Waldig:
>Is it easy to catch dozens or hundreds of Africanized swarms in the
Southwest?  I'd imagine it would takes weeks if not months.  Would it
be worth your time?  I'd rather re-stock with packages and use the
time doing actual beekeeping.

Well, so would I. But according to what I have heard, you can set out
empty hives in the areas where African bees are, and they just fill up
with bees. Also, Africans swarm much more frequently than Euros and
build up much more quickly. Plus, these guys are down in Florida for
up to 6 months out of the year

> Dr. Steven Thoenes, who runs a commercial bee-removal service, is quoted as saying that in three years, the frequency of swarming in the region increased tenfold due to AHB influence (see April 1993 APIS)

> In the Neotropics, African colonies can increase 16-fold per year, whereas maximum increases in feral European colonies in temperate areas are only three- to sixfold (Stanley Schneider, et al)

-- 
Peter L. Borst
Danby, NY  USA
42.35, -76.50

picasaweb.google.com/peterlborst

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