I bought some packages from La this spring. Of the 11 most were feisty but workable. One of the bunch was so defensive that they were impossible to work. They were mostly OK if I left them alone but I still couldn't get out of the truck without putting a veil on. I finally destroyed them. A fellow beekeeper with 100 hives and 25 years experience said they were the worst he had ever seen. I never found how far they would follow me but 200 yards wasn't enough.
I sent samples to the Tucson lab and the result was that there was a 13% chance they were Africanized.

AHBs are coming to the north east and not only from migratory beekeepers, since we all buy our packages and mated queens from states where AHB are established. In Ct where there aren't too many sites that are isolated Beekeeping must diminish.

Dick Marron

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