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Date: | Sat, 18 Nov 2006 23:26:46 -0800 |
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Peter Borst wrote:
>Stealth Bees!
>
>Why are African bees so successful at invading and taking over in the new
>areas they have encountered as they have moved from Brazil, through Central
>America, and finally to the US? There is no doubt that there are many
>mechanisms responsible for this, but one of the most interesting is their
>propensity to "take over" colonies of less aggressive European bees.
>
>
Hi Peter,
Gloria just presented at the CSBA convention. She showed that an AHB
swarm will land near the entrance of an EHB colony--preferrring
queenless or poorly queened colonies. The AHB workers intermingle and
work their way in, and dispatch the EHB queen overnight. They then form
a tight ball (different than "balling") around their own queen and move
her in, keeping her protected by their bodies for a few days until she
is accepted.
Randy Oliver
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---
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