[log in to unmask] wrote: >3. Why doesn't USDA import semen and eggs directly from Italy? The USDA already spent millions importing bees from Russia, and from the former Yugoslavia before that. The Russians are probably the best bet at this point > Research has shown that mite-tolerant stocks are effective means to reduce mite infestations within colonies, but it is unclear whether the stocks available commercially are viable means of mite control because they are likely to be genetic hybrids. We compared colonies of a standard commercial stock (Italian) with those of a commercially purchased mite-tolerant stock (Russian) for their levels of varroa and “tracheal” mites (A. woodi) over the course of 2 yr in three different geographic locations. > By the end of the first year, we found statistically significant differences between the stocks in varroa mite intensity (mites per adult bee), such that Russian-hybrid colonies tended to have a significantly lower proportion of parasitized adult bees than Italian colonies. In the second year, we found statistically significant differences between the stocks in varroa mite load (daily mite drop), such that Russian-hybrid colonies tended to have lower total numbers of mites than Italian colonies. These findings suggest that beekeepers may benefit by incorporating commercially purchased mite-tolerant stocks into their existing integrated pest management programs. DAVID R. TARPY "Comparison of Parasitic Mites in Russian-Hybrid and Italian Honey Bee Colonies" 2007. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 100(2): 258-266 ****************************************************** * Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm * ******************************************************