Chris Slade wrote:

>Nevertheless there is evidence that bees become accustomed to and thrive
>better in conditions to which, as a colony, they have been bred. 

Yes, well, I would hesitate for a moment before attributing cause and
effect. These are quite frequently difficult to ascertain, as so much of
life is inextricably interconnected. 

For example, what appears on face to be "bees acclimating to an area" may in
fact be selection by the beekeeper. The bees didn't change, he simply picked
out the ones that did the best for him. 

As we all know, Brother Adam tramped the world over to find bees to "create"
a strain for his area. If any bees would have been acclimated, it would have
been the ones he was trying to replace.

Bottom line: once we stick our hands into to the mix, evolution is relegated
to the back seat. I consider the African bee to be evolution's answer to the
problem of honey bee survival ;)

pb

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