"locally adapted" 

I keep seeing and hearing this comment.  Local bees..  acclimated  etc....
and some have tried to make claims that it's a hive at least 2 years old....

But  what does it mean??  Actually?  How can you define it?  it seems to me
as a line of nonsense to start a discussion.   We know that genetically most
ferals are very similar to domestic stocks, and if you want to call them
locally adapted,  many of my Sothern generated and commercial bought queens
are in the second or third season.

So just what is this term and how do we define it for argument sake?
Sandals and shorts on southern bees?  Snow shovels in storage on northern
bees?  Or are we just talking about bees that were running wild for the last
few years, you know that swarm you caught in the church yard you swear can
from a hive that's been in the steeple for 40 years?  

The wing morphology from this study alone tells us the only differences is
what box they were in..... 

If I saw a flaw in that study that was the only one I noticed,  no liniage
on the wild hives to say they were at least X.

If we use the definition "must survive 2 years" we are fooling ourselves and
setting what I view as a nonsense standard.  An southern package can be made
to do that.  With or without treatment.  Package survival in most climates
is just as good as swarm survival, probably better given a standard swarm
size.  Just treatment free for 2 years??  Then they are locals?? Hardly
seems fair since we don't know how many times that hive in the tree has died
and requeened or replaced themselves.

So lets see what are the definitions for "locally adapted"( not treatment
free) how do we show or prove or qualify that term instead of just throwing
it around?


Charles

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