Peter Edwards wrote:
> Agree with the first sentence, but beekeepers have selected for a very 
> different bee from the one that survived so well.  If this is not 
> true, tell me why there are so few feral colonies. 
We seem, as is usual on this list, to get away from the subject. The 
issue is the term domesticated. If you cage a wild beast it is not 
domesticated even thought you feed and medicate it.

As far as numbers of feral colonies, there are limited on the number of 
bees or whatever that can populate an area and survive. You see this ebb 
and flow in nature all the time. So the numbers of feral colonies does 
not determine if bees are domesticated.

As far as bees surviving well in the past and not now, I would think 
that Varroa, an introduced pest, might have something to do with it. 
Again, that has nothing to do with the subject. Prior to the 
introduction of Varroa there were plenty of feral colonies.

This issue is really not worth the time we have spent on it. So I would 
suggest just taking some of your domesticated bees to your neighbor on 
your next visit and let about 500 loose in their home. Your neighbors 
will provide the definition.

Bill Truesdell (who remembers the domesticated cow in the home of Borat. 
No bees.)
Bath, Maine

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