>> ...tried to eliminate honey bees from Santa Cruz island, which is 6 miles offshore
> Unless it's moved, I think you will find it is a bit farther than that. (Santa Cruz Island lies about 20 miles from the California mainland coast. )
Yes, I am sorry, six miles is the distance to the nearest island, Santa Rosa.
But if I'd said the sea was wet, there'd be comments about a higher percentage salt, and how the water is thus actually much drier than one would expect. :)
> Santa Anna winds...
Yes, they can make things unexpectedly blustery in fall off San Diego. I taught my wife to sail between Point Loma, San Clemente Island, and Catalina Island, and the Santa Annas are impressive enough to have prompted some reefing of sails. Those winds could likely even carry small pebbles some distance, but they did not seem to blow any swarms onto the island from what Wenner said.
Regardless, Santa Cruz was very difficult to make "honey bee free", so the implication here is that no open-mating scenario will be 100% certain, no matter how remote, no matter how saturated with drone colonies of the desired lines.
Antarctic summer, anyone? In the 60s F at most, but the only bees there will be the bees you bring with you.
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|