The bee list has been very interesting lately with all the talk about
surviving vorroa.  It seems to me that the one thing we can agree on is
that no one knows the answer on how to breed for vorroa tolerance (I find
it hard to believe we will ever get resistance).  We need a bee that is
capable of keeping vorroa under control and still produce a large crop of
honey ( and all the other traits we like too).  One thing that is probable
good is that everyone that is working on this problem is going about it in
a different way.  Minnesota and Ohio State are looking at Hygienic
Behavior, Michigan is looking at zero mite population growth, there is even
a small group of beekeepers that are leaving their colonies untreated for
mites and breeding from the survivors, plus many more all over the world
that I haven't even heard of yet.  I would be interested in hearing how
other people are looking at this problem?
 
I remember reading a question or a statement about the vorroa mites always
being one step ahead of the honey bees.  This is true their generation time
is much shorter than the honey bees.  Because of this they can adapt to
changes faster than honey bees can.  If we breed a bee that attacks and
kills the mites, they can adapt and change by being faster, smaller, thiner
or any other way that can help them.  The same is true for any mechanism we
find in the bees, the mites can find a way around it probably only in a few
years.  This means we need to keep the selection pressure on the honey bees
so they can keep up, and use modern methods of stock improvement (like the
other livestock industries).  There is not going to be a silver bullet.
The work of getting vorroa tolerant bees and keeping them that way will be
on going until the end of time or beekeeping itself.
 
I think everyone has made many good points on this subject, and I hope you
keep it up.
 
Garrett
 
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Garrett Dodds
Instrumental Insemination Services
        Custom Inseminations
29480 January Road
West Mansfield, OH  43358
(937) 355-0290
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* Garrett Dodds                         *
* 29480 January Road              *
* West Mansfield, OH  43358  *
* (937) 355-0290                 *
* e-mail  [log in to unmask]    *
*--------------------------*
* Custom Inseminations          *
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