Hi all,
I have been reading the messages on cooperative breeding for mite
tolerance in honey bees with interest.  There are a lot of good ideas
out there.  At the Federation (ABF) meeting in Portland in January,
Dr Tom Rinderer asked all beekeepers to look for colonies that have
survived varroa for at least one year without treatment and to
contact him at the Honey Bee Breeding and Genetics Laboratory.  They
are starting a breeding program to look at such bees and would like
to get 50 queens from around the country to study and start a
breeding program for tolerance to varroa mite.  The address is:
USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding and Genetics Laboratory
1157 Ben Hur Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA  70820
phone 504-767-9280
Dr John Harbo and Dr Robert Danka were also given as contacts for the
project.  They only have funding at present to work with 50 queens
and that is why they are limiting the number they would like.
John Harbo email [log in to unmask]
I don't have email addresses for any of the others.
Hope this is helpful.  Let's all keep our eyes open for queens for
this project.
blane
 
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Blane White
State Apiary Inspector
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
90 W Plato Blvd
St Paul, MN 55107
http://www.mda.state.mn.us
 
 
ph 612-296-0591
fax 612-296-7386
 
[log in to unmask]
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