>>I wonder; many parts of Africa have very seasonal rainfall with long dry seasons. There must surely be months on end with little or no forage in some parts of the continent. How defensive are the bees there? I am not very familiar with forage conditions in Africa between rainy seasons. I have read AHB will readily abscond and move to more favorable locations when there is a nectar shortage. This is another trait that was not useful in Europe due to its nectar flow patterns and long, cold winters. Some say this disadvantage keeps AHB from spreading northward in North America, too. Waldemar ****************************************************** * Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm * ******************************************************