At 06:46 AM 8/8/97 -0700, Bill Truesdell wrote:
 
>You both may be right, but all the votes are not yet in as to why. One
>guess is because the AHB absconds frequently, it breaks the brood cycle,
>and that is a great varroa treatment . But because it absonds, it makes
>for lousy overwintering because it has no or few winter stores. If
>varroa is one of the reason it absconds, then varroa is also killing it
>when it hits cold climates. That is still a guess, but it seems a good
>one.
 
US beekeepers in Texas and Arizona who have confirmed AHB and have no
reason to guess or lie about keeping these bees do not report any problems
with absconding or over wintering these bees or their crosses.
They do report in Arizona that they build up fast and much be divided
several times to keep them from swarming. But it could bee they have the
Egyptian strain of African bees.<G>
 
ttul Andy-