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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
"Lipscomb, Al" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 3 May 2000 10:39:06 -0400
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>   I am still convinced as was Brother Adam that resistance to tracheal
mites
>can be selected for. A 20% loss is acceptable to me and is easily recovered
>from by pulling a few frames here and there from the survivors which also
>helps with swarm control.

For there to be resistance there must be a genetic trait present in the
current population that will allow the bee to survive when its beathing
tubes are clogged with parasites. IF the trait is present AND the trait does
not carry with it additional negative traits (such as abscounding) then and
only then can a breeding program eliminate other controls.

One must also remember that we are only talking about tolerance, unless the
trait found kills the mite. You also have to consider that when breeding a
better Bee, you may at the very same time be breeding a better mite.

Evolution does not look ahead. If a parasite mutates and in two generations
kills the entire population of hosts that is just the way it is.
Multi-species extinction seems to have been around a long time before
beekeepers.

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