleton of the bee is rigid and made up of thin layers of
wax called Chitin. With no internal bones, this exoskeleton is vulnerable
to predators. We thought about how the bee could potentially evolve
giving it a better defense than a thin and penetrable exoskeleton. That’s
when we thought what if the bee had an exoskeleton that was flexible.
We aren’t completely sure what this flexible exoskeleton could be made
up of but maybe something in the bee’s molecular format allowed them
to evolve over time. The most vulnerable sections of the bees are located
at the connection points at Thorax, head, and abdomen. This will allow
the bee to defend itself and the vulnerable parts of its exoskeleton much
more effectively.
 Honeybees have an open circulatory system. This means that
hemolymph doesn’t pump through the body but rather freely around each
structure. After we pondered how this open circulatory system could
positively or negatively impact the bee, we thought the bees has a great
natural defense, its stinger. It’s successful when warding off bigger
animals and in swarms, but effectively rendered useless when battling
something as small as the Varroa mite. How can the bee use its
naturally given defenses to fight this small newly attacking enemy?
That’s when we thought, maybe the bee can evolve in such a way that it
doesn’t have to develop a completely new defense, but just slightly
modify the one it already has. By circulating the venom sac, the stinger
and supply of venom is unchanged. The circulatory system of venom
with allow the bee to use its venom on the Varroa mite when it attempts
to attach to its newly flexible exoskeleton. The venom will be able to
seep through the pores of the exoskeleton directly onto the Varroa mite
killing it within seconds.
 As our process of research, 3D printing, and designing our ideal bee
began we were faced with a really important question, how will the bee
know if it’s a Varroa mite on its back or just another bee climbing over
top of it in the hive? That’s when we referenced an existing idea in the
cells of plant, called Stomata. Stoma is chemically censored based on
gas exchange to open and close based on its surroundings. We think
maybe the bee since it adapts so closely with plants in order to pollinate
successfully, the bees perhaps mimicked this structure to further the
future of its species.