Grant said:
I'd like to challenge your notion that swarms are coming from managed hives,
and not feral colonies.

The notion is not only mine but the opinion of many researchers. We can
discuss  the issue all we want  but  the issue can not be proven conclusivly
either way.

Because you live in Missouri and in an area well known to me I might be able
to shed light on your swarms. If  you had not the above would be all I could
add to the discussion.

Grant said:
For the last five years, I've been trapping what I believe are feral swarms.

You are in an area worked by the largest beekeeping operation in the state.
Delta Bee was running  around 8,000 hives last time we talked .

 You are also on the main north/south pollination route for Jester Bee  out
of West Ridge, Arkansas( just south of Missouri line) . Kevin was running
around 3,500 hives last time we talked.

I have talked to a couple other beekeepers at Missouri State Beekeepers
meetings which have said they live in the Cape Girardeau area.

Although you may have not observed hive movement activity  quite a bit is
going on and with one of the above without netting.

Grant said:
 I also know of long-term, established feral colonies living year after year
in the same old trees, brick apartment buildings, and old homes without the
aid of beekeeper intervention or interference.

The possibility of you being right exists but swarms love to swarm into
places  which have had swarms before. Proving those swarms are  from a local
established hive or a swarm which has the power  to control varroa  is hard.

Five years ago I would say  generally speaking very very few  swarms could
survive varroa over two years.

We have now got swarms (Russian/SMR/ survivor)  which can live longer
without treatment   and very possibly up to (and maybe longer) than the five
year period you talk about.

Keven Jester has bought  Russian/SMR breeder queens  and is raising &
selling queens not very far from you.

 To quote from the Jester Bee Co. add  running in the bee magazines:

"We use Russian,SMR and Minnesota hygienic breeder queens from Glenn
Apiaries in Fallbrook, California."

It is highly likely that beekeepers in your area would buy and pick up
queens and packages from Kevin and the swarms from those packages would be
tolerant of varroa like you describe.

It has been around   four (or maybe five years) since I was at Jester Bee on
business. Kevin was showing me some of his queens he raised for my opinion.
They looked excellent!

Neal Bergman  of Delta Bee will not talk about his operation or methods
except with his closest friends. I hear what is going on from a couple of
those at times. About the only information I have heard lately is from a
USDA offical (last fall 2002) that Neal has been getting large bee kills
from the government Boll Weavil eradication program and was wanting
compensation for losses.

I am amazed at the USDA at times. The beekeeper can prove the government
plane crop dusted the cotton in broad daylight with his bees in the field.
Write the check and pay the beekeeper. Even the money the beekeeper (Delta
Bee) is asking will not cover losses. Sorry for getting off topic.

Grant said:
Having caught swarms in these areas using pheromone baited swarm traps, I
cannot prove these swarms come from these suspected feral colonies.  To the
best of my knowledge there are no managed hives nearby or in anyone's
backyard.

The bad news is you are in an area of huge numbers of hive movement and the
good news is both these guys are both excellent beekeepers which are up on
the latest in beekeeping (and queens).

Grant said:
 The next step then is to raise queens from these colonies.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Hope to see you at a
Missouri State beekeepers meeting. I hope the feral bee population in
Missouri is coming back but the best predictions made by Dr. Shiminuki was
around twenty years once we found a varroa tolerant bee. "Shim" did point
out that those areas around large beekeeping operations using varroa
tolerant bees would be the first to repopulate do to the huge amount of
swarming from large operations.

Bob

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