> colony health today is challenged by the varroa/virus complex, Nosema ceranae, inbreeding, and loss of forage. 

Regarding forage, that depends on where you are. Some areas have abundant and diverse bee plants. Inbreeding is another matter. I assume you are referring to "inbreeding depression" -- the opposite of "hybrid vigor."

First, how does one measure such things as "inbred"? Depends on what you look for, what you find. Researchers including Zayed, Harpur, and Oldroyd have declared that the bees they have looked at are not lacking in genetic diversity. 

But I believe that honeybees have evolved to a system which combines outcrossing and recombination; which is driven away from inbreeding and toward hybrid vigor. Which is logical, since heavily inbred colonies die and don't reproduce, while hybridized ones tend to thrive and pass their evolved traits on.

PLB

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html