Bob Harrison wrote, "In my opinion AFB resistant bees are
a pipe dream of our researchers."  In the same post he wrote, "We have after
all
been masking the disease for over 40 years with Terramycin."

It is commonly accepted that AFB resistent bees that had been isolated
through selective breeding have been lost back to the gene pool mainly
because it was easier to address AFB using TM.  Rather than continuing to
maintain AFB resistent stock, the genes regressed back into the gene pool as
beekeepers easily "mask(ed) the disease for over 40 years with Terramycin."

Many researchers claimed to have isolated AFB resistence in open mated
queens, including Steve Taber and Dr. Roger Morse.  I have not seen their
data nor was I there to evaluate their bees to substantiate (or not) their
claims, but I have no reason to doubt their word and many reasons to accept
their claims without doubt.

With AI methods, other researchers (Roger's replacement for one) claim they
could isolate AFB resistence within two years.  The problem right now is
procurring funding required to substantiate the claim.

And as always, there's the issue of incentive for producing resistent
queens.  At $10 or $12 a pop, considering overhead, where is the incentive
for breeders to invest in developing resistent queens?  What will be the
price of the resistent queens?  Will the marketplace bear what SHOULD be the
price of resistent queens?  Consider Jack's HIP project.  I assume Jack is
incurring substantial losses in his quest.  I know a member of his program
personally, who has given up selling nucs until he is able to claim he's
selling a superior product.  For him that means lean years ahead as nuc
sales are the majority of his livelyhood.  So, consider the costs in
developing a resistent queen and balance that against what you'll be willing
to pay for a queen.  Certainly current prices won't support the production
costs.  Will double the price?  $25 a queen?  I doubt it.

Now, if a truely resistent queen is developed, costs of the queen can be
balanced against costs of artificially keeping colonies alive, but the
queens must be truely resistent.  How will we know?  Will the queens come
with money back guarantees?  Will AFB queens also be mite resistent?  Both
tracheal mires AND varroa mites?  ALL varieties of varroa mites?

It's a tough task finding a solution.  Perhaps Bob's skepticism has some
solid basis.

Aaron Morris - thinking better bees through better breeding, and willing to
pay for it!