>Varroa is not new, by any stroke of the imagination.

C'mon Pete, don't be silly.  When fluvalinate and coumaphos failed around
2003, varroa again became a major problem for many beekeepers.  That is
what is new about it.

I am pretty sure you misuunderstood me. What I meant was, we have been dealing with varroa in this country for 25 years. I never meant we don't have new problems to battle, especially regarding resistance to miticides. As a matter of fact, many people slack off thinking that varroa is "under control". I don't think it's ever "under control" but in abeyance.

But the mainstay of my message was that everything changes. Viruses are recombining other so-called virus species. It's an evolutionary arms race; I wrote about the Red Queen five years ago. You never get a chance to stop running just to stay where you are. If you want to go forward you have to run even faster. 

That's what slays me about these natural and organic beekeeping gurus. They would like beginners to believe that nature loves the common folk; watch out for those bad guys in agribusiness. Hug your hives and watch them grow. I don't think the world is like that, I think you have to work hard to get anywhere worth going.

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