The above is a revealing post. The station claims to be rearing “Saskatraz” queens, something many, including this author, are not familiar with.
Other thoughts on the complexity and possible advantages of queen breeding can be found here. This information lends credence to the maxim that all honey bees are not alike.
A recent discussion on the BEE-L list looks at locally adapted bees, which some think are a discussion that needs to happen more frequently:
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2018 00:10:43 -0400
<code>From: Seth Charbonneau <aafireworks@LIVE.COM>
Subject: Re: Do locally adapted honey bees exist in USA?
The speed of adaption would depend on how high the section pressure is, but it seems to happen fast
The study of the collapse and recovery of feral bees do to varroa shows us it can be as fast as 5 years
" Swarming rates were calculated from yearly captures of swarms in bait hives placed in five areas of Louisiana from 1991 to 2006. Colony longevity was monitored in 104 swarms established from 1990 to 2000 and followed until 2004. In the first years, before V. destructor, average swarm capture rates ranged from 0.85 to 0.95 swarms per bait hive-year, and survival of colonies established from swarms averaged 14 mo. In years immediately after the arrival of V. destructor (1993–1996), swarming rates and colony longevity decreased to 0.36–0.60 swarms per bait hive-year and 10 mo, respectively. After ≈5 yr in the presence of V. destructor, both rates recovered to levels at least as high as those seen before varroa arrived; swarm capture rates were 0.75–1.04 swarms per bait hive-year and average longevity was 26 mo."
</code>
<code>Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2018 18:25:58 -0400
From: Peter Loring Borst <peterlborst1@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Do locally adapted honey bees exist in USA ?</code>
The study of the collapse and recovery of feral bees do to varroa shows us it can be as fast as 5 years
<code>You left this part out:</code>
Possible causes for this apparent recovery are natural selection for resistance in honey bees, introgression of selected resistant genetic material or reduced virulence of the mites. We cannot rule out that some varroa resistant bees from the USDA laboratory in Baton Rouge may have been represented. When we evaluated local feral material and bees from elsewhere thought to be surviving without management for varroa we did not find significant resistance.
<code>VILLA ET AL.: HONEY BEE SWARMING AND SURVIVAL WITH V. destructor
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Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2018 20:08:48 -0400
From: Seth Charbonneau <aafireworks@LIVE.COM>
Subject: Re: Do locally adapted honey bees exist in USA
It matters little were an adaption comes form, the study just demonstrates how quickly it can spread in a feral bee population and take hold if it gives a significant advantage</code>
