"Our densest forests seem void of feral bee colonies"

I wonder if this whole topic of number of ferals does not lend itself to
generalizations very well.  I live at about 1225 feet.  I see little
evidence for ferals.  Guys who cut and trim diseased trees for a living
locally tell me they almost never find a feral colony.  Maybe once in a few
years.  I know several park naturalists who spend much of their time in
forests locally and they tell me they know of no ferals at all.  My local
area is steep so no farming and is mainly reforested large lot residential
or parks.  Across the road from my house is an 800 acre park.  Yet 35 miles
SE the land is much lower at about 800 feet.  It is also forested and
swampy with a much lower density of houses than around me.  That elevation
difference makes a big difference.  They see the dandelion bloom start two
weeks ahead of me.  This year goldenrod was a total bust for me as it was a
few degrees too cold during the whole bloom.  My best hives only made at
most a frame of GR.  Yet 35 miles SE they had a boomer GR year as they were
about five degrees warmer.  My friends down there tell me they have lots of
ferals.  Their tree cutters see several colonies a year.  They also see the
massive mite buildups in some of their hives in the fall much more than I
am observing.  Those mite build ups might be robbing out ferals?  Or maybe
something else?

I was once on the top of the highest point in W Virginia.  There were lots
of bees on top of that mountain.  It is almost 5000 feet.  The nearest
residential area was a couple of thousand feet lower.  I looked pretty hard
for any domestic hives up there and found no evidence of any at all.  I
find it hard to believe domestics would do a steep climb of 2000 feet to
get to the top.  So, I think those were ferals.  Based on how many I saw it
would take several colonies of ferals.

I think some places may well have quite a few ferals and other places far
fewer both per square mile.

Dick

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