To add more entropy to the Universe, feral bees are bees in the wild.
Bees in an apiary are no different than their wild cousins, if of the
same race. So what is the difference between feral bees and bees in an
apiary?

The same three things your real estate agent says, location, location,
location. The term feral is used for bees only to show their location.
Nothing more.

The problem with trying to get a good definition of feral is that, for
some, it is actually a continuum, a picture that goes from clarity to
someone's decision that the plant or animal is considered domesticated
when it may not be. Is a tiger in a cage domesticated? Depends on the
idiot that says it is and promptly gets mauled.

The best definition of feral and domesticated is that in one state the
behavior of the plant or animal allows a person to control them. But if
the animal or plant escapes, it does not allow that control or fights it
and reverts to its wild state.

Bees are not domesticated. A feral colony is not much different than a
managed colony if the bees are of the same race. You can have angry
Italians in an apiary or in a tree. You can also have gentle Italians in
both places.

One problem we have is in looking at our apiaries, with their bees from
away and comparing them with whatever bees are in the area, which are
probably from another apiary and a different race. Just because the
feral bees are different does not make our bees domesticated.

To say that an animal is feral if it leaves the house is foolish. A cat
allowed out will act wild but comes home and uses the litter box and
gets their kitty litter. The cat that is feral, does neither. Catch that
cat and you will know the difference between a domesticated cat and a
feral cat.

But put an empty hive box in a tree and you can capture a feral colony
of bees which will act no different than your other colonies. Put a
litter box in a forest to lure a feral cat and you will be called
terminally stupid.

Which is my opinion of this whole discussion.

Bill Truesdell (Sins can be forgiven but stupid is forever.)
Bath, Maine

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