Bob Harrison said:

> I direct this information to Joao in particular. I started to send
> directly but thought the list might find interesting. Has any
> research on take overs been done in Brazil?

Not recently, AFAIK. Most of researches and conferences on bees and
beekeeping, reported on symposiums, congresses and meetings in
Brazil, are published in a CDROM and updated periodically. I searched
the most recent copy for this subject, but I could find only two
references, dated of 1972. Both mention AHB taking over EHB colonies,
but it's only observations, not research on that.

I've seldom heard about take-overs, and only from the few "eurofans"
who write in discussion lists. I haven't noticed any event, but it
doesn't mean that they don't happen - for those who keep AHB, an
invasion is much likely to go unnoticed. Moreover, it seems that AHB
colonies are harder to invade; I think it was Marla Spivak who
reported that almost only queenless or very small AHB colonies were
subject to take-overs in Costa Rica.

As for the swarms with multiple queens, many beekepers report that,
but it's generally assumed to be secondary swarms with virgin queens.
Maybe not always. I had a colony once that showed an explosive
growing off-season, only on modest artificial feeding. I had to split
it and found 3 queens, with no sign of queen cells. I don't know if
it was an "incomplete" supersedure from several weeks before, or a
more recent take-over.

I have never read a description of a take-over like the one you
mentioned, and I found it fascinating.

João Campos
Porto Alegre - Brazil

50 anos de abelha africanizada:
16º Congresso Brasileiro de Apicultura
22 a 25 de maio de 2006
Aracaju - Sergipe
http://www.xvicba.com.br/


		
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