In a message dated 01/03/2000 6:23:09 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< David said "I couldn't, and still don't understand what the genetics of the
 queen has to do with a spore disease. That's a bit like suggesting the
 re-queening of a hive suffering with foul brood, a waste of time."
  >>

Disease resistance is an inheritable trait.  It really is not even a subject
which we should argue about, in view of the overwhelming evidence.  We have
many examples to look at in order understand the phenomena of disease
resistance.  Disease resistance is a trait found in all species.  Populations
exposed to disease will usually have some survivors.  In humans, we have
experienced plagues throughout history.  We're still here! The survivors have
continued multiplying, passing their superior resistance (genes which allow
them to survive under the pressure of deadly disease) and the plagues have
receded.  The disease organisms have not necessarily died, but the
populations affected, developed 'resistance.'

For example, in the Americas, the Europeans brought in a host of deadly
diseases (Smallpox, Diphtheria, Cholera, etc.), which decimated entire
populations of indigenous people (Indians).  These people had never been
exposed to the diseases, were not resistant, and succumbed to the plagues.
This, more than the actual "conquering" of the native populations, brought
about the downfall of some extremely substantial civilizations.  The Inca and
Mayan cultures have left many edifices which attest to this fact.  Not all of
the people died as a result of these European diseases.  We still have, to
this very day, the descendants of those people living in the same areas,
moving around among the mixture of populations which have moved in from all
parts of the world.  The survivors of the original plagues have continued to
go on, reproduce, and pass their 'superior resistance' on to their offspring.


We interfere with the selection, or development, of disease resistant bees by
actually selecting for the strongest disease organisms!  We keep hitting the
nasty little disease organisms with everything antibiotic we can, in an
effort to prolong the life of our bees.  If we treat, we can produce.  If we
don't treat, we.......lose money.  If the economic impact was not so great,
we might have better stock already.  As long as we can keep making 'better'
antibiotics and chemicals, we can stave off the inevitable.  It really is an
economic problem.  We have antibiotics which get us to our objective, and we
have bees which appear weak, in the face of the onslaught of disease.  What
we really have is populations of rather ordinary bees which have to stand up
to tougher strains of disease or pest organisms!  We need to recognise that
we are breeding the disease organisms ralong with nour bees!  We've really
developed some tough diseases with less emphasis on developing tough bees!

No, I am not going to say that we should forget our economic considerations,
not treat our stock, and go broke trying to find out if we have resistant
stock.  Too many of us really do have substantial investments.  I believe we
should at least be wanting to consider the alternative to chemicals by doing
some breeding some of our own stock, in our own backyards, without
traditional antibiotic treatment.  We may find we have some resistant stock
already.  We cannot continue to rely on the 'other guy' to come up with the
good stock.  Antibiotic treatment of bees has been going on a long time.  It
is really short term solution to a long standing problem.  The genetics of a
queen may really everything to do with a "spore disease" if our antibiotics
fail!  We can lose a little now or a lot more later.  I believe we can do
better.  I'm sure we can.

Bob Bassett             "If you continue to do what you are doing, you will
continue to                         get what you are getting". - author
unknown