At 14:56 21/04/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Matthew Westall of Castle Rock, CO wrote (in part):
>
>>While each summer I'm investing a great deal of time pulling out
>>surviving feral hives, I'm becoming increasingly at-odds with the logic
>>on why these bees are still alive. How much am I investing in 'chance'?
>
>*******
Adrian Wenner wrote ( in part)
....If so, tests of any kind run on items
such as hygienic behavior or colony genetic makeup might yield very little.
Those of us somewhat remote from managed colonies might see a resurgence
of resistant feral colony populations --- where queens mate with drones
from similar such colonies................
Accordingly, Paul has established an apiary in a remote area at the base
of the mountain range behind us, where he is moving all captured swarms
that have survived without treatment. There the queens and drones from
like colonies can interbreed.
Unfortunately, this has become a race against time, since the latest
Africanized honey bee find was only 50 miles away.
**********
Hi,
I have been in beekeeping for a few years in Brazil and so far, I have never
had to treat my bees in anyway.
The text below is part of what was discussed at the Sixth Ibero-Latin
Congress and Twelfth Mexican Beekeeping Seminar Meets at Merida, Yucatán.
Dr. David DeJong of the Genetics Department, University of Săo Paulo,
described the "particular" situation found in South America. Countries like
Brazil do not have a Varroa problem like their neighbors to the south,
Uruguay and Argentina. But in these countries, the situation can also be
mixed with the mite being more of a problem in temperate regions. Although
mostly Africanized bees are found in Brazil, European bees on Fernando de
Noronha Island are also tolerant and require no treatment. The resistence
or tolerance is probably present in many bee populations, according to Dr.
DeJong, but they must be allowed to express it. Unfortunately, humans are
extremely quick in treating bees, and in their rush to do so can interfere
with nature to the bees' detriment, he concluded.( The Speedy Bee by Dr. Tom
Samford.)
Ana Lucia Campos Merlo.
__________________________________________________________________________
Ana Lucia Campos Merlo.
Bee Biz - For the Commercial Beekeeper.
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