> Please forgive the long rant, and I don't doubt that the scenario outlined
> by Bill and confirmed by Christina could be occurring, but may I suggest
> that like with many things beekeeping it's best to avoid painting this
> issue
> with too broad a brush.
>

I have no doubt that all you say is true. I was recounting my experience
with some who profess to have resistant stock but that is not the case.

From way back, when I first came on this list, I have always said that it
is the bees not the beekeeper. They will overcome all the normal beekeeper
mistakes.In you case, I am sure that you agree, it is the bees. It is also
your location, varroa pressure and a host of other things.

If I were a betting man since you started with ferals, I would also say
that they have some AHB or Russian in their makeup. Something we forget is
that AHB genes were let loose in the Southwest (from the LA bee lab) long
before the introduction of AHB in Brazil, and  Varroa resistance is found
with those bees. As long as they are fairly isolated from other races, they
seem to do fine (my observation).

It is always the bee, so if yours do not fall into that category, it would
be interesting to see how they do in another environment.

I am running my own experiment here in Maine. I do like to work with walk
away splits and will be doing so again next year, but I have always had
Varroa pressure from untreated hives located very near me. They have since
gone, and now have a new beekeeper just up the street and am helping him
into the beekeeping world, including helping him treat his bees. We will
have two apiaries in the same area with different bees and they should be
fairly free of Varroa. It will be interesting to see just what happens with
Varroa counts compared to when I had the untreated apiary nearby.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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