originally in conference IN-BEEKEEPIN on WILDBEES (WILD BEE'S BBS)
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JA>From: John Alexander <[log in to unmask]>
  >Subject: BeeChat
 
Hi All Beefriends,
 
GOOD TIME had by all in spite of a few technical problems at the July 1
Beekeepers Chat.
 
Hope to see more of these scheduled CHATS.
 
Dr. Rodriguez did a good job answering questions on his work with MO and
Varroa.
 
One BEE BYTE of NEWS passed on by a LA beekeeper, (not LA Calif.) was
that the Russian bees (queens) have invaded the United States and are
being kept at a secret base on a island off the coast of LA.
 
Well maybe it is a just a quarantine station or something... It is hoped
this new genetic material from Eastern Europe will add varroa resistance
to our bees as they are reported to kill all but 10% more or less of
their varroa.
 
Lots of ruck, but one has to really be a believer that the varroa mites
themselves are or can kill off hives full of healthy bees and that has
never been demonstrated by beekeepers or science and if it is a
combination of conditions linked with one or more virus and other
environmental concerns then bees that can tolerate 10% varroa will be no
less subject to traumatic collapse sooner or later.
 
But we all should welcome new stock in any case as even a small addition
to the honeybee gene base in America is better then nothing but I fear
that a few or a few hundred hand picked by any beekeeper or a closed
group of beekeepers will prove to be no more that what the USDA Bee
Research has given us in the past. All should remember the experience of
the Brazilian beekeepers with African Bees imported by one of the top
graduates of the University of California Beekeeping school under the
best scientific controls. I don't believe this would have happened if
many real experienced beekeepers were allowed to pick their own stock.
Not to say the judgement of many can not be faulty but I can assure you
that a real queen breeders looks at stock selection a lot different then
the scientist and does it every day of the bee season and not just on
expense paid vacation trips to Timbuktu.
 
It is about time that like Canada we in the USA open our boarders to
greater bee importations and try to get a step ahead of nature who
everyday is providing us with new genetic material from south of our
own boarders.
 
ttul, the OLd Drone
 
 
(c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document
in any form, or to print for any use.
 
(w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk.
 
 
 
JA>A reminder to all that tonight, 1 July 97 at 8:00 PM EST, BeeChat will
  >host Dr. Pedro Rodriguez.  Dr. Rodrigues recently published his findings
  >on research into the use of mineral oil for the control of Varroa mites.
 
JA>BeeChat is a real-time java-based chat program and as such, you will
  >need to have a 32 bit operating system (Win 95, OS/2, UNIX, etc) and a
  >java enabled browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer).
 
JA>Join BeeChat and Dr. Rodrigues tonight at 8:00 PM EST.
 
JA>http://www.widtech.com/beechat/
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 ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ Let the honey flow!!!!!