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In a message dated 9/1/2006 10:40:12 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
What part of Florida George? Are you in the Africanized zone?
No, I am not in an officially recognized Africanized area. And to my
knowledge no AHB's are known to be in or around my area. But I expect that is
coming to me soon.
I suspect that these queens are fathered by a drone from a feral hive that
is carrying an old German dominate trait for black color and possibly German
aggressiveness too.
The progeny of the dark brown queens are not particularly defensive and are
to my experience no more aggressive than usual.
I don't keep "hot" bees at all regardless of color! However, I don't really
care what color queens are as long as I can find them easily and I can live
with the workers.
What I'm concerned with, is that these ladies are more or less Russian or
some other strain that won't buildup fast enough in the spring for the citrus
bloom. If I was sure they were slow in building up I would not go into the
winter with them.
Every three to four years I get new Italians (I think they work best for me)
and then I produce my own queens for the next few years. I've always open
mated them and have noticed and occasional black worker and wondered about it.
Superceding has been an ongoing phenomena for me this season so I keep up
with who is laying and frequently find that I have unmarked queens and or
queen-less hives showing up.
The few charcoal gray queens haven't started laying yet- sooo I'll be
watching for aggressive behaviors. Incidentally some of the dark queens
half-sisters are as blond as they can be with very faint dark lines.
I'm located reasonably close to numerous successful commercial beekeepers
who are queen breeders. Some of their yards (35 miles NW of Orlando) are
within a 10 mile radius of my yard. The one I rely on most is traveling with his
bees now and won't be back for a couple of months yet, or I would have just
popped over to him with my question.
George W
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