>It is possible that the same factor that hinders mite reproduction also affects the development and viability of the pupa itself, as some colonies bred for SMR have very low brood viability.

Certainly possible- much we don't know. We first have to discover a means to efficiently test for brood effect in isolation to evaluate brood viability.

The Norwegian population is used in commercial pollination so there is at least one known population with a high SMR which has proven commercially viable. The catch is that they were not selected for SMR- it is their outcome when selecting for survival and productivity.

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