Bill Truesdell wrote: 

>As I noted on a prior post, what really comes across is hygienic behavior is the real key to mite control.

I believe that Jennifer may have overstated the importance of hygienic behavior in varroa control. Sure it is important but there is much more involved in the development of a mite resistant bee. Interestingly in an experiment here in Georgia a few years ago we found many of the commercially available queens from south Georgia to exhibit strong hygienic behavior( in this case about 1/2 of the queens purchased). If we are talking about "varroa specific hygienic behavior" then the mite resistance is much greater. I do not believe that VSHB bees are commercially available and being so used. Hygienic bees are also more resistant to disease but in our area I do not believe that a hygienic bee of Italian strain, now commercially available would last more than 6 months longer than a non hygienic bee if no mite control was practiced.

I really believe that the hygienic trait is just another IPM tool to add to such measures as screened bottom boards. 



Carl Webb

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