Well, Hi Keith and Keith.

Keith Benson wrote:
Some are under the impression that after you do that the
mites will not respond by developing new strategies.  There
is a constant theme amongst folk who gather round the
"balance is everything" banner that the mites have been
with these populations forever and have suddenly gone
haywire beacuse if large cells.

Reply:
Yep, I am one. It's caused by going through old archives
and records and looking for cause and effect. Found out
there weren't any problems until man decided bigger was
better. In fact the bees brought from Europe to the Far
East in SEA lived quite nicely for over 100 years until
bigger is better ideas were introduced by way of embossing
rollers imported into the area for moderinzation.

Keith Benson then wrote:
 The mites are relatively new in terms of the developement
of the host parastie interaction.  This is when host
parasite interactions take the greatest toll on the host
population.

Reply:
Yes, this is quite true and even Dr Ruttner pointed out in
papers he wrote that only domesticated Amm was having
problems, while the feral Amm were not and were actually
the same size as Ac throughout the region. The ones not
under man's control (domesticated) were doing fine, but the
ones under man's control were not. Of course even today,
some Ac are having problems due to bigger combs being used
in some areas I've heard.

Keith Benson continued:
Being in balance with one's situation is always something
to strive for- the problem is that the point of balance is
ellusive, changing with changing environmental conditions,
moment to moment, day to day, year to year, and is not the
panacea that some hope it is.

Reply:
This is matter of opinion here and normally run by 'modern
way of doing things at the time'. Sometimes the way of the
present is not the way to go though fashionable.

Keith Benson continued:
I don't care how balanced you are some pathogens/parasites
can take you out, regardless. Keep in mind that the history
of life on this planet is rife with new host parasite
interactions that did not rely on man's  meddling to bring
them about.

Reply:
Yep, this is evolution. Seems to work for the 1-2% that
just cannot get it right.

Yep, new host parasitic interactions have to come about as
environment changes normally due to some catastrophe
happening. Been happening for centuries, but not on the
scale with honeybees as man's meddling has with the bigger
is better syndrome.

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby



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