My thanks to the NC beekeepers that responded to my "FreeBee" post. It does sound like a good program and I agree that anyone that follows through on the commitment did earn the bees. However, I don't think my initial point was addressed. There were 2700+ applicants of which 200 will receive packages. I have to assume that some of the 2700 were already beekeepers, but maybe not. Either way that is a large number of individuals "interested" in beekeeping. Of the 2500 that will not receive free bees, and are not already beekeepers, how many will still take up beekeeping? I don't know the number of beekeepers currently in Pennsylvania. I think there are 700+ that are members of the state association. Even if I triple that number to account for non members, there are less beekeepers here than those interested in becoming beekeepers in NC. Again I have to say, if the only reason someone starts keeping bees is because they are free, then how dedicated of a beekeeper will they become? To NC's credit, it does sound like they are picking the best of the bunch. I really wish them well and applaud there effort. Larry Krengel had an interesting point in that he expects at least some of the bees to swarm thus getting Russian stock into the feral environment. I have been thinking about this type of situation for a while. There are a number of beekeepers reporting that they are not treating for varroa and have been working with resistant stock (e.g. Kirk Webster in Vermont, Charlie Harper in Louisiana, and others). Even the best beekeepers lose some swarms and these individuals are raising queens therefore probably producing excess drones to ensure good mating. Has there been an increase in the number of feral colonies in their area? You would expect overtime that the feral population would begin to rebound in ever increasing circles around these operations. This would be one sure indication that the bees can truly survive and manage varroa without treatment. To me this should be of some interest to the researchers. I don't think I have seen anything reported on this. Thoughts? Ron Ron Bogansky Kutztown, (eastern) PA, USA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::