Gordon L. Scott, wrote, > > W. Allen Dick wrote: > > Jean-Pierre Chapleau wrote: > > > > > <deleted> > > > One of the best beekeepers I know who really makes his living from honey production answered my question about selection for tolerance/resistance by saying: "I don't want to be the guinea pig." This really opened my eyes to the whole agricultural/chemical dilemma. This guy depends on his bees to keep him alive. Yes, he probably could have avoided foul, and not had to use blanket TM treatments, but he was making money then, when his bees broke down with AFB, and he didn't have the time, or care to eradicate the AFB reservoirs. Thus as in most other types of Western agriculture, the manager plays with chemical management models, originally implemented for ease and profit, now for survival. Populations of "good" bees exist. Anyone who raises queens knows that there are some really good bees to be made out there, yet it takes time, money and risk. *Risk* My friend cannot take his colonies and rigorously select for what he needs: too risky. A queen breeder, selecting for quality bees told me he couldn't sell any bees that weren't yellow. Too risky. So what happens? People are working on selection, have breeding programs, and are formulating new management tactics. All this is risky too; imagine spending 10 years breeding bees and then have them be second to someone else's? As a beekeeper and agriculturalist, one probably should watch, listen and wait: let's see what's on the horizon. Adam -- _________________________________________________________________________ Adam Finkelstein [log in to unmask] | (awaiting my muse...) ___________________________________________|_____________________________