Someone wrote:
>It is interesting that some of the posts on selecting for traits use
>Darwin and "survival of the fittest" as the underpinning of their
>management practice.

It‘s good to see some are interested in this!
This is a fundamental principal of whole bee beekeeping.  Colonies that do 
not have the desired traits or are not performing at the level needed for 
survival and productivity are NOT propped up with treatments or feeding.  
Instead, their resources are reabsorbed where they can be of best use to 
the goals of the beekeeper.  Same as natures ’survival of the fittest’ 
would rid these poor genetics from the breeding pool,  so does the whole 
bee beekeeper rid these poor genetics from the breeding pool.  

>Truth is, when the beekeeper is in the 
>selection process, they are actually playing the part of 
>"nature" and natural selection has nothing to do with it.

It is impossible totally to eliminate natures ‘survival of the fittest’ 
from any beekeeping operation. There is continuing pressure from nature in 
the form of disease, pests, enviornmential and competition form other 
colonies.  

Was natural selection not playing a role during the winter of 1995-96,  
when domestic colony losses (according to Camazine)ranged from 40 percent 
in Delaware to 53 percent in Pennsylvania to 80 percent in Maine?   This 
was a prime example of the force of 'natural selection' affecting domestic 
beekeeping.

“As DARWIN pointed out, ” Survival of the Fittest „ is Nature's 
unrelenting law, and she admits of no weakening of this principle.”
(Brother Adam) 

Best Wishes,
Joe 

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