> Also, I used to pre-select by putting a piece of tissue

> paper in a hive and looked for the hives that took it out within 24
> hours.   Is this a useful and valid indicator?
>

When we first got varroa, I hoped that removal of paper would be an easy
proxy for mite resistance.  I did not find it to be so.

Before Jerry came up with liquid nitrogen, I had excellent success with
breeding for AFB-resistant bees by using the cut and frozen comb squares.
 I do not doubt that liquid nitrogen is an improvement.

But every selection process means that you are discarding those that do not
pass your arbitrary "test."  I suggest that one keep that very much in
mind--it is easy to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

A better question, Bill, might be to ask exactly what you really want to
select for?


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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