In a message dated 3/23/99 7:17:20 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
 
> I would think if a swarn had varroa and it was treated that they would make
a
> hive
>  as good as any.  Is there a point of no return, even for a swarm?
 
   Yes, it would. I didn't explain my reasoning for not treating swarms that I
think occurred from "wild" bees. Since these bees have survived, as best as I
can determine, for several years without treatment for varroa, they may have
some resistance, and that would be a valuable trait to breed from.
 
     Jack Griffes (Honeybee Improvement Program) maintains that resistance
will only be developed by disciplined breeding, and pooh-poohs, the idea that
resistance will be found in the wild.
 
    I note that plant breeders are searching out and saving every wild plant
that they can, and preserving them in genetic repositories. I applaud Jack's
program, but that doesn't stop me from saving swarms, in the off-chance that
the mechanism of resistance may already exist in the wild somewhere. It's my
own small contribution to the effort to bring back our honeybees.
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
The Pollination Scene:  http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
The Pollination Home Page:    http://www.pollinator.com
 
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
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