Hi to all on BEE-L

Mike Allsopp wrote:
In my initial post on the subject, I indicated that the
planned research was very much a joint affair, with the
USDA (Tucson - Dr Hoffman) as the lead figure. This
collaboration stems from the Africanized bee conference in
Tucson in 2000, and from the USDA believing that our
(South African) experience with the Capensis Problem might
help in understanding what is happening in Arizona. But
rest assured, it is a USDA initiative, including the
funding side of things

Reply:
Interesting! But not to be disrespectful to Mike here, the
situations in breeding and geography and transition zones
for honeybees are quite different between S. Africa and S.
Arizona and would be working with reverse conditions, as
compared to working with same geographical setups with also
known thelytoky in punic bees, & caucasian bees and more
closely paralleling Europe as to breeding conditions and
transitional zones.

I see nothing to be gained in talking reverse breeding of
black into yellow, vs our current yellow into black
transitioning as like I said parallels Europe. I feel it
would be better for the thelytoky to be understood to be
talking with European personnel (i.e. Koeniger I think
could probably relate better), but I could be wrong in my
beliefs.

Yet thelytoky is thelytoky and the S. African problem and
it's need for help is understandable as it is somehow out
of control, while I have never seen any problems here.

Again one must remember that we with Dr Levin's help freely
brought this information to the USDA on a technical
exchange of information. It's too bad they never followed
through in all the years.

Also since grandpa and dad inter exchanged bees throughout
the southwest and problems were never seen (also exchanged
bees with Canada before borders closed) and we have done
the same, I see no reason to "beef" now except for
political money.

A ploy by Bob for funding?

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby

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