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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 29 Sep 2003 08:02:57 -0500
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Hello Dick & All,
Dick said:
There do seem to be reports of feral hives returning. But are they truly
thriving or just surviving?

The true feral swarm ( feral for at least two years) will contain varroa
mites, at least a few tracheal mites will be found and in most cases nosema.
I realize most beekeepers are not able to test for the above but I am.

When you find a so called feral hive which has been said to be around for
years with no trace of any of the above in my opinion you are looking at a
recent swarm from a treated hive.

Every year  new beekeepers pop up in my area. They buy equipment shipped in
and start with shipped in packages.

From my own experience:

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY THERE ARE NO HIVES IN YOUR AREA YOU DO NOT KNOW
ABOUT!

I have never tested a TRUE feral swarm in the last 10 years which I did not
find  varroa, Tracheal mites and nosema.

To back up Dick's findings all true feral swarms I have looked at and tested
were small which would seem right with the problems I found.

Bees love to swarm to bee trees and places that bees have lived before!

I have seen bees swarm to bee equipment over and over sitting out waiting to
be burned which was "condemned  by me as unfit for bee life" and be very
happy!

Outside my honey house door is a small place where bees brought in with
supers which refused to join the hive sitting about four feet away started
to draw a piece of comb about the size of a quarter. Even though I have
scraped the comb clean bees will always start to congregate at the spot
instead of drifting to the hive below.

Bob

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