Hi all
A recent paper on breeding bees states:

breeding for V. destructor-resistance over >20 years
has still not resulted in survival of untreated colonies, but natural selection has
delivered multiple times (Rosenkranz et al. 2010, Locke 2016), thereby suggesting
that breeders should choose traits favoured by natural selection. This suggests
fundamental conceptual flaws in both commercial honey bee queen rearing and breeding.

Neumann, Peter, and Tjeerd Blacquière. "The Darwin cure for apiculture? Natural selection and managed honey bee health." Evolutionary Applications (2016).

* * *

I quoted from this paper when it first came out and mentioned that I don't necessarily agree with the conclusions but I think the assessment is accurate. Seems like everybody has observed what hasn't worked and then spin great theories about what "should work."

PLB

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