--- Isis Glass <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> What is feral in regard to honey bees?

According to the dictonary, and I support this
definition:

"1. Said of animals normally found in a domestic
situation or in captivity: wild; fending for itself.
Example: feral cats"

The key in the definition of feral honeybees is would
be 'fending for itself'

A swarm heads
> for the hills and "goes
> native"?

Yes, they would be called ferals if they were able to
fend for themselves into the next few seasons.  But to
what degree is IMO ie very important.  As IMO, not all
ferals are good ferals.  But having said this,,,

IMO, 'depending on your local bee habitat' I believe
that you can derive a certain amount of confidence as
to 'what degree of feral', or in other words, 'how
long the bees may have been fending for it's self with
minimal domestic influence'  by analyzing the location
of the bees caught in reference to other domestic
beekeepers in relation to degree of isolation.  And
also by bee and cell size drawn.

If I may please quote a reference, please forgive if
they are interpreted as 'out of context' etc. It is
not my intent.

In a study:
"The sites finally chosen by Lindauer’s swarms, and by
13 swarms observed by Seeley and Morse (1977) had a
median distance of about 900 m, and few swarms
selected sites beyond 1500 m or closer than 300 m."

IMO, in 'my area' which has an over abundance of
potential high quality nest site voids to choose from.
 It is highly unlikely that a domestic swarm will
travel more than one mile into the isolated woodlands
to find a home, although I won't protest the
possibility that it can happen.




Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA
Small Cell Beekeeping
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries'
http://www.biologicalbeekeeping.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/




__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---