There appears to be a certain logical fallacy in the discussion on the
value of breeding as a partial, temporary or long term solution to
varroa. Credentials carry some weight in credibility and some
credentials are admirable and formidable. But associating credentials
such as time in beekeeping, scale of operations run, scientific or
academic stature or combinations of credentials with a failure to
produce or apply genetically based resistance to varroa seems like a
stretch. Success in a career path combined with a failed effort or
experiment having to do with breeding for varroa resistance says very
little about the association between the two. The statement that a
credentialed person has tried breeding or its application and failed,
tends to carry the corollary that a positive application is not
generalizable or applicable in other circumstances.
Perhaps a more productive, and logically compelling approach is to
analyze in detail the approaches and outcomes of various
breeding attempts, failed or successful. This would allow a more
objective assessment of what may be essential (common to all putative
success stories), necessary, or needs to be avoided (common to all
failures).
Trying to temper with perhaps a bit of subjective optimism what appears
to be fairly pessimistic and negative views from academics and
beekeepers. Subjectivity creeps into every venture, even the most pure
academic and scientific endeavors. Some of us who are more optimistic
have seen colonies of defined lineages (with marked queens of the
original lineage and matings) decrease their mite levels through a
beekeeping year, while neighboring colonies, in the same apiary,
rapidly increase in mite levels and many die within the beekeeping
year. Yes, in "research" apiaries, but a good number of times, years,
and in different locales.
Not ignoring the realities of the complex breeding system of bees, the
economics and scale of current beekeeping, and the relatively small R&D
budgets and paybacks, but there has to be a better smarter way.
Cottonwood Creek Apiaries
P. O. Box 1032
Crestone, CO 81131
719 256 4010
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