Hello Peter & All,
> Did you keep "Scuts" at one time?
No.
> Scuts are the real problem and can be aggressive to the core, although
Barry Sergant will testify differently.
Barry and I talk from time to time. He has an instrumentaal insemination
queen breeding program so many of the wild "scut" traits he can eliminate.
He tells me he traps around 600 wild "scut" hives a year and uses for honey
production until they are taken over by capensis and then the hives die. Why
can't Barry simply keep capensis like you?
On Barry's web page he shows one of his queens which is very European
looking at least to me. Some of the workers in the picture show the typical
crayon yellow coloration.
Dr. Kerr believe the AHB could be tamed. Steve Tabor did also but the powers
that be said "not at the Baton Rouge Bee lab !".
What is the natural cell size for your capensis? Do you use the 4.9mm
foundation like Barry uses and has sent many beekeepers back before Dadant
ran 4.9mm.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
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