Gordon L. Scott, wrote, > > W. Allen Dick wrote:  > > Jean-Pierre
Chapleau wrote:  > > > > > <deleted> > > >
 
 One of the best beekeepers I know who really makes his living from honey
production answered my question about selection for tolerance/resistance by
saying: "I don't want to be the guinea pig."
 This really opened my eyes to the whole agricultural/chemical dilemma.
This guy depends on his bees to keep him alive. Yes, he probably could have
avoided foul, and not had to use blanket TM treatments, but he was making
money then, when his bees broke down with AFB, and he didn't have the time,
or care to eradicate the AFB reservoirs.
 Thus as in most other types of Western agriculture, the manager plays with
chemical management models, originally implemented for ease and profit, now for
survival.
 Populations of "good" bees exist. Anyone who raises queens knows
that there are some really good bees to be made out there, yet it takes
time, money and risk. *Risk*  My friend cannot take
his colonies and rigorously select for what he needs: too risky.
A queen breeder, selecting for quality bees told me he couldn't sell any
bees that weren't yellow. Too risky.
 So what happens?
 People are working on selection, have breeding programs, and are
formulating new management tactics.
All this is risky too; imagine spending 10 years breeding bees and
then have them be second to someone else's?
 As a beekeeper and agriculturalist, one probably should watch, listen and
wait: let's see what's on the horizon.
 Adam
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  Adam Finkelstein    [log in to unmask] | (awaiting my muse...)
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