Bob writes:
>Research dollars were spent on years of research and success was *reported*
>send me a couple of those queens for testing and I will publish my findings
>on Bee-L.
>I will leave untreated and see the varroa load they carry and report when
>they die.

I guess I was unclear when I mentioned selection for varroa. I did
not mean to imply that no chemicals would be used to keep the hives
alive. I have reported, as others have, that if we do not treat at
all, the bees die and there is *no* selection possible. They all die.

What I am talking about is breeding for resistance - not immunity.If
one selects breeders from hives with low mite counts, this trait
should be intensified. Also, it would help to start with a line known
for resistance, like Russians.

Also, "simple selection" is in no way simple. There has to be
rigorous recording keeping and isolation from other  beekeepers. It
just means simple as opposed to line breeding or a hybrid program.




--

Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>