Yoon Sik Kim <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

… I have been, and still am, passionate about
>rescuing feral swarms and colonies in and around OKC and Shawnee areas; 

Hello Yoon!

Good for you!  
Have you established an assessment routine for your ferals?

I have an average of 40% to 50% weeding out of ferals during the growth 
stage.  Generally remote farmland and woodland ferals tend to do the best 
in assessments.

This season I only had about 10% weeding out of poor stock.
Seems the terrible weather last season eliminated much of the poor 
genetics for me.  Assuming this would be the case, I was eager to get all 
the swarms and removals I could this season, as they would likely be the 
cream of the crop.

… But then I
>have also experienced such nasty trait among EHB, especially among the
>first cross between Carniolan and Italian.

I get a very occasional Carnilolan type feral that can get extremely hot 
You can smell the alarm pheromone 5 feet away, and they trigger in mass 
with the passing of a shadow.  

I have taken to requeening on sight any feral that does not look like the 
dominant type feral most seen in my area, as the dominate type routinely 
assesses better than others. 


Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA ‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' 
FeralBeeProject.com 
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HoneybeeArticles

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