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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 29 Dec 2017 10:52:18 -0500
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> Unfortunately, in North America, such reproductive isolation is often difficult to achieve, due to the widespread movement of hives and packages.

Really, I think it's pretty well established that "such reproductive isolation" is impossible to achieve. And what good would it do, anyway? 

Reproductive isolation leads to reduction in diversity, which is not the direction the honey bee species has been going for millions of years. 

Geographic isolation produces locally adapted bees over time, but the more locally adapted they are, the more vulnerable they are to climate change and pathogen invasion, so we are between a rock and a hard place there.

I think Brother Adam pretty well showed that a better bee was a combination of diverse strains; I think the hybrid breeding programs in the 1950s showed the same thing. 

Everything about HB biology conspires to avoid inbreeding, so I don't think reproductive isolation is anything we want. What is wanted is a way to increase vigor by combining traits rather than isolating them. 

see:
Loring Borst, Peter. "The History of Bee Breeding." American Bee Journal 152.7 (2012): 679.
Loring Borst, Peter. "The Future of Bee Breeding." American Bee Journal 152.8 (2012): 791.

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