Things are quiet here on the list, so maybe this is a good time to bring 
this up.

When I go to meetings, most of the talk is about emergency treatments for 
mites and disease.  There is always the obligatory tip of the hat to 
genetics, then the discussion turns back to chemicals and manipulations.

Now, I happen to know that there are quite a few people out there who do not 
have a mite or disease problem, but we seldom hear from them, and when we 
do, we do not get specifics on how well the bees perform in commercial or 
sideline use.  There are a few who make claims, but do not back them up 
beyond stating that the bees stay alive, and nobody has come forward to 
convincingly indicate that the bees are commercially successful.

It was back in 2000 that Danny Weaver told us all at Apimondia that he was 
seeing varroa resistance in his colonies.  More recently, Weavers advertised 
mite resistant bees.  Did anyone check them out?  How did they perform? 
Weavers are well respected breeders and select for bees that exhibit 
commercial traits, and not just survival.

Add to that all the other breeders who claim to have bees that seldom if 
ever need a chemical intervention, and you would think we had reached the 
point where debating and comparing the breeds of bees would be more of a 
topic than debating and comparing emergency treatment options.

Apparently not.

How many on the list are using bees that are adapted to varroa and resistant 
to other diseases and pests?  Where did they originate?  How long have they 
been able to stay treatment free?  Are they of commercial caliber?

It is my personal opinion that the bees I see are more hardy than some in 
the past.  Am I mistaken? 

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