"I have seen mice species that have an immune reponse to ticks though, with
ticks not being able to feed on that species." 


Its an interesting idea, and its worth exploring, but the reality is most
mice (and other creatures) do not ever develop a resistance to external
parasites.  Almost every known creature is subject to one type of parasite
or another. And breeding resistance to them is extremely rare from what I
see.  It seems as fast as the host develops a bit, so does the parasite.  

Take grooming for example in bees. Say you do get a line that exhibits a lot
of grooming and leg chewing of mites.   What will happen at the same time is
the mites with short legs and harder shells will be the survivors there, and
breed tougher mites at the same time. 

It's a great goal...  But after 5 years of testing stuff from claimed
solutions.....  I am becoming firmly lodged in a different camp.

I confess, I am defiantly not a genetics wizard, or even an apprentice.
Heck I am still having trouble wrapping my head around the concept of
Epigenitics,  but it seems to me to be counterintuitive at this point that
we can selectively breed a mite resistance.  Many good people have been
trying for thousands of bee generations.  A genetic solution to an external
parasite seems in a different category than immune system response to
bacteria's and ticks.
Do bees even have a true "immune system"?  and can we look at or select from
it??   
While you may be able to say we can breed antelope that outrun leopards, we
cannot hope to breed antelope that are immune to the bites when they are
caught.

It seems the bees that do best are the ones that stop brood cycles, and then
outbreed mites.  Is that really a genetic trait we want? 

This was my last winter of 75% loss from mites.  Time to shoot Bond in my
yards.


Charles
 

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