Randy> My point was that the researchers did not convince me that they had chosen
locally-adapted stocks to test.  Nor that the stocks were genetically
different enough for a meaningful test.  Nor did they test "overwintering
success."  


I agree and would add that I'm not sure what hypothesis they actually ended up testing. If there's a biological basis for overwintering success it seems like a single season starting with package bees, new queens, and some nucs is just the beginning. Maybe managing the survivors for a few more seasons might begin to reveal something. 





Bill Hesbach 
Cheshire CT.

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