Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>This seems like the most extreme point of view I have heard yet. It is
>one thing to say "all chemicals are BAD" but now you say "all
>treatments are bad"? Are you saying no matter how harmless a treatment
>appears to be, it will harm the bees anyway? Do you forget the word
>"treatment" includes all sorts of non-chemical methods, such as
>freezing drone brood, etc. ? Better think this one over a bit more.

Hello Peter!

No matter how harmless the treatment, you will by nature of the treatment 
be "controlling varroa for the colony" (colony welfare support, propping 
them up etc.) and cause potentially piss poor genetics (PPG) to live on in 
your apiary potentially spreading PPG as long as you promote PPG by 
propping them up. Treatments also include many non chemical methods of 
varroa control such as drone freezing.   Drone freezing IMO may 
potentially be worse because you are removing drones from the mating pool 
that may or may not be useful.  How would your mating fair if you remove 
all the drones by culling them?  

Anytime you are freezing drone brood for varrao control,  you ARE in fact 
<<“controlling varroa for the colony”>> same as the harshest treatments do 
the same in <<“controlling varroa for the colony”>>  thus permitting 
colonies less capable of controlling varroa on their own (PPG) to 
reproduce. 

Also, when you control varroa for the colony, you remove any possibility 
of effectively assessing a colony on it’s “actual colony performance“ 
where the assessment of resistant traits is essential.

Joe, (thinking more than happy to have this information archived forever, 
and for thousands to read misspelling and all.  :)

Best Wishes,
Joe

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