On Mon, 4 May 2009 16:59:47 -0700, Paul Cherubini <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
lems and so forth?
>
>Or did the chemical companies make more substantial
>contributions than the university people in providing
>the beekeeping industry with tools to help maintain bee
>heath (e.g. antibiotics, miticides, etc.).?
>





Marla Spivaks work comes to mind in hygenic behaviour which has had a major role in 
advancing our understanding how honeybees can deal with varroa. This work has 
translated into real world benefits in the form of MN Hygenic bees and now the VSH line. 
Also the simple technique of using liquid nitrogen to test for hygenic behaviour can be 
used to test any line of bees. 

In my view the self contamination of brood comb with the help of Fluvalinate and 
Comaphous will go down in the history as the single most factor that has killed honey 
bees beside the varroa mites themselves. In addition the contamination of forage 
sources, pollen and nectar by pesticides has also been devastating. To imply that 
chemical companies have some how been the saviour over university research is 
laughable. 

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