> ...wholebee concept to me is looking at the whole picture for what is 
> happening, for nature does not work in sound bites.......so in field 
> managment you learn to look at environment, diet, and breeding concerning 
> honeybees as a whole picture, for you cannot do or change one without 
> effecting the others. Just basic common sense to me. Like breeding, food, 
> and shelter to other animals.

Seems to me that this is not a new idea, but is part and parcel of most 
breeding programmes.  There may be exceptions where bees are bred for 
special purposes, like SMR (VSH) where only one trait is pursued, and others 
ignored, however, successful commercial breeders must consider the purpose 
of the stocks they select and the likely conditions under which they can be 
expected to be used.

Similarly, beekeepers, when purchasing stock consider whether they have 
problems to overcome, like harsh winters, short flows, long dearths, or 
plugging with excess pollen, and look for bees that have been selected for 
those conditions.  Successful commercial beekeepers have to consider the 
whole picture, plus potential surprises when managing their bees.

I had not heard the term, "wholebee", before, so -- if indeed this is a new 
movement or philosophy and not just an accidental creation of a new word --  
maybe you could distinguish how "wholebee" breeding and management differs 
from the breeding and management that is non-wholebee, and perhaps give 
examples?

Thanks.

allen
---
Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did 
you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a 
century ago?
Bernice Fitz-Gibbon 

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