I've heard this same comment made at several of our club meetings.  I have the suspicion they got some hybridized bees with Russian genetics that survived and made a little honey.  I've had a handful of hot hives that I had to smoke heavily to work and they were still all over me stinging my clothes or any bare flesh.  They were ok to approach otherwise.  They never produced much honey whether they were left alone or managed.  I wasn't a bit unhappy when they died.  I had a call from a beginning beekeeper today with a hot hive issue and quickly determined it was not a beekeeper problem.  I have a handful of queens from the same supplier and none are enjoyable to work...we have had a near perfect honey production year and their performance has been average or less.  I recently saw an internet post by a beekeeper in Indiana or Connecticut? that had gotten a nuc from Florida.  Was very happy with the hot hive because it had produced several supers of honey and had started grafting queen cells from it.  I have queens that came out of Florida also....but won't be raising any queens from "hot hives".

Atlanta, GA

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