Perhaps people are unaware of past glaciations...

> More on honey bee races and color
>These bees of Morocco & Algeria may have been 
>the origin of the European black bees; they are 
>certainly related to the bees of Spain (Iberia). 

Its really a matter of luck, who was where when -
20K yrs ago.  Europe was largely covered
with ice sheets up to 1 mile high 50K yrs ago
Probably ice to  Paris. 
This causes a lack of large trees so bees do not survive. 
Bees do not do well when summer  is cold.
Even yellowjackets do not have much of a nest before 
the ground is warm.
I'm sure the Sahara was more 'clement' back then, 
hard to imagine worse
Part of reason that the Pyrenees didn't block recolonization
is that it is warmer. Did a toehold survive N of the Pyrenees?
Being a northern beekeeper I am very aware of effects of cold
This yr ,mild, they all survived for 2nd time (outside) only.
Hardly turned on heaters,not a test at all,
its encouraging none of the 4  weak nucs died.
In an ordinary winter none would have lived 
(so that would have been the test, of me
too since it lacks automation)
First pollen mar 30

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