Guillermo Jacoby wrote:
>
>
> My question is:  How can I get their aggressiveness down?  I was
> thinking of importing queens, but that could bring the verroa
> down here.  Bees are fairly healthy and we don't really have a
> bee illness to worry about.  Can anyone help?
 
I had not intended to respond to this, since I have no experience with
AHB, and no more knowledge than I have picked up from the bee journals.
I also live in a climate that is free from the threat of the AHB
replacing the feral colonies (we do not have any feral honeybees in
Alaska) so it could be argued that I have no place to speak.  But . . . .
 
I have yet to hear any suggestion of selective breeding of AHB.  As most
of us are aware, the Africanized genes were introduced into the USA some
decades ago (I forget the actual dates) by the importation of AHB sperm.
We do not have widespread problems with the stereotypical AHB ferocity.
What is the reason?  Could it be the widespread selective breeding that
has gone on in this country for many years?
 
I have no idea what level of breeding, and for what traits, has been done
with AHB.  I am convinced, though, that within the AHB gene pool are
characteristics that would be acceptable (levels of aggressive behavior,
absconding, running on the combs, etc.)  I have been dismayed for some
years that I have not heard any discussion of such selective breeding in
this country.  Instead we hear of fears, and the adaptation people will
have to make to the "Killer Bee".  I say let the "Killer Bee" adapt to
prevalent attitudes of people in this country (or Nicaragua).  We could do
a real service to those now keeping AHB if we were to export a mild
mannered AHB that had the required mating habits to compete with the feral
population.
 
An individual beekeeper can do relatively little aside from making
increase from the best of his stock.  We could help ourselves and others
and perhaps gain some ground in varroa resistance too.
 
--
"Test everything.  Hold on to the good."  (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
 
Tom Elliott
Eagle River, Alaska
U.S.A.
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