Carl,

>>3 Buckfast packages... so hot that they are now "untouchable" ...  
We walked away to almost 300 yards and remained for about 40-45 
minutes and still had two groups...

Is your apiary out in the country?  If yes, you are fortunate at 
least in this regard.  I dread if and when we find these Africanized 
bees in our N-E suburbia.  I would not order queens from Africanized 
areas.  I don't care for rosy advertisements that don't qualify the 
possibility of getting Africanized genes.

I often marvel, when removing feral colonies from homes here, how 
docile our EHB bees are.  It would be a shame if this will become a 
thing of the past.

>>None of our other bees have been affected and remain as docile as a 
lamb...

Keep an eye on these queens (I hope they are marked!).  AHB often 
take over EHB hives and supercedure can produce hot behavior if there 
are AHB drones in the area.

>>we are to the point of having to decide whether to destroy these 
bees or leave them alone till winter.

My advice is not to wait.  Since they are strong, these 'devils' are 
raising drones RIGHT NOW that will mate with any virgin in your 
neighborhood. 

>>While we realize that all we have to do is "requeen"; the problem 
is being able to get into the hive long enough to find the queen and 
dispatch her.  

I also understand that AHB are not easy to requeen.  If I were in 
your shoes, I'd wrap each of the AHB hive in small-eye netting and 
catch most of its workforce live with a bee vac.  With light 
agitation, the work force should come out of the hive en masse to 
defend.  Just stick a bee-vac hose in the netting and capture them 
alive.

A depopulated hive is easier to requeen.  The captured bees can be 
released in a remote area although I hear Africanized bees stimulate 
European bees to become hot.  However, the Africans will be dead 
within a few weeks and the hives should get back to being docile.
  
>>Is this possible or are we being paranoid?

You are not being paranoid.  And I glad you'd suited up before going 
to these hives!

>>our feral hive/queen have adapted to our Langstroth hives very well 
and are building magnificent comb

I am a big proponent of collecting and breeding feral stock in non-
AHB areas.  You will find much improved ability to overwinter well 
and your production should not take a second seat.  There may be an 
increased tendency in the ferals to swarm (after a quick spring build-
up) but it may not differ from 'standard' bees that build up well in 
the spring.  Strong, crowded hives swarm.  

Waldemar
Long Island, NY

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