Analysis of the selected populations 2024

The daily mite drop before treatment!
Bee colonies without Varroa resistance are almost beyond saving when the average daily mite drop is 40 mites, measured in mid- to late July. However, in my 2024 breeding and selection program, the average daily natural mite drop of the three best colonies is 138 mites. The actual infestation after treatment, however, averages 744 mites, with an average Varroa Resistance Index (VRI) of 5.56. Ideally, the index would be 1, meaning the natural daily mite drop would equal the actual infestation.
I doubt that genetics alone is responsible for this improvement in varroa resistance. I suspect that epigenetics (learned defense mechanisms) is involved. I've had this suspicion for some time. For about 10 years now, I've been making one or two splits each year from my breeding colonies, including bees from the breeding colony. Nature teaches us this: bee reproduction only occurs with a queen and bees from the swarm colony.