Isis,

The subject line "Re: [BEE-L] non-virulent mites", really caught my
attention.  Has been one of my favorite subjects for several years.  Anyway,
I have been telling all who will let me bore them that mite genetics are
extremely important to the chemical free beekeeping equation.

SOME of us breed bees but MOST of us breed mites.

The big question is; what kind of mite are we breeding?  Somewhere between
"I believe" and "I know" is where I stand on the following.   If you use
most miticides you not only end up with a pesticide resistant mite but you
also end up with an extra virulent, or faster breeding or a uglier, or a
bigger, or smaller or a....some kind of Mite.  The point is, when we remove
the current limit (death) then we end up developing a new limit or new
selection pressure.

The short term effect of chemical treatment is you rescue the mite
population and save the bee population of the treated hive.  This includes
the most dangerous or virulent mites.  In fact, I believe you actually
increase the numbers of more virulent mites.  The illusion is, "we are
helping the bees".  If fact, we are only prolonging and promoting an
inevitable outcome and that is the collapse of both host (bee) and parasite
(mite).

When you use these treatments, you temporarily remove the chance that the
mite population would kill itself if it kills off its host.  Because we can
never get 100 % mite fall with any practical treatment we will leave behind
a population that simply adjusts to different pressures. Even though it is a
smaller population it is still alive.  Combine these points with the fact
that V mites are the poster child species on adaptability, you have a lethal
situation when you start using miticides.

Also, if using most miticides you end up with comb that is contaminated with
chemicals that eventually can and often do reach levels that at the least
cause small clusters and at the most cause total hive collapse.

I believe there are three factors critical to chemical free beekeeping:  1.
Survivor bee genetics  2.  Superior mite genetics  3.  Uncontaminated hives.
All three factors are essential to form a healthy hive.  The first two are
essential to forming a natural or balanced host/parasite relationship.  I
can only guess as to the proportion of each but again, I am sure all three
are necessary for long term success.  However, I do NOT believe it is an
equal proportion for each.  If I had to make a swag at the breakdown based
on several years of observation and assisting commercial beekeepers go
chemical free, I would break it down like so:  Survivor queen genetics 50%,
Superior mite genetics 30% to 40%, and 10 to 20 % is clean uncontaminated
comb.

Some day, I hope to have conclusive evidence as to why and how.  For now I
am settling with with what I know.  I don't need to touch the flame to know
it is hot.

I did not go into pest/disease loading technique, drift, etc., but they do
also have a place.

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