Like many of you, I get calls from people refered to me by police, fire, and other deparments who have had swarms settle on their land. I get them fairly regularly, even now in November I just got one. I have noticed that often the swarms have bees with deformed wings, not bad enough that they can't fly, like some, but still like bees I see in my hives when the mites are building up before my (third year now) annual treatment with Check- mite. I wonder how many of these feral hives that people assume are resistant to mites are the result of natural selection for the trait of absconding. It was something I hated in South Africa, and it's got me wondering if we really should be breeding from some of these swarms. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::