Is the perfect bee really the solution? I see very dedicated beekeepers/scientist do research and actively attempting to raise better stocks and I believe that it is part of the solution but it won't bee the magic bullet.
However, isn't the beekeeper in general and their practices the main reason for most failures or having unreasonable expectations of their bees? I would rank environmental factors (man made and just plain natural limitations) as number 2.
We see many successful beekeepers (with 1000s+ hives) that do raise and breed for better bees, but they are damn good beekeepers with very specific management practices. e.g. BIP shows that folks who monitor for mites have better success than folks who don't.
Just wanted to stir the pot a bit and make sure folks understand that a perfect bee in the wrong hands or in the wrong location is likely still a dead bee overtime.
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