Peter Borst makes an excellent point when he quotes:
> >Selection is an ongoing process that is necessary to produce and
> >maintain resistant stocks. Selective progress will begin to
> >deteriorate as soon as the selection on the population is relaxed.

It has already been pointed out that Tabor and Spivak claim to have isolated
stock resistant to AFB.  The late Roger Morse also claimed to have done so,
and I have descendants of Roger's lines.  But as Peter pointed out, I have
not maintained that stock and can make no more of a claim than at one time I
purchased a few queens that were claimed to have been descendant's of
Roger's AFB resistant stock.  I cannot and will not claim to have AFB
resistant bees.  First, I made no effort to keep the line, and second, I
treat my bees for AFB.  Once on the merry-go-around, it's hard to get off.

Shim recommends getting off the merry-go-around a yard at a time.  He states
if you've been treating regularly, wean yourself a yard at a time, keeping
diligent watch for any signs of AFB is the yard(s) you stop treating.  Cull
any equipment where AFB emerges.  I have not followed Dr. Shimanuki's
recommendations.

The quote Peter offered is also the point I've been making about SMR bees.
Different banes (AFB vs. Varroa d.) but same issue.  The foe CAN be defeated
through selective breeding.  But the isolated strain of bee that overcomes
the bane is only good for the life of THAT queen.  Subsequent generations
require reassessment to see if the desired trait (resistance to the bane du
jour) has been passed on to the daughter.  If so, all is well.  If not, cull
the queen and try again.  And if no reassessment is done, all bets are off.
And it is the continual assessment/reassessment step that dooms most (all?)
"better bees through better breeding" programs.  Few (if any) beekeepers
will track that in their yards, and few breeders deliver queens from such a
program.  NO BREEDERS deliver queens from an assessment program at $15 a
pop.  $50 a pop for those guarantees does not seem out of line, eh?

Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!