Juanse:
> At the time of the initial release of Dr. Kerr’s hybrid honeybee in 1957, Brazil ranked 27th in honey production. Three decades later, after the introduction of the Africanized bee by Dr Kerr, Brazil sky rocketed to 4th

My friend Ernesto Guzman explained to me that this little factoid is a nice example of how statistics lie. He said that the African bees are not more productive, there are just a lot more hives than there ever were before. Previously, European bees did poorly in the tropics so -- overall -- beekeeping was not so productive, but after the takeover by African bees there were so many bees around that anyone who wanted them could have them. 

Another friend of mine, Larry Winter, keeps bees south of Lake Okeechobee, in Moore Haven. He told me that the African bees sometimes move into his hives. If they know which one it is, he said, they work that one last. Larry says once you open one of them up, all you can do is get in the truck and leave. No more useful work in that apiary for a while. 

And, no Bob, I haven't had my hands in one. I guess that means I know nothing about them, despite having spoken with these two gentlemen who are clearly familiar with them. 

I also saw Dean's Arizona videos:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6129663215037522414#

They make a nice a comparison with my friend Alan's method. Here he is working bees in shorts pants

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/sep/10/mystery-san-diegos-vanishing-honey-bees/

PS: these links worked on 3/13/2011

PLB

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