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Date: | Sun, 24 Dec 2006 11:47:04 -0500 |
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> What sort of climate do you have?
Hello Robert!
My climate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Pittsburgh,_Pennsylvania
> What could be going on in your area?
From my observations in collecting ferals in the early recovery process
over a several county area. It appears that to the most part, darker
Italian types which are more uniform looking are recovering quickly in
remote type areas. More yellow types, and un-uniform yellow /dark mix
subcast types are commonly found in populated areas where beekeeping is
more prevalent and seem to be lagging the recovery and not performing as
well in assessments.
This suggests to me, a feral led recovery of darker type Italian looking
bees having not been selected for the yellow trait and naturally selected
for survival traits. And not suggestive of a domestic led recovery which
tend to be more yellow, generally selected for yellow traits and that of
economic value. Do not misunderstand me, I am not seeing any evidence of
a separate darker race recovering ahead of the Italian looking
types. “Italian types dominate my area and for some reason the occasional
dark race colony that I collect ‘seem to do poorly for me’ and tend to get
brood diseases under a system of no treatments“.
What I did notice was the very earliest feral recovery occurring in what I
would describe as prime bee habitat. This is overgrown farm land with a
variety of forage from low growth, to shrubs, small trees and large
trees. This is relatively common habitat in my area, but what I
identified as being different in this area, is that it seemed to have a
very large number of potentially prime voids in the from of abandoned
silos, un-insulated old structures, farm houses etc. dotting the
landscape, and also 100 year plus border trees with potential cavities
lining the fence rows and property lines. However, seeing a recovery here
first does not preclude an early recovery occurring in remote woodland
areas and similar places where there are no citizens to report a feral
nest or swarm.
Best Wishes,
Joe Waggle
Ecologicalbeekeeping.com
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries'
Feral Bee Project:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FeralBeeProject/
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---
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