The Varroa Resistance Initiative is intended to support and facilitate a growing community of like-minded beekeepers broadly organized but locally working together to monitor and track for varroa resistant traits within their colonies and local member apiaries. Our hope is that by working together members can ultimately begin sharing locally successful queens, expand the availability of varroa resistant colonies, and improve the genetics of drone congregation areas. Once colonies are identified and we choose to selectively breed only from the colonies and queens that have achieved a demonstratable balance with the Varroa mite we believe that the need for mite treatments will greatly diminish if not be removed all together over time. Success in the initiative will be greatly determined by the diligence of our monitoring,  selective breeding, and local support by our community members.  Please consider joining this growing community as we work to together for a treatment-free future.