John Mitchell wrote: > In a message dated 5/11/00 9:39:43 AM, [log in to unmask] writes: > > << Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have agreed with John. I would > have adamntly insisted that honeybees simply do not dwell underground. >> > > Are there any references in the beekeeping literature, scientific or > popular, to bees nesting underground? I have been hesitant to engage in this discussion, because I no longer have the specific numbers. I can tell you this - before AHBs in the Tucson area, the water department (for 500,000 to 750,000 people) had basically no reports of bees nesting in residential water meter boxes. These "boxes" are cement or plastic, about the size of a nuc, and with the lid of heavy metal or plastic at ground level. There is a slot in the lid for lifting, about 3/4 X 2 inches. After AHB arrived, their reports shot up to several thousand per year, and they began advising homeowners to place a small stone over the opening. With the quick drop in temperature as you descend into the desert soil, these boxes are reasonable domiciles for bees, even with a small water seep for evaporative cooling sometimes. In humid climates, this ground nesting probably would not work out well for the bees. In the past, I have very seldom seen bees in ground squirrel burrows (in soil), although these are common here. Occasionally, when hives are moved or a queen is dropped when shaking bees, the stragglers will accumulate in a burrow to escape the sun, but they soon die out. As Dr. Wenner says, feral bees, especially on slopes are an entirely different subject, and commonly nest in holes and on cliffs. ----------------------------------------------------------- John F. Edwards Carl Hayden Bee Research Center Agricultural Research Service - USDA Tucson, Arizona 85719 32.27495 N, 110.9402 W http://198.22.133.109/