Hello Barry & All,

That means, first, bees that
> remain totally calm on comb when removed from the hive.

I forgot about the constant running on the comb.

S econd,
> bees that remain calm when the hive is disturbed generally. That
> these calm bees are a pleasure to work with is a by-product of the
> main objective.

I move bees at times. I would use the Texas method before trying migratory
beekeeping with scuts. Accidents moving bees are a way of life. Rare but do
happen. When you can bang the side of the hive with your fist and only the
gaurd bees take flight then you have got bees for migratory beekeeping.

I am NOT having a problem with varroa but want  to be able to drop
chemicals. Chemicals will become ineffective against varroa in the comming
decade in my opinion.
The bees I keep are the best I have ever worked with. They will rob if given
the chance and get cranky on a rainy day but a kick or dropped frame never
upsets the bees on a normal day.
I keep survivor mongrel carniolans at the house. Removed from buildings and
abandon hives which are said to have survived varroa for over four years. I
have had to step in and medicate OR give frames of honey to all to help them
survive at times. Two have got a low mite load for this time of year so
maybe they will survive into spring. Mite threshold is what I go by.

 I remain mystified by how scuts seem to laugh varroa mites
> out of the hive.
I am not mystified considering your circumstances. I do not believe the scut
would survive varroa D. when the abscounding and swarming traits are
removed. I would love to see the above tried with controls.

> > How many generations did it take? Did you inbreed like Dr. Kerr did?
> What will the supersedure and open mated queens be like?
>
 In  general, the open mated daughters are not quite as gentle as the
> mother queens.

Above is the ultimate problem with taming a scut.

> > Yellow IS the SCUT color. If your '"wild scuts" are not yellow then they
> are mongrel or AHB.
>
> The wild scuts are yellow all right. In this particular breeder queen, I
> am talking about an extreme yellow; not unlike the Cordovan in the US.
> But the extreme colour is accompanied by normal pigmentation
> (unlike the Cordovan); there are still thin dark bands on the abdomen.
> This queen's drones are also very yellow; wild scut drones are
> normally black, although in some areas they may have thin golden
> bands on the abdomen.
My opinion is that you are working with a scut/capensis cross. When the hive
comes to a certain stage (8-9 months) the workers start taking over the egg
laying from the queen from within. Capensis is hard to tell from scuts by
wing venation according to Ruttner(1975) . I base my opinion on true scut &
capensis colors not running true in your  swarms. Is this not possible?
Research says they WILL cross. Couldn't many scut workers develop the
ability to lay eggs if they were in fact a cross with capensis or is my
thinking incorrect?

> > Why would we want a gentle version? You say they do not produce a
> huge amount of honey.
>
> > In Texas they find AHB by kicking the box real hard. If the bees boil
> out they  "most likely" are AHB. They never check for sure because if
> they boil out at a kick they still need requeening. What do your gentle
> version of scuts do when the hive is kicked real hard?
>
> Bob, I've never tried kicking as you describe. But what I can say is that
> you can pick up one of these gentle scutellata hives day or night
> without smoking, and walk off with it.

My point valid. I will keep a defensive hive in a remote location but mark
so I can requeen next time I am requeening. I live on a busy highway and
would not want a hive as defensive as boiling out of the hive when kicked
around people. What would one quick rap with a hammer or fist do to your
gentle scut hive? We had a neighbor with a pit bull which he said wouldn't
bite. Now a neighbor boy has bad scars and the owner is facing a law suit.
Be honest.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri