>We are pleased when someone offers a report that stands up to

> even cursory scrutiny


 I don't have the citation at hand, but one of the best was by Jose Villa,
who monitored swarms captured in (if I recall correctly) Louisiana prior to
the arrival of varroa, and then over the ensuing years, but without any
invasion by AHB in the area.  The number of swarms plummeted shortly after
the arrival of varroa, but then rebounded in several years.  There were no
beekeepers in the area.

Such data suggests a recovery of the feral stock, perhaps with an elevated
rate of swarming.

It is unfortunate that there is not more of such hard data.  This is why I
find Joe Waggle's posts to be of great interest.

Across the board, I find North American honey bees, on average, to be more
resistant to varroa today then they were in 1990.  I find some stocks to be
far more resistant.  I find colonies in my own operation to be highly
resistant, and breed from them.  The evolutionary process is happening
before our eyes!  It is no surprise to me that non-Africanized feral
populations in some areas are becoming more resistant.  And no surprise
that some beekeepers may be having success with those stocks, even if they
are not the most productive bees.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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