> re: open mind..Ferals are apparently increasing in numbers here in Fla.,
> even around golf courses and suburban lakes with who knows how much
> atrazine from runoff and direct application.

When I did the ABJ article on Africanized bees in Florida the experts said
AHB swarmed as many as 16 times a year.  There are quite a few commercial
operations also in Florida and many so called ferals are actually swarms
from commercial operations.

The effects of chemicals on bees in the field are hard to determine unless a
bee kill is seen outside the hive front. I saw plenty of those in the past
but today dwindling and simply missing bees seem to be the story.

To sum up I have not met a beekeeper which does not believe pesticides,
fungicides  and herbicides are not causing bee loss but getting a count on
exact numbers is hard . In fact almost impossible to gauge.

To be truthful unless a big loss is seen most commercial beekeepers move on
( not reporting losses) and try to make up the losses through feeding syrup,
patties and splitting.

The world of most migratory commercial beekeepers is a fast pace world which
involves the bees never sitting in one place very long. The world of the
researchers is of a different pace. A commercial beekeeper will pick up and
hit the road when needed in hours. The researcher needs a Best Western and
the commercial beekeeper will sleep in his truck if need be. Take showers
and wash his clothes at a truck stop.

Today most commercial beekeepers ( 1000 hives and up) move their hives and
many migrate similar to the others.

The best article to get a picture of U.S. migratory beekeeping was in the
May 1993 National Geographic ( vol. 183 No. 5 ) available in many libraries
which collect the magazines. The routes have changed because of almond
pollination but still very accurate. Excellent pictures.

bob

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