>> What puzzles me is that the above seems -- unless I misunderstand --
>> to suggest that a natural broodnest does pretty much what the small
>> cell is claimed to do, regardless of the bees chosen.
>>
>> If this is so, then why the disppearance of feral colonies
>> everywhere?
>
> Feral colonies have not disappeared everywhere, there are reports and
> evidence of feral colonies surviving. Those that are surviving are on
> combs that have cells within the natural size in measurements.

...As, I would assume, were those many ferals which died, unless we are
suddenly using a special definition of the word, "natural"?

I seem to recall that there are quite a number of studies which have shown a
huge reduction in feral colonies in the regions where they were done.  I am
unaware of any studies which indicated that there were not drastic
reductions in any region.

I have heard, however, that there are, lately, credible reports of feral
numbers rebounding a bit in some places, although, there is also  some
fairly reasonable-sounding speculation that these ferals are simply escaped
domestic hives that have not yet succumbed now that there is no longer a
reservoir of mites in the wild to take them down immediately... unless they
are Weaver bees that escaped , or maybe some of Dee's?

It seems that there should be a selection towards tolerance, but is this it?
The ferals are sharing the genetics of nearby domestic hives.

Interesting.

allen
A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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