Allen Dick mentions that EHB does not live at ground level while implying 
that AHB is why Dee sees cavity dwelling bees in the ground and rocks. 

In the mid-seventies i was in Hawaii (Oahu and Hawaii) and every feral 
colony i saw was near the ground, often in rocks.  There was no implied AHB 
population in Hawaii, nor is there any reported at this time, so one might 
as easly argue that EHBs do nest near the ground in warmer climates. 

I have seen more than one swarm take up location in western Washington near 
the ground level, in walls and high up in rock faces.  It is my opinion that 
swarms respond to the attraction of the scouts regarding a sight.  They most 
often will take prebuilt comb and in areas where there is a substancial 
addition to outside populations from beekeepers colonies on a yearly basis, 
such areas do not develop resistance to diseases and pests because there is 
always a source of empty infected combs. 

At least in the process of cell size regression there remains a difference 
in how a strain handles mites.  I can not state that 4.9 levels this out, 
but i have no reason to assume that Dee would make up this advantage in 
using the smaller size.  I am passing a great many breeds and trains through 
here and will keep all abreast as to my own results. 

Not only is isloation a key factor in developing a native-style bee, the 
genetic base from which that bee develops must be rather massive as that 
breed develops lest all the problems of narrow gentic base genetics come 
into play.  In nature such a broad base allows enough varriation for these 
random genetics to eventually fix, if the base is too low there will be no 
native-style bee found. 

Chrissy Shaw 

 

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