Doug
You wrote :  <snip>
>One of my 5 hives has suddenly become very aggressive.
>I was wondering if this is normal from time-to-time or could I possibly
>have gotten a queen that may have mated with an African drone?
>Doug Jones <snip>
 
In the UK we have similar problems. Here the problem arises from
hybridisation of imported bees with native Apis mellifera
mellifera ( Dark European bee).  Both the native and imported sub
species may be gentle but the mongrels which result from random
matings cause endless trouble.  Nobody learns from the lessons.
Bees and queens  continue to be imported together with their obscure
virus infections which are destroying our native stocks.  Because
there is a shortage of queens for early pollination there will be
more queens imported from warmer climes this year.  Stocks in the
south of England have been badly hit by varroa.
 
The whole of the UK will continue to suffer from these reckless
acts of importation and hybridisation.
 
In Ireland where monostrained areas of native bees have been
established, importation is banned, the bees can be handled
without veil in short sleeves.  This has been achieved in only four
years.
 
Angus Stokes
 
[log in to unmask]
 
 http://www.angus.co.uk/bibba/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      (\ ANGUS (\ STOKES (\
     {|||8-   {|||8-    {|||8-   (\
      (/       (/        (/     {|||8-   (\
                                 (/     {|||8-   (\
       email : [log in to unmask]          (/     {|||8-     (\
   telephone : +44 (0)1629 813 993               (/ (\    {|||8-
         fax : +44 (0)1629 814 419                 {|||8-  (/
         URL : http://www.angus.co.uk/              (/