Wild/Feral Survivor-Thrivers: Naturally Selected Resistant Bees.

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This is for discussion of bees that have acquired the ability to cope with varroa without any help. The core assumption is that in the UK and Ireland this has occurred through natural selection for the fittest strain, and any subsequent selection has built on that. The idea is to learn from each-other, what works, and why, in the realm of no-treatment beekeeping. Testimonies, questions, explanations and links to relevant scientific studies are all welcome.

I'd like the thread to be a place where the mechanisms that wild populations employ to locate and maintain resistance can be explored, in the belief that that topic holds the key to understanding why no-treatment beekeeping works in some circumstances and not in others.

 

[pargyle]

This is an interesting read…..
https://thoughtscapism.com/2017/04/10/treatment-free-beekeepers-give-varroa-mite-free-rein/

A lot of interesting conjecture and a lot of 'facts' from the USA. Make of it what you will.. Let alone beekeepers are bad news ... but there's a lot of very bad beekeepers who just treat 'by rote' and don't think about what they are actuallu doing ...and they are nearly, if not worse. There's a place for being treatment free but there's no place for let alone beekeeping - there's a very significant difference.

 

[rolande]

Just a thought, but as this was a blog and the header now shows the person who started it to be banned wouldn't it be best to lock the thread rather than allow it to continue - possibly in a direction that Beesnaturally wouldn't have agreed with.

 

[pargyle]

Just a thought, but as this was a blog and the header now shows the person who started it to be banned wouldn't it be best to lock the thread rather than allow it to continue - possibly in a direction that Beesnaturally wouldn't have agreed with.

Yes ... you are probably right. We'll lock it off until and if he returns.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just a thought, but as this was a blog and the header now shows the person who started it to be banned wouldn't it be best to lock the thread rather than allow it to continue - possibly in a direction that Beesnaturally wouldn't have agreed with.

He is on a month's gardening leave
I'm sure he will be back

 

[Beesnaturally]

A lot of interesting conjecture and a lot of 'facts' from the USA. Make of it what you will.. Let alone beekeepers are bad news ... but there's a lot of very bad beekeepers who just treat 'by rote' and don't think about what they are actuallu doing ...and they are nearly, if not worse. There's a place for being treatment free but there's no place for let alone beekeeping - there's a very significant difference.

'Live and let die' is almost certainly the fastest and most effective route to treatment free. Natural selection finds the genes that work and sends them - and them alone - into the next generation.

To be kind to a colony is to be cruel to the local population. I'm afraid that is inescapable.

The husbandryman's rules

Never help a wild animal
Everything deserves its chance.

 

[Lislarybees]

'Live and let die' is almost certainly the fastest and most effective route to treatment free. Natural selection finds the genes that work and sends them - and them alone - into the next generation.

To be kind to a colony is to be cruel to the local population. I'm afraid that is inescapable.

The husbandryman's rules

Never help a wild animal
Everything deserves its chance.

Good to see you back!

 

[Beesnaturally]

Good to see you back!

Well, thank you kindly!

 

[Penninetrader]

I can see the crucifixes coming out of the drawers in readiness