Walter Patton posted:
>     Michigan State University apiculturist Roger Hoopangarner says that
>honeybee breeding
>research is making progress in breeding mite-resistant bees and that the use
>and management of
>miticides has improved, increasing the survival rate of bee colonies.
>     "Last winter we had about a 15% winter loss of honeybees, and that is
>the lowest by far in
>the past six or seven years,when losses at times reached 70%, "he said.
 
I have met with Roger"Hoopy" Hoopengarner at the spring Michigan Beekeepers
Meeting and we talked a bit about the work he doing with bee breeding. The
big talk at the meeting was the huge winterkill we had in Michigan.
 
 
>Hoopingarner said he is
>optimistic that research will soon allow mites to be controlled. It will
>take a few years, however,
>before the mite-resistant bee strains become dominant in the populations of
>wild and domestic
>bees.
>
Hoopy did say that he believes we will be able to develop mite resistant
strains, BUT it will take some time. Sounds realistic to me. Unfortunately,
he is being pushed to retire, and I hope he can still stay active with his
work independently.
 
 
        Sorry folks this sounds like propaganda from the U S D A  to make
>the population at large
>feel appeased that all is well in U S bee hives. How far from the truth. No
>mention of medication
>abuse that might be making honey questionable. No mention of the famous
>headache problem of
>U S beekeepers called P M S (Parasitic mite syndrome) when mites and viruses
>are on the same
>bees. No call for more quick action needed to stop the downward spiraling
>numbers of U S
>beekeepers and U S  bee hives. and the pending pollination crisis facing
>American farmers
>dependent on honeybees for pollination. I thought mites were found in U S
>bees in the 1980's .
>
I found "Hoopy" to be very tuned in to our plight as beekeepers and I can't
figure out how someone got misinformed. We need more people like him to
help us.
He also has been VERY helpful in public relations.
 
         The U S beekeepers need accurate information to be given to the
>public and public
>support from awareness will be needed to get U S politicians to realize the
>U S honeybee crisis
>and to mandate that solutions be sought . Maybe a press release from the U S
>D A is needed to
>help us beekeepers become better prepared to tell our story and to enroll
>the support of the
>citizens of the United States of America. Of coarse a peer- review group
>would have to proof
>read their release for accuracy. We all know this will not happen as this is
>an election year and
>any suggestion of failure by the U S D A would be unheard of. Soo business
>as usual look the
>other way and maybe the problem will go away. Remember to find out how your
>local
>congressional people feel when casting your vote in November.
>          A lover and keeper of the bees. Aloha Patton in Paradise
 
I may be mistaken, but are you suggesting that Hoopingarner is with the USDA?
 
 
>Walter & Elisabeth Patton,  27-703 A Ka' ie'ie Rd., Papaikou HI.,96781
>    Ph./Fax. 808-964-5401       E-Mail  hihoney@ilhawaii
 
 
Sleeping Bear Apiaries
Kirk Jones
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when you get lemons, make lemonade....