I have no scientific proof.

I am on swarm call and removal lists for the Cincinnati and Souther  
Wester Ohio region.  During our local swarm season (two weeks to  
either side of Mother's Day, depending on the weather) I received 12  
swarm calls.  I also received 8 calls regarding cut-outs (something I  
think we will see more of as the housing collapse and foreclosures run  
their course).

The kicker though was in September.   The remnants of Hurricane Ike  
rolled through and I received 32 different calls regarding bees in  
trees or damaged homes (roof lines mainly).  All but three were indeed  
honey bees.  So I think 29 calls seemed a good sign to me.  Not good  
for them but proof that in an urban environment bees seemed to have  
been doing quite well.  Where there is smoke there is fire and while  
these bees all died (the amount of damage was quite amazing and  
expected for 80 to 90 MPH sustained winds in some cases) I am sure  
there are other colonies in trees and in homes.  There were other  
calls to other beekeepers who also dealt with the problem (though I  
believe there are only a half dozen of us that do this sort of service  
in the region).

Again, certainly not scientific proof, but in my little world it seems  
like ferals or how ever you would define non-managed individual  
colonies seem to be in abundance at some level here.

Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com
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