> I'm in complete agreement Charlie.  We've seen natural selection at work as
> (snip), tracheal mite,
>
>
It is one thing to develop resistance to a pathogen but how do you develop
resistance to a parasite?

Usually, and this is reflected in what is happening now,  treatments reduce
the effect of the parasite and many Varroa treatments kill Tracheal mites.

Also, parasites can get in a classic bust-boom relationship with their
host. They increase until they reduce the host to a low population as was
noted back in the 1980's when Tracheal was rampant.

I will grant that there are Tracheal tolerant bees, but with that pressure
removed, it would be only a matter of time before we see another major
collapse from Tracheal.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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