> The feral population does not exist in a bell jar.

I should add one comment to my statement above.  When I collect the feral here (Long Island, NY), the majority of colonies have bees of different colors indicating drones of differing lineage.  Last year, I did collect 3 colonies of incredibly uniformly colored bees possibly indicating a contained/isolated population.

>Here in Australia they appear to do just that.  Work dome by IIRC Dr Ben Oldroyd showed that the feral population was self perpetuating.

This is very interesting.  This may have advantages and disadvantages when varroa enters your feral population.  After the [expected] initial wipe-out, if there is a varroa resistance/tolerance trait, your feral may spring back quickly. 

>>Almost no swarming on the honey flow and should it fail, certainly no swarming.  There will hopefully be a few moves to other honey flows before moving back to the build country.

If feral supercedure generally coincides with the swarming period, there may indeed be very little mating of feral virgins with managed drones.  A very interesting setting you have in Australia.

Waldemar

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