Paul Stamets on science: what the evidence says · JRE #1385
SUBJECT: SCIENCE
Not a true/false call. Every claim is logged with its sources; read the exhibits below.
Now, the D4 wing virus is being vectored by the varroa mite. It came in 1984 1984 and it injects viruses into bees and so it's like a dirty syringe and these viruses debilitate the bees
What the evidence says 01 / RECORD
Stamets appears to be referring to deformed wing virus (DWV), not a virus literally named "D4 wing virus." The mechanism he describes is well supported: peer-reviewed research shows Varroa destructor mites feed on bee hemolymph and, in doing so, can inject DWV directly into a bee, a transmission route that is far more lethal than the natural oral/fecal route (as few as ~100 injected viral particles can kill a bee versus roughly 10 billion needed via feeding) and that favors more virulent viral strains. Separately, the strong association between Varroa, DWV, and high overwintering colony losses across dozens of US states is well established in the literature. Where the claim is off is the date: the varroa mite was not detected in the United States until 1987, when it was found in Florida colonies, and it then spread across the country over the following years. No evidence supports a 1984 US arrival; the "1984" figure appears to be a misremembering of the documented 1987 first detection.
Evidence sources 03 / EXHIBITS
Who Benefits
Stamets is founder of Fungi Perfecti, LLC, which markets mushroom mycelium extract products marketed as reducing viral loads (including DWV) in honeybee colonies. He is first author on the peer-reviewed study demonstrating this effect, giving him a direct financial interest in publicizing the varroa/DWV threat he describes.