> We have heard it all before, and are down to the nuts and bolts of the questions.

Right and following up on what Randy said about agricultural land vs. open space, and what I have said in the past about isolated breeding yards, it is easy to picture a situation where bees would be bred in pesticide and miticide free areas (Texas?), to be used elsewhere. These bees might not last long on the front line of trucking, pollination, and honey production, but they would be worth having and conceivably their widespread adoption could lead to long term changes in the general bee population. 

Somehow the goals of sustainability and restocking with healthy bees are diametrically opposed in some people's minds. I do not find them at odds if the goal is the sustainability of beekeeping in general, which is what I care about. I don't think isolationism is a route we can realistically take in this global world and it is not one I particularly even care about. 

It is worth remembering that the honey bee is not native to the Americas so anything we do is artificial. However, that is not a distinction that concerns me, either. The agricultural world is where I get my food from. I would prefer to keep my bees alive without restocking annually, who wouldn't. But a lot of people around here expect to replace a certain percentage of their bees every year, due to "winter kill".

plb

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