Larry wrote:

>>>>I have not met the AHB swarm here in northern Illinois yet, but it may
happen.  Generally I don't wear most of what I take.  It is fun to awe the
civilians by capturing
a swarm with no protection... and it helps improve the honeybees'
reputation.
>>>>>>

This seems like a good place to point out that an AHB "swarm" is as gentle
as EHBs. By swarm I mean the newly emerged bunch in a tree. It isn't until
they have some comb and brood going that they get mean. They then have
something to defend. I rode shotgun once with a Fl bee inspector checking
the AHB traps around Tampa. It follows that good people have hived AHB
swarms that seemed gentle only to have them "turn mean" after a few weeks. I
had a new package with a queen that apparently had participated in some
congress with an AHB drone. They were normal for about 5 weeks ... until her
progeny came to forager age. (This, in Ct.)

Dick Marron

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