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>>...are all tied to surviving in temperate woodland conditions.
>How is lowered defensiveness tied to survival?
My reasoning is simple. African bees are hyper when it comes to nest
defense. In Africa, there are many more predators than in Europe and
being hyperdefensive may be a requirement for survival there.
However, when African bees kill a horse or a pet in the US it does
absolutely nothing to boost their survival. On the contrary, it's an
overreaction that needlessly destroys valuable resources (ie. worker
bees by the thousands).
While in Africa, worker numbers can be rebuild on good forage in
season, this sort of blind defensiveness in Europe would deprive
colonies of much needed workers in Europe's forests where significant
forage availability is limited to spring. A colony facing a cold
winter in the temperate European region, couldn't afford losing a
significant portion of their workers if it wanted to survive the cold
till spring. This African trait did not cut it in the old, cold
European forests.
>>I am not saying that they are not less defensive, nor am I saying
that when moving to the forests of europe that they did not become
less defensive...
I believe the European environment was tough on the overdefensive
colonies from Africa and selected for colonies with a more targeted
defense.
>>...the gentility we see may be the result of our tinkering through
the millenia.
Until the skeps, Europeans 'managed' colonies in scattered bee trees
that they located in forests. The harvesting of honey was often
rather unmanaged and brutal, often resulting in the kill of
colonies. The dead colonies were naturally replaced by swarms the
next season.
In my opinion, bees' defense evolved more in the face of animal
predators - rather than humans - that could be discouraged by a high
level of defense. If man could be discouraged, his unsuccessful
attempts at robbbing would have selected for a more defensive stock.
But man was the most persistant predator who also found smoke and
other aids to help his robbing. A colony robbed out by man in Europe
in the 2nd half of season, stood very little chance of rebuilding and
preping for winter. It's genetics would have been lost in the winter.
Waldemar
PS. The above are my personal opinions or speculation. :) I have no
actual proof that this was how honey bees evolved in Europe.
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