On 16 Jan 97 at 9:50, Greg Hunt wrote: Thanks-Nosema
 
> This is just some quick advice in response to Brian Hensel's experience with
> re-hiving a colony in abandoned equipment.  It sounds like Brian did a good
> job in trying to clean up the mites and Nosema, but I would suggest that
> people in this situation shoud not requeen. If those bees represent a colony
> that survived on its own for years rather than a recent swarm, they may have
> some resistance to mites by natural selection.  From the description, it
> sounded like they had good hygienic behavior which helps bees resist many
> brood diseases (like Varroa).  Unfortunately, one loses the genetic stock when
> requeening.  Consider letting the bees raise their own queens, or raise queens
> yourself.
 
While I agree with the broad outlines of the above, regretfully Nosema
damages the queen. The usual first response of the bees, once healthy, is
to superscede the old queen. Depending on mating, some of the original
genetics will be lost.
        Didn't his original post describe how he had managed to save this hive
from Varroa? I would venture, (in view of his discription of flightless
bees) that this hive has no resistance to either T or V mites, and will
need treatment from here on.
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