On Jun 28, 2010, at 1:38 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

It would be interesting to know the size of the Kufra oasis and how many colonies exist there.  Anybody know?

> DNA analyses suggested that these bees are old relic populations from a time when honeybees were abundant all over North Africa suggesting that the bees of the Oasis Kufra had not been introduced by man and indeed is an endemic population confined for much more than 5,000 years in an area of 88 km2 and separated by over 1,000 km of sand desert to the next viable habitat for honeybees.

> the colony densities are similar and there are no marked differences in the mating frequencies [when compared to] the locations open to migratory beekeeping (Oasis Brak and Coastal Libya) 

Peter Loring Borst
Ithaca  NY USA
[log in to unmask]
peterloringborst.com

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