> my opinion the *exact* reason some queens bees tolerate varroa and the mystery as to way the varroa tolerance is not always passed to offspring still haunts beekeepers and researchers.

Hi Bob

Good to hear from you. I think you have made a very clear observation here, and it is a very valuable one. It seems plain that in some areas, the bee/varroa relationship is different than it is in others. Breeding from those bees does not seem to be the way of creating this effect in our areas. 

I wonder if anyone has thought deeply about the changes that could be taking place in the bee/varroa relationship over time in a given area. One would expect that if some varroa lines killed hives, they would either die out or need a constant supply of new colonies. And if some varroa lines did not kill hives, those lines would be able to go on for a very long time, by not killing the host. 

In an isolated population, this dynamic would work best. Don't kill the hive that feeds you. In an environment, like migratory beekeeping or where there are plenty of hives nearby, killing the hive and drifting off on the dying bees to other hives, would enable those lines to go on for a very long time, by moving from host to host. 

This could also be applied to the bees. In a small isolated population, one might find that varroa resistant behaviors would be strengthened by varroa resistant colonies crossing with each other. Whereas, in a very large migratory population -- especially one where bees are treated rather than let alone to develop resistance -- the beneficial traits would be continually watered down.

PLB

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