Hello All,
Calls for swarms and colony extractions
are way up this year, here in SW
Pennsylvania. I am once again picking
and choosing which bee calls I will
respond to. I am doing several calls
for consultation per day, and doing
one colony extraction per day, as this
is all I can handle and still keep my
day job. I respond to an area about
25 miles radius.
I do not buy into the idea promoted by
the news media that the mild winter has
much to do with it. -This upsurge in feral
bees seems to be a continuation of a rebound
which began to gain great momentum around 2006.
There is a trend towards bees repopulating residential
areas and small towns. Most calls are for colonies
which have taken possession of wall voids 'this
season', and many of these are for colonies which
have re-inhabited voids last occupied by bees
5, 10, 15 and even 20 years ago, -so the
homeowners claim. Some of these, I recall last
visiting for bee removals 10 and 20 years ago.
I find interesting that May swarms seem to
break bivouac earlier, perhaps having an easier
time locating voids which were previously occupied.
Perhaps, June swarms will be forced to remain
in bivouac for a longer period of time, and there
may be a surge in calls in June to new construction
and to voids never previously occupied because
of this tendency, -we'll see what occurs in June,
I will let you know what happens.
Unlike the years between 2006 and about 2010,
swarms are very much gentler, I have been able
to catch swarms and complete extractions with
less than an average of 6 stings per extraction,
2 of those usually to the face because I need
to remove veil and glasses to see up close for
queen finding, and for most of the removal
I do not wear veils due to my dislike wearing
face and hand gear. During 06 thru 10 you could
not catch swarms in my area without full bee gear,
swarms were too hot, and it was simply too risky.
That was the fact then, I do not know why bees
are gentler now, but there seem to be some
indications suggesting why.
Swarms are still on the small side, averaging
3 to 4 pounds, in comparison to pre 1996
an occasional mite is spotted, which I believe is
normal nowadays, and worthy conclusions cannot
be drawn from this, IMO.
It appears the bee commonly described by some
as the wild Italian type has risen to dominance in this
area. I have not ran across any dark strains yet
this season. Uniformity in subcasts has greatly
improved this season, -I have not run across
any swarms or colonies of an un-uniform appearance,
IMO suggesting a dominance in the breeding sphere
of genetics from a successful and resistant 'like strain'
may be occurring.
Another interesting note is all ferals discovered this
season are of the small to mid size type and draw a
cell size around 5.1 to 5.2 mm, maybe slightly above
5.2 tops. I have yet to run across any feral colonies
drawing larger cell sizes which IMO, suggests these
ferals are more likely to have originated from feral
origin.
Best Wishes,
Joe Waggle
SW Pennsylvania
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