>>> Bob & Liz <[log in to unmask]> 01/15 8:21 AM >>>
With all due respect to John Harbo I am VERY skeptical he has found A.
melifera on which *varroa females will not reproduce*.  Varroa LOVE drone
brood of A.melifera!   I believe Allen is reading more into the talk than
was given..   If John Harbo had A.melifera on which varroa couldn't
reproduce we would all be dancing in the streets and opening bottles of
champagne.

No, I Allen heard right, there is a character floating around within US bee stocks that results in reduced reproduction of mites.  The character is heritable, and following a survey of US bee stocks in the mid-1990s, it appeared to be the strongest resistance character in the gene pool; that is to say it had a larger impact of mite population growth than hygenic behavior, grooming behavior and the duration of the capped period.    Studies suggest that both the adult bees and the brood contribute to the character.  I think one of the problems with the character is that it is difficult finding the breeders.  The method to detect SMR is very time and labor intense.  It is not like hygenic behavior, where I think you need a 3 days in the bee yard, a soup can and some liquid nitrogen.

Regards
Adony