In a message dated 98-01-02 14:09:24 EST, Dick Bonney
 ([log in to unmask]) writes:
 
<< Feral colonies are often said to live in one spot for many, many years
 without interruption. This probably happens, especially under conditions
 approaching ideal. However, I believe that many apparently long-lived
 colonies are actually not so long-lived. They die for whatever reason
 and before anyone notices their absence, they are replaced by a swarm.
 Most feral colonies are not under constant observation so our
 conclusions about them tend to be based on scanty information.
 
 Of course, everything is changing these days with the presence of the
 mites. Any truly long-lived feral colony is to be treasured. >>
 
   Very true, Dr. Bonney....  I believe this was true, even before varroa
mites came on the scene. My own observations of wild colonies in both the
northeast and southeast US, led me to believe that "wild" colonies would
problably decline to very low numbers without replenishment from kept bees.
I've seen colonies make it almost to spring, then die, to be refilled by a
fresh swarm six or eight weeks later. This was not observed by the general
public.
 
    The bee we have today, (without consideration of varroa) is one that fits
our management for maximum productivity. We also have an fresh influx of
bees/queens into northern areas each spring.  If all domestic hives were
removed, there would have to be a lot of natural selection to again have a
stock that would survive in great numbers in the wild, particularly in the
north. Perhaps it would never happen again, as many of the forage sources are
gone, or very erratic compared to bygone days, and pesticides are a continuing
hazard. And varroa makes it a moot point.
 
    My best guess is that a feral colony in pre-varroa South Carolina lived
about 5-6 years, though the site would usually be occupied by fresh bees
within a year after the colony's death. If the colony were near cotton fields
(and the acreage of cotton greatly increased in recent years), there'd be a
continuous knockdown of the field force through July and August.  This greatly
reduces winter survival, when the colony goes into winter at near starvation
levels.
 
    With varroa, most feral colonies die within a year, though some may make
it through winter and partway through another season.  I've seen a number of
mid-summer colonies in walls, etc. that are just about gone from varroa. For
several years I've been trying to preserve "wild" swarms without varroa
treatment. These swarms have mostly died the first season. I've had two now go
through the winter, but did not survive the following summer. The last one of
this year's batch died in December. Sadly, I could find no evidence of varroa,
but I knew the queen was failing much earlier.
 
   Interestingly, I've never seen a wild hive with American foulbrood.
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
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