> Okay I am confused.  What is the
> consensus are there mite resistant lines of bees or
> not?  Do these so called resistant lines control the
> mites or just slow the build up and inevitable crash of the
> untreated hive?

IMO, mite resistance is relative to the level of resistance and mite pressures found in a population.  It has been stated on this list by a few commercial beekeepers that even resistant lines will not survive long untreated, where mite pressures are too great, such as in almond pollination.  But take these same resistant lines, and place them in in areas where mite pressures are low, and they will do fine.  This, is why resistant lines often fail miserably in some areas due to the mite pressures that exist in that area.  

With the exception of colonies in my new stock assessment yard which consists of captured ferals in the first years growth stage, I have not seen a colony crash in the past 2 seasons that I can attribute to varroa.  This, I attribute to a combination of resistance that the colony level, and resistance in the local population.  Subsequently, in the past 2 seasons, I have noticed much better wintering success, with even small clusters making it through, perhaps due to less mites and associated stresses found in the local population.   

Joe
SW PA



      

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