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Date: | Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:55:25 GMT |
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>>I guess someone (even Dr. Seeley himself) could repeat
Seeley's test(s) using tree-hollow "bee gums"...
People like Dennis Murray (spelling?) have shown that bees transfered
to TB hives survived mites w/o treatments. The best explanation was
that the smaller cell size at the bottom of the naturally built combs
was smaller somehow allowing the bees to rid themselves of most of
the mites in the late season.
The cell size from the middle of the feral combs I've measured has
been consistently just under 5,0 mm. No doubt, feral colonies
produce less brood and, by extension, fewer mites. These factors may
be key to their survivor.
As to many, feral to me means living in unmanaged conditions
regardless of origin. I have yet to find a marked queen in a feral
colony. Interestingly enough, the queen I obtained from a feral
colony a month ago, is the longest queen that I have ever seen...
I admire the vigor of the feral bees. Do they transfer well into
managed colonies? Yes. Can they survive w/o treatment in managed
colonies? I have not seen that - although one OA treatment in the
fall makes mites a non-issue. Then again, my Pierco cells don't
match the natural comb and in my hives they produce very large
populations (a lot of potential for a lot of mites).
Waldemar
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