[log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> Although movable frames are great for close colony inspection, and 
> thus were mandated as the only legal type justified by the need for 
> official inspections for bee diseases, I wonder if diseasse control 
> is not worse today...  I have yet to see a feral colony with a case 
> of American foulbrood or chalkbrood.
>   
They die. Wax moth cleans up the remains. Therefor it is hard to observe 
something that is not there. Habeas corpus.****
**
I run into people who point out colonies that have existed for many 
years in trees. If they did, they would be the holy grail that we search 
for, but they never are. After more detailed questioning, it usually 
turns out that there were years when there were no bees in the tree.

There may be studies on the stability of feral colonies in the wild, but 
it would be difficult to control the primary variable of beekeeper's 
colonies in the area that replenish the feral population. You could lose 
every feral colony every year but replenish it with "kept" bees every 
year so it would look like you had a stable feral population.

I love to hear from people who wonder what all the fuss is about 
disappearing bees since they have never noticed their absence. They are 
always near a beekeeper and do not know it. The feral bees did die off, 
as our Pumpkin growers here in Maine found out.

Sort of makes you wonder about those who collect feral bees because of 
their ability to cope with all the stresses out there. Maybe those 
colonies are from good beekeepers who are selecting for just those 
traits.and all the actual "feral' colonies died off long ago. Or maybe 
they are their own bees and you have a closed loop recycling system.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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