Peter Borst wrote:
"...does anyone know how long it would take for
"evolution" to generate mite-resistant bees in this
manner?"

I think that "name of the game" is how sharp is edge
on what you are playing. How big is infestation? How
close to sure death of the colonies?

With such selective pressure, you are trying to force
the bee to fill the mite - not just to accustom it
(final goal?).

My point is that majority of beekeepers are not well
and equally educated and informed about (their) bees.
If the opposite was the case, maybe we would never
reach even this level of resistance. If we all use the
acaricides best way (..., together and in the same
time, ...,), as is prescribed by
producers/veterinarians.

Tom Barrett wrote:
"...I would like to put a question regarding the
problem with reinfestation."

Reinfestation is best ally for achieving the
resistance. If colony didn't succumb in winter (from
varroa) most of the bees (with varroa on them) which
will left the colony and broodnest (in some cases like
a autumn swarms) will end up in neighbouring hives...
and that way the pressure is dabbled, tripled...

My point is that evolution can look like very speed
proces - if it is let alone.

The mechanism(s) of resistance will be always
challenged by THIS way of spreading of varroa.

In the end, it seems to me, the bee colonies from a
bee yard with 500 colonies will be in better position
to achieve better resistance than colonies from the
bee yards with 20 colonies.

From this point of view, you can always keep one
colony of bees (without treatment) in your beeyard and
if it didn't die after many years - don't even think
that you have discovered real resistance.
On the other side, it is "good" to have such colonies
in your experimental bee yard, because they will emit
new extra varroa on others.

One more speculation about biology of bees: we know
that when healthy bee will left the closed space she
will always memorize the place of exit.
The sick young bee will never do so. She find herself
ill (full with varroa which she cannot rid of) and she
must left the colony/hive. After some time flying she
will try to rest (on some leaf)... and she will find
out, that she can fly again... Where she will go?



=====
Aleksandar Mihajlovski, editor of
Macedonian beekeeping journal: "Melitagora"
Ul. Helsinki 41 a, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Tel./Fax(modem): ++ 389 2 363-424
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Join "Apimak", Macedonian discussion group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apimak

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