>You didn't limit our answers to tests solely for VSH.  Although the test is
tedious, the one that I described remains the best for testing for overall
varroa resistance.

I think what may be missing in my request is a path toward a simplified field survey by the average breeder to determine VHS trait within their own stock, without the benefit of a lab or resources to invest in curating a study. 

>Tyson, selective breeding is a scientific process, whether you like it or
not.

I have no problem with the scientific process but selective breeding in livestock and even bees existed earlier than the modern scientific study. My point is that not everything that takes place in the selection of beneficial traits in bees is determined by a scientific study, though some do. Brother Adam's work would be an elegant example of this. The ideal would be to utilize the results of scientific studies in a manner that is translatable to field work by the lay beekeeper/breeder. Villa, Danka, and Harris, address this need in the study http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=238760

>If you wish to select for specific traits, such as the percentage of mites
showing damage from biting by the bees, then yes, there are certainly tests
for those behaviors.  But any such tests would be selecting only for that
specific trait, not necessarily for overall resistance to mites.  The
alcohol wash is arguably the best for testing for the end result--low mite
levels, by whatever means.

Any field tests that can demonstrate allogrooming, VSH as demonstrated by removing of mite infested pupa (visually or otherwise),  and reduced mite loads over time could be put together as a sort of "breeder's toolbox" for determining anti-varroa traits, and can be more easily combined and assessed to create a standard, rather than the hodgepodge methods indicated in this forum lately. The problem appears to be that the rubber isn't meeting the road, so to speak. 

>Tyson, a lot of very smart people have been attempting to selective breed
for bees resistant to varroa for many years.  Only a few have found much
success (some of those using Kefuss's dead simple "Bond method."

Yet there seem to be no shortage of breeders selling "VSH queens". I recently visited one, a very well meaning and great guy, who treats for mites. It does seem counterproductive to be simultaneously advertising varroa resistance while employing industry standard mite controls, but I'll be looking at his stock in my own hives to see if there is any VSH traits that can be determined with my own limited resources.

>I applaud your efforts to initiate some sort of selective breeding
program.  May I suggest that you first take some time to learn what others
have done before you?

Much appreciated, I do have some reading to do, yes.

Tyson Kaiser

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