At 09:17 AM 5/1/96 -0500, you wrote:
>I have gone out this last week and taken two feral hives (one from a house
>and one that moved into an old hive).  The feral bees are larger and quite a
>bit more agressive than the honeybees that I am use to keeping.    The feral
>bees are large enough that the stinger will go through my canvas gloves and
>I have to revert to leather gloves.
>
>Is it common for feral bees to be more agressive and does nature make these
>bees larger or are beekeepers breeding for smaller bees?
>
>The bees that moved into the old hive, (it was a mess) didn't have any
>visible mites either tracial or varrora.  I was wondering if anyone can tell
>me how to ID the africanized bees?  This might explain the agressivness and
>I have heard that the africanized bees are less tolerant to the mites.  I
>live in south central Oklahoma and we havn't had any reports of the
>africanized bees in this area yet.  I hope I'm not the first.
>
>Any help is appreciated.
>
>Richard Barnes
>[log in to unmask]
>
>Richard:
 
Try this web site click on AHB.  Also maby Espenser in Brazil will have
the best information.  I can get the translation to and from Portuguese
taken care of if you wish.  Espensers e-mail address is:
 
                     Ademilson Espencer Egea Soares <[log in to unmask]>
 
If you have any other questions you might want to use my personal e-mail.
 
Best of luck
 
Jeffrey
33600 Navion
Paynes Creek Ca. 96075