Hi Bob,
This is going to be a little like trying to open Pandora's box - and
saying what will happen before one knows what is in the box and how it
will react.

You state that all the required traits are already exist in honey bees
and only needs to be selected by judicious breeding. How do you support
your comment?

It is possible that genes are present in the pool - either in the States
or elsewhere; and if this is the case then as you state, breeding in the
correct direction will eventually allow for a resistant bee type.

BUT what if this trait is not present in the bee genome - and this is
the crux of the matter, what then?

The possibility is that it might exist elsewhere and via manipulation,
the trait could be transplanted - technically possible, if not now, then
in the future.
Or, we wait for the bee to naturally die out due to it being at a
disadvantage (ignoring the unnatural treatments that take place at the
present).

On the other hand the bee population may mutate and produce a population
that is resistant.

The problem at the moment is that there is a fear of the unknown and
inability to correct any mistakes in genetic manipulation

- but there exists a big problem with a short fuse attached.

Acceptance of the manipulation would be more acceptable If each gene
expression was simple and had no "knock on effect" . This appears not to
be the case - as many past experiences have shown. With improved
knowledge showing that invariably systems are complex and inter linked.
Change one item and a lot of other hither unknown factors are changed as
well.

So, the problem is - take the risk and the route of genetic manipulation
with its possible remedy to present day problems, but land ourselves
with many more (who can say that this is true or not), or,
Wait for natural selection, again with its unknown consequences.
Or, continue using crude poisons.

Hopefully, the trait is present in the bee population and we should be
looking for it - BEFORE adding alien material to the sauce that might
result in a soup too hot to eat!

But it might not be there!

Peter