> there is good evidence of early
importations of honeybees from North Africa into both
the US and Australia.

If we can divert ourselves from the previous thread debating the future or follies of trying to raise (and protect) SE Utah bee stock, I would love to hear about the "evidence" mentioned. I don't have access to the cited source.

But I do have this recent correspondence from a woman who was in SE Utah in 1962...

Ms. Bailey (now in Oregon) writes...

"Reading about the study and unique situation with Moab honey bees, I felt inclined to tell you about an order of bees my dad got from Africa. He had a colony of them about a mile up the Colorado River [from Moab, Utah] in 1962. He was badly stung and nearly died from it.  Dr. Mayberry saved his life.

Those bees are no doubt, part of the 'unique' honey bee population of Moab...The honeybees provided excellent honey, but they were mean.
…
I honestly don't recall anyone else that raised bees; I'm sure there were folks that did. Dad ordered them by mail, and they came through the USPS. We went to the post office and picked them up.

[Dad] wore protective gear most of the time when tending them; that one day, he didn't. He had the smoker with him, but it lay discarded when I ventured up later on that night. Dad had thought they would corner the honey market, but he sure didn't reckon they would be so mean. 
…
No. I don't have the receipt. [...in response to my joking inquiry...] And he did order them from someone in Africa. I'd guess it was a company and not an individual, but in 1960-62, who knows?

We hadn't even heard of Africanized bees back then. Dad had worked several years as an exterminator for the city of Moab and for private parties as well. He likely had contacts from someone with those bees via magazines concerning bees. He read extensively--but had he known how they were, I think he would have forgone that experience.

If I remember right, he paid more than usual for this particular strain of bees. That may have kept him from outright killing them and he had cousins living in Green River who may have come for them. On the other hand, they may have swarmed on down the river. I do know they are dangerous.

Good luck with finding them and your study..."


Does anyone have any information to parallel this woman's story? We have found very remote feral bees that tested A1 (non-agressive so far) and Ae1 (aggressive, so far found only in Utah), both along the Colorado and Green Rivers, but tens of miles from Moab. I have not come across any mentions of mid-20th century bees coming in from Africa. 

And please don't jump in to simply disparage this woman's honestly shared recollection...

What is the "good evidence" of importations out there?

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