From: Peter L Borst <[log in to unmask]>

>Breeding via selection without fully understanding the consequences, is just as foolish as using chemical controls willy nilly. The result may be a far cry from what you were after. Like the antibiotic resistant "superbugs", for example.

I try to keep the "natural model" (what nature does without our "help") in mind all the time.  One aspect of the natural model is that only those that survive long enough to reproduce...reproduce, and contribute to the next generation.  This occurs whether or not the result is considered a bottleneck, a keystone species, a rare ecological treasure, or good riddance.

In the case of the honeybee, it has shown itself to be a great survivor over the long term, in many environments.

I'm not sure what "consequences" I'm supposed to be wary of.  Bees that can't survive without treatments and feeds?  Expensive queen's whose open mated offspring are aggressive and/or poor performers?

The superbugs are a direct result of overmedication and oversteriziation with antibiotics....a predictable and well understood consequence of how this stuff is used.

...but back to "interbreeding", and the topic of this thread.

Although one might consider an aggressive colony as "vigorous", this is not what hybrid vigor is about.  The mechanism that makes crosses "cross" is different.

deknow

             ***********************************************
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

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm