quotes:
>That means the bees are healthy and are able to keep the AFB under control.
>Resistance?? There are three beekeepers in NM who do not treat for AFB that
>I know of .  We just do not treat.  When I find some AFB on a comb I take it
>out and mark that hive to check it a week or so later.

>resistance strains of bees are popping up here and there.

>burning low clinical infections (visible signs of AFB i.e. one or
>two cells etc.) is destroying potential stock that may have some AFB
>resistance

>Resistance -- or at least reduction in susceptibility of bee stocks
>will have to be an important part of any US effort due to the
>migratory nature of the business and the independant and
>non-co-operative nature of many US beekeepers.


Many people have referred to AFB resistance or tolerance in bees. I
already cited studies done on this very thing in the 30s. Breeding
for resistance is a serious subject and not simply a matter of
looking at a colony and saying, "this one ain't dead yet, must be
resistant." There are a lot of people out there who have contempt for
science and believe they "know better" than the experts. Good luck!

 From "The Genetic Basis of Disease Resistance", by Robert Page and
Ernesto Guzman-Novoa (in  "Honey Bee Pests, Predators, & Diseases"
edited by Roger Morse and Kim Flottum, 1997):

>Expectations should be realistic. The elimination of disease
>problems through selective breeding is not a realistic objective.
>Instead, a reduction in incidence or a reduction of the need to
>treat chemically may be attainable; the complete elimination of the
>need to treat chemically is not.
>
>Selection is an ongoing process that is necessary to produce and
>maintain resistant stocks. Selective progress will begin to
>deteriorate as soon as the selection on the population is relaxed.
>
>Numerous unsubstantiated claims of disease-resistant stocks are
>found in the bee journals. The first successful breeding program for
>resistance to AFB was implemented in September 1934 by O. W. Park,
>et al. They successfully developed and maintained resistant stock
>for 15 years.
>
>Selective breeding programs will not succeed without economic
>incentives. Current prices paid for queens produced in the US will
>not support the added expense of industry driven breeding programs.
>Institutional programs such as the USDA's have never succeeded,
>partly because of the failure of the bee industry to adopt the
>stocks they produced.


--
Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>