James Kilty wrote;
... "our local project to
> develop varroa tolerance, in its first year still, is designed to use
> open mating with drone flooding and queen larvae exchange between
> groups. This will be a slower approach than using II but should maintain
> genetic diversity, especially since not all beekeepers will come into
> the project. I am of course in an area with high genetic diversity in
> the honeybee.
> --
> James Kilty

     I for one would be interested in learning more about this approach.
Specifically, is it primarily with the goal of maintaining genetic diversity
in mind that this approach is taken?   In terms of genetic diversity, what
are the nuts and bolts advantages, of this approach over say artificial
insemination? How woud the end result of either approach differ from the
other?

   I do not know if the gene pool of honey bees is shrinking.  On the one
hand there clearly seems to be a tendency on the part of beekeepers to
acquire bees from breeding programs which can demonstrate what are
considered improvements.  Russians are becoming popular here in the States,
for example. This would have a tendency to reduce the frequency of genes
which are more specifically associated with other lines.  I suppose it could
even result in the extreme case of elimination of what at one time may have
been an important line of bees since bees seem to be so dependent these days
on humans for there very survival.   On the other hand there is certainly a
lot of diversity in what beekeepers value in a bee.  Along with profit and
convenience, there are apparently plenty of sentimental reasons for keeping
certain kinds of bees.  Commercial beekeepers, however, can hardly afford to
let sentiment effect their decisions.  They would tend toward improvements
which would increase relatively narrow parameters.  As much as big business
has become characteristic of at least American agriculture, and as much as
this has affected us ecologically and otherwise, there seem to be enough
small scale beekeeping going on even in North America, to assure a fairly
healthy genetic diversity is maintained in honey bees.
Is anyone willing to shed more light on this matter?  And what if any will
be the effect of cloning on all this?
 Steve Noble


> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::