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Date: | Mon, 9 Nov 2009 08:33:15 -0600 |
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>Actually, Dr. Ernesto Guzman-Novoa already suggested this same thing, 10
>years ago.
>It would be better to saturate the mating congregation areas with drones of
>European origin.
The above method is not as effective as simply culling whole colonies of
aggressive bees as soon as discovered. Ernesto is correct that the solution
lies with the drones.
The hobby and some sideline beekeepers value the single hive. Lose sleep
over the cost of a replacement queen. When you are in the business you want
to solve a problem as quickly as possible. Solve the problem when hives are
small. Cull the dinks as today it costs to keep a hive around. In my opinion
not $200 to provide meds and feed but cost is involved.
Many beekeepers will only get production from a few hives in a yard of a
dozen. Ok for the hobby beekeeper but will bankrupt the commercial beekeeper
.
An aggressive nuc will be an aggressive large hive. An aggressive hive like
Jerry Bromenshenk speaks of in a remote location by itself is not a big
deal. Take the same hive and place in a yard of forty hives and the hives
drones will introduce those aggressive genes into the yard through
supercedure & matings. Will disrupt the everyday work of beekeeping.
A couple of other AHB not as common traits rarely spoke of :
higher aggressive behavior during the honey flow. Opposite of our bees.
smoke only upsets rather than calms. Most areas of AHB use huge smokers and
they say their best defense but when questioned all will agree some AHb will
not be calmed by smoke. I have seen these hives and they are the worst. A
simple puff at the entrance and the bees are in your face!
I keep yards of bees which are easily worked with little protection. I keep
another line which can be testy at times.
tip:
When culling the main trait to look for( even with European bees) is the
quickness to hit the air and the hive response to a few stings.
All hives can get aggressive when left open for too long or the beekeeper
tries to cram a frame of bees back into the space it came from mashing bees.
I take the queen off the frame many times and release her on another frame
before replacing the frame. NEVER CRAM A FRAME IN THE HIVE.
Smoke all stings to mask the sting odor.
bob
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