There are some pretty naive beekeepers on the list . I ask one simple
question Peter.

Where do New York beekeepers which but thousand of queens each year get
their bees which can be said not to contain the possibility AHB genetics?

Not California? maybe I should let you talk to a couple buyers of queens.
Luckily few queens end up aggressive and simply killing off the aggressive
bees still works as has been done since the start of keeping bees.

* * *

I don't think we disagree on this. I have made it clear as glass, over and over, that I do not believe that the problem is genetic, it's behavior. I don't care if my bees have inherited genes from Africa, Asia or Antarctica, so long as they are not hostile. It is an accepted fact that DNA testing of bees for "African Genes" is not a reliable technique, and it doesn't matter anyway. 

What matters is whether the bees attack people and cause the public to turn against beekeepers in urban and semi-rural areas. Honey bees and people have coexisted for centuries, have been a fixture in gardens, are even found in public gardens in New York City. Do you think you could have a hive of African Bees in Manhattan? Right now, there are dozens -- maybe hundreds -- of hives in NYC. 

To do the kind of beekeeping I want to do, the bees have to behave. They can't be going ballistic all the time. As a matter of fact, I have one of the kinds of colonies we are talking about. They are a pain in the ass, always getting riled up while the others require no special treatment. Should I have it tested? What difference would it make? As long as they don't get out of the bee yard, they can stay. Otherwise, they will get CO2.

PLB

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