There are many ways to select for vigor. These ideas are not new. The point of the article is to legitimize such a selection program as intrinsically beneficial to the native bee population as well as to the commercial interests. It is not simply a matter of live and let die, but that can be a part of it, for sure. The article highlights the concept that propping honey bees up artificially is detrimental in the long run. In doing so, we will make them fully domesticated and dependent upon us, incapable of survival in the wild. (Excluding the tropics of course, where native bees still seem to thrive)

See also:

each year, after finishing the
field test at the end of July, some colonies were chosen
and kept without any treatment in an isolated
test yard close to Kirchhain. Of this total of 86 colonies,
55.8% survived until the following spring,
while the rest died, showing clear symptoms of varroosis.

Compared to the colonies that died, surviving
colonies had higher breeding values for mite
infestation and hygienic behavior,
thus confirming the suitability of the field test characters
used to select for higher mite tolerance. 

By comparing the adult bee population before and after
wintering, survivors with good overwintering performance
were selected as breeder colonies, especially
for the production of drones on isolated mating
stations. 

Selection for Varroa tolerance: concept and results of a long-term selection project. by R. Büchler, et al 
Association of Institutes for Bee Research Report of the 55th Seminar in Hohen Neuendorf 11–13 March 2008
Apidologie 39 (2008) 588–604

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