Greetings

Adrian Wenner had a very nice article published in the May 1993 issue of Gleanings. He fixes the date of the first bee importation into California at 1853. One colony reached San Jose, CA from Panama, but no one seems to know how it got to Panama (were there Euro. honey bees there by then?).

Harbison brought 67 colonies in 1857 and by 1860 there was at least a thousand colonies in San Jose. These bees were "German" black bees which were first brought to Virginia, USA in 1622. Dr. Wenner states that the feral honey bees on Santa Cruz Island probably descended from this same stock, having been taken there around 1873. (See ABJ, Jan. 1988)

Interestingly, he notes that after 130 years in isolation they appeared very similar to the dark Euro. races *except for color*. Dr. Wenner, can you comment on the color of the bees?

Finally, knowing that the Spanish arrived in Mexico with a voracious appetite for beeswax, and that they established missions clear up to California, one would *assume* that they brought bees into northern Mexico along with grape vines, etc. But did they? If they had, why would Harbison and the rest need to import bees?

Just wondering...

>Spain brought the first explorers, missionaries and settlers to the Americas, the first cattle, horses, pigs and other farm animals, the first European grains and produce.
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>The territory of New Mexico also included present-day Arizona. In 1687, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, a Jesuit, came to this area. He founded 25 missions, including the beautiful San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, as well as 20 cattle ranches.
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>Although California’s coast had been explored in 1542 by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, no effort had been made to settle this area. Spain became concerned when it learned that Russian fur trappers were moving along the northern Pacific coast and that Great Britain continued to show interest in the area.
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>Gaspar de Portolá was named governor of California and Fray Junípero Serra was placed in charge of the Franciscan missionaries. Together they founded the mission and fort of San Diego in 1769. Eventually 21 missions were founded along El Camino Real as far north as Sonoma. The approximately 60 Franciscan priests converted 31,000 Indians and the missions prospered economically. Four forts were built in San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, and San Diego. Three pueblos were established: San José in 1777, Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciúncula (Los Angeles) in 1781, and Branciforte at modern-day Santa Cruz in 1797.

http://www.hispaniconline.com/hh/us_ltn_presence.html