>>When the only thing one has is the stated experience of an individual, without any physical evidence...

I've gotten the word from other people - in Ct. and elsewhere in the Northeast - who have been ordering queens from the AHB belt for years and have now started to see very hot hives every once in a while that were impossible to work.

This is hearsay for sure and I am not saying AHB is now permanently present in the population, especially the feral population.  But one needs to be careful.  No matter how you slice it, whether it's queens from AHB areas or hives coming back from pollination in California, there is REAL possibility for AHB genes to get here.  Whether they can overwinter here or not is yet to be seen.

>>Jim insisted on checking the two tallest and meanest colonies in the yard first.

The Long Islanders Beekeepers Club often holds their meetings at members' apiaries and we go through hives.  I personally have not seen colonies as mean as you describe but know that EHB colonies can be mean as well.

>>...bees that can be worked in short sleeves and w/out a veil
on those hot sunny days when the nectar flow is on.

I am with you, Mark!  We finally had a nice day yesterday - after 2 weeks of no-fly weather - with temps in the upper 60's.  It looked like the bees were swarming!  By the evening, I could smell the golden rod aroma in the apiary.  Bees were as calm as can be when I inspected them in the mid-afternoon. :)

Waldemar

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---