# Selecting for parasite and disease resistant bees



## mike bispham (May 23, 2009)

This was posted on the "No Treatment" Project, Doers only thread:



StevenG said:


> That's what I want us to see in our Treatment Free discussions... to find dependable bees and ways to work them, so they don't need treatment. I'll leave it to the scientists to discover _how_ it works genetically, and breed the bees. Hope that makes sense.


Hi Steven,

I'd say it is worth drawing some kind of distinction here between what it is specialized bee breeders do, and what it is that goes on in ordinary apiaries that allows no treatment managment to work. While the specialized breeders are very useful, the bees they supply last only as long as the queen, and unless the beekeeper wants to keep bying bred queens it is important to act to protect the future generations.

It is, in my opinion, the no-treatment regime itself that is the key to successful home-reared bees. By allowing the apiary to mimic natural selection for the fittest strains, the most critical part, getting rid of the weaker strains is allowed to occur. This frees future generations from inheriting their inadequate genetics. It also stops the 'poisoning' of local wild/feral bees by unfit genetic material, meaning they can thrive and send useful natural genetic marial back to the apiary.

If this is broadly speaking accurate, then it follows that non-chemical treatments - of any kind - simply delay the process. And it follows too that having treaters nearby will mean more effort to breed from the best.

Mike


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Makes sense Mike.

My point is that we backyarders and sideliners have to start somewhere. And as far as I can tell, the smart place to begin is with bees bred for tolerance or resistance to the mites. Then after we achieve success without treating, we can breed our own. My plan is walk away splits... Beginning this year.

However, as has been pointed out elsewhere, every so often we have to bring in outside bees, to keep the vitality of our genetics. To decrease the possibility of inbreeding,and the problems that causes. 

I hope I understand that correctly.
Regards,
Steven


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

Mike,

These are some very good resources for how to select for treatment free in your own apiariy. For us nonscientific backyarder no-treaters, it is reassuring to know that there are many in the scientific/academic community who subcribe to what we are experiencing. It also reassures us that our treatment free bees are all not going to suddenly die this year or the next.


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