>   To get the field Irish back the current show dog will
> have to be out bred with the Field English to put bird sense back then color
> breed for color.

Just about every breed of dog got there because of humans, so bird
sense was bred in so the hunter could find food easier. Now it is more
a sport and the traits are not needed.

Nature, which, in these discussions, always seems to be the way we
should go, does breed for specific traits so bees or any species can
handle local conditions. You might say that nature tends to make less
diversity in a local area than man. Just look at the distribution of
different types of animals and insects in specific climate zones.

Which is why we have mass extinctions. Too much uniformity in specific
areas. Nature does not run a very good breeding program.

In the beginning there were no Irish setters, no bees and little else.
A lot of races and species had to die to get to where we are now.
Nature is not static. Nor is it very forgiving.

Beekeeping, by its nature, is unnatural. We manage a wild animal. We
also purchase, breed and move these insects to different areas. So,
for instance, in my area now there are three beekeepers who all have
bees from different sources. I went from having little diversity (just
my bees but even they came from two sources and no other beekeepers)
to major diversity in a year. Plus, because of Varroa, nature failed
miserably in keeping up the feral bee stock in my area.

Diversity is here because of not in spite of beekeepers.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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