Chris Slade:
I am not seeing any difference in habitat for setting up
colonies. In those areas where permanent water available
the bees will spread out more as more. Where water is
confined to specific areas they will pull in more also.
Depending upon nesting sites available for setting up
colonies, this too changes the scenario, so it is not
uncommon to see several colonies in rocky areas together
where natural cavaties are with water nearby, while the
flats with just grasses and few trees have few bees as few
nesting areas available, and of course yearly burning by
range management adds to this developing scenario, along
with fewer cactus.

Chris with your Bailey thread with unemployed foragers and
rubbing shoulders more for spread of disease, what comes to
mind here is: Cannot the bees groom themselves and clean
anymore in today's modern world? What has changed their
grooming habits, along with tolerance for contact with such
in everyday life? It's sounds almost like needing to put
them into contact again with proper avenues to rebuild
immunities, like having children play in dirt again in
sandboxes, etc. 


REgards,

Dee A. Lusby




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