Greetings,

I finally got a chance to hear the video. Got rained out of the bee yard where I was making up mating nucs. After listening there are several thoughts and questions.

1. Early in the presentation Ms. Frasier says that the question of certain races or types of bees being linked to CCD was investigated and found not to be a factor. Then later during the presentation she indicated that Africanized bees were immune. Questions----

---Are we to believe that Russian bees survived for more than 100 years exposed to nosema apis and other Asian bee diseases under primitive beekeeping conditions and did not develop a degree of resistance to these diseases as well as to varroa mites and yet they survived for more than 100 years? 

---Why is it that Europe, having had varroa longer than we, has been unable to select bees that are resistant to mites and disease and yet we, here are collecting "survivor" bees from the wild?

---Why is it that the breeders of "survivor" bees in the US are incorporating Russian bees into their stock and calling them their own?

---Makers of wax foundation, in the past have assured us that the chemicals were removed before the foundation was made. Now we learn that is not the case. Is it better for us to use plastic foundation rather than solid wax because we get less contaminated wax? Plastic is all around us e.g. water pipes, cars, groceries etc..

These are only questions. I will not be presumptuous and try to give answers. I am a successful beekeeper but on a small scale and permanently located in a particular location in north Georgia. I do keep Russian bees..

Carl Webb

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