Question at position 39 The devastating mite Varroa destructor was accidentally introduced into the US in the mid 1980s. Nowadays, beekeepers typically must intervene to help their hives fight infestation by this parasite. What happened to the wild (=feral) bees?Many wild colonies collapsed after this mid-80s introductionAll possible answers provided are correctSome wild colonies survived without human intervention

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The question asks about what happened to wild (feral) bees after Varroa destructor was introduced in the mid-1980s and how wild colonies fared subsequently.
Option 1: 'Many wild colonies collapsed after this mid-80s introduction' — This reflects the well-documented impact of Varroa on unmanaged wild bee populations, where parasitic mites contributed to high colony losses in many areas, especially without treatments or selective breeding for mite resistance.
Option 2: 'All possible answers provided are correct' — This claims that every listed statement is true. If the first statement is true (large numbers of collapses) and the third statement is also true (some wild colonies survived without human intervention), then this meta-statement could be consistent, given the right context that both widespread collapse and occasional survival occurred in wild populations.
Option 3: 'Some wild colonies survived without human intervention' — This acknowledges that resistance or tolerance can emerge in certain lineages or colonies, allowing them to persist despite mite pressure, even if many others did not survive.

Evaluating each option critically:
- For Option 1, the reasoning hinges on the established observation that Varroa outbreaks led to significant mortality in wild bee populations, particularly where there was no beekeeping intervention or treatment, so this option aligns with expected outcomes in many regions.
- For Option 3, the existence of surviving wild colonies is supported by documented cases of natural mite tolerance, adaptation, or refugia where bees persisted without direct human management, making this option plausible.
- For Option 2, the claim that all options are correct depends on the truth of both Option 1 and Option 3. Since both of those statements can be true in many contexts, Option 2 can be viewed as a logically consistent synthesis rather than an erroneous claim, provided there is not contradictory evidence in other contexts.

In summary, Option 1 presents a realistic trend of widespread wild colony losses after the Varroa introduction, Option 3 acknowledges the counterpoint that some wild colonies endured without intervention, and Option 2 coherently asserts that both scenarios occurred, tying together the prior points. The reasoning for each option highlights the nuances of wild bee dynamics under Varroa pressure, without prematurely committing to a single choice. The overall takeaway is that the observed outcomes include both substantial collapses and some survivors, which makes the statement that all provided options are correct a plausible summary under many circumstances.

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