On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:56:08 -0800, randy oliver <[log in to unmask]> 
wrote:

>In areas where major chemical control is practiced, the majority of mites
>that pass on their genes are those that cause a colony to collapse.
>Beekeepers there are inadvertently selecting for mites that cause colony
>collapse, since that would be the most mathematically efficient way to 
pass
>on their genes.

Randy, I think you are completely in tune with the scientific zeitgeist 
with your thinking.  It makes sense to me.  I remember the first 
theoretical papers outlining these ideas for honey bee diseases was about 
5-8 years ago.  I am aware of some research groups that are beginning to 
develop experiments to test these theories out.  I expect there many of 
these will yield results over the next decade.  It should be interesting, 
particularily if this work gives us some practical guidelines for managing 
diseases and mites.  

Along this same line,  about ten years ago there was a considerable 
interest to the connected field of Darwinian medicine... I wonder what 
ever came of this.  These ideas were popularised in a book "Why We Get 
Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine".  Now that sometime has 
passed I wonder how the theory is holding up. 

Adony

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