On Sun, 18 Feb 1996, Roy Nettlebeck wrote: > This is starting to sound good folks. The mountain is tall but with many > the task will be completed.The Experts will tell you of the problems and It's the height of the mountain I am concerned with. Mike and I have spent the past 3 yrs crash learning queen breeding, spent an enormous amout of money (for us anyway) and are just now starting to reap benefits. The object of our program is tracheal mite resistance. The only reason we have been able to make the progress we have is because there are not too many genes involved with what we are selecting for. Now I've been reading all I can about varroa resistance. There are many more characteristics (more genes to select for) needed to accomplish that goal. That means many more tests, many more selections will be needed. And its not just one or two super queens that we need. To establish a program that would have an impact on how we keep bees, 30-50 lines need to be identified. I cannot imagine how an individual or even a large queen producer could fund such a project. How can it be funded? Can we find enough competant queen producers, researchers, and supporting beekeepers that are willing to work together? Wish I had some good ideas. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb b b b Vince & Carole Coppola [log in to unmask] b b Coppola Apiaries, (716)965-2904 b b 10220 Bradigan Rd. b b Forestville, N.Y. 14062 b b b b Queens bred for tracheal mite resistance b b Honey , Pollination b b Western New York Beekeepers Association b b b bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb