> One of the most famous cases of the "elimination of ferals" was the Santa 
> Cruz Island Reserve project, where Adrian Wenner  tried and tried to 
> eliminate all the feral colonies so as to return the island to an 
> ecosystem that was 100% "native".  The attempt did not fail - it succeeded 
> with a little help from varroa.

Yes.  We had a most pleasant visit with Adrian and his wife not too long ago 
in Santa Barbara.  He used to be a regular here.  Haven't heard form him 
lately.

> So, given an island of finite size and varroa,  I'd wager that their odds 
> are good, but no one ever takes my bets.

We hate to lose.

Jose's recent contribution though, gives us a hint what can happen in a less 
limited environment with a larger gene pool.

> In beekeeping, the odds are good that the goods are odd.  :)

And the odds are odd, too.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/broodframes.htm
---
To have doubted one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841 - 1935) 

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