>
>  "Do I feel lucky?"


In my experience, it would be a bad bet!  Evolution works on a breeding
population, typically consisting of a large number of individuals.  In
order to selectively breed, one needs such a large breeding population,
with the matings largely controlled.  And then one must apply a strong
selective pressure to that population--which is a helluva lot of work
(other than using the costly Bond Method).

And then there is still a large degree of luck involved--that some queens
in the population indeed possess genetic combinations that confer
resistance, and that such combinations are heritable.

Beekeepers with operations consisting of dozens of hives are highly
unlikely to make any realistic progress.

That said, I feel that larger breeders should not throw up their hands and
give up.  There is hard data that a number of naturally-evolved or selected
populations of bees have indeed reduced their rates of mite reproduction,
independent of swarming.  So it is completely plausible to breed for varroa
resistance.  But it will take a lot of hard work and perseverance.  For
example, I'm not looking forward to the 1500 hundred alcohol washes that I
plan to due this coming month.


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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