For the bee industry to be sustainable (and I mean the whole industry, 
not
just particular individuals) there has to be an emphasis on raising 
healthy
bees, either to sell or to use to replace one's own dead-outs. I think 
we
have to start thinking about nursery yards whose sole purpose is to 
raise
new healthy colonies. No doubt, isolation would be helpful: to avoid
pesticides, new pests, and general reinfestation -- not to mention stock
improvement.

pb

Aloha Peter, and all:

I agree with this idea and am wondering if anyone has suggestions as to 
how to begin.  We are on an isolated island with our apiary being the 
only commercial honey/beekeeping operation.  I've been thinking this 
same thing.  We may have an opportune location to raise a healthy stock 
to begin with that could at least start out varroa free.  We've raised 
a few of our own queens just for our own replacement, but currently our 
whole stock is from feral hives.  They produce, but they're pretty hot 
by US mainland standards.  I'm thinking getting a few good breeder 
queens would be a great start........

Molokai Meli
Molokai, Hawaii

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