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Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:29:40 EST |
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In a message dated 3/23/99 7:17:20 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> I would think if a swarn had varroa and it was treated that they would make
a
> hive
> as good as any. Is there a point of no return, even for a swarm?
Yes, it would. I didn't explain my reasoning for not treating swarms that I
think occurred from "wild" bees. Since these bees have survived, as best as I
can determine, for several years without treatment for varroa, they may have
some resistance, and that would be a valuable trait to breed from.
Jack Griffes (Honeybee Improvement Program) maintains that resistance
will only be developed by disciplined breeding, and pooh-poohs, the idea that
resistance will be found in the wild.
I note that plant breeders are searching out and saving every wild plant
that they can, and preserving them in genetic repositories. I applaud Jack's
program, but that doesn't stop me from saving swarms, in the off-chance that
the mechanism of resistance may already exist in the wild somewhere. It's my
own small contribution to the effort to bring back our honeybees.
[log in to unmask] Dave Green Hemingway, SC USA
The Pollination Scene: http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
The Pollination Home Page: http://www.pollinator.com
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm
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