In a message dated 97-12-03 03:51:04 EST,       [log in to unmask]
(Winston Sweatman) writes:
 
     <<I was interested in Allen's reference to Fire ants  having apparently
recently developped the routine acceptance of multiple queens.   I wonder can
anyone expand on this topic. How recently is recent. >>
 
   I've been hearing about them for about 3 years now. They have established
along the Gulf Coast. Apparently they are not yet around here.  Folks are
horrified about the possibility of a half-acre fire ant nest that is all one
colony. They are bad enough as-is here now.
 
    Has anyone done any studies of the effect of the fire ants on
ground-nesting solitary bees?  -Or for that matter, any solitary bees, since
fire ants will climb anything, and eat most any vulnerable insect.
 
   Some of our beekeepers stack up supers on fire ant nests to get the wax
worms cleaned out.
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
The Pollination Scene:  http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
 
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm