--- On Sat, 12/15/12, Peter L Borst [log in to unmask]


A third question would be: what are the bee losses and how are these made up? 
 
reply;
Doing walk away splits with whole deep boxes of bees, brood, and stores in combs of real honey/pollen.

continuing:
As I understand it, the Arizona method is to drive around collecting swarms, as many as twenty a day in season.
 
reply;
That's for the pesticide/swarm cut out people and really don't know of any beekeepers doing such. and when Ed died I stopped doing swarm removals way back in 2006 that I cut back on with first major stroke in 2004.

continuing:
What kind of bees would you get off the golf courses in Tuscon, AZ? I doubt any of these folks keeps them close to human habitation. So much for breeding better bees, in any case. 
 
reply;
LIke I said I stopped that..............due to family matters with Ed coming first.
and, while on subject, Stockwell's now do it from the golf courses .....trying to stay in business (Ed Stockwell married to Miksa (big for queens fwiw too).
 
continuing: 
By the way, this technique is used almost exclusively in Africa. Collecting swarms is the main beekeeping activity, followed by taking their honey. The bees then abscond. I wouldn't call that "beekeeping" however.
 
reply;
Neither would I for in doing swarms to help Tucson and Green valley way back always lost 50% starting up and then another 50% first winter, ....but the final 25% then had to be weeded thru............culling out the LC junk so to speak............and in end 90% gone, so what does that say about LC beekeeping left to own, with no help?
 
Dee A. Lusby


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