Peter Borst wrote:

>Stealth Bees!
>
>Why are African bees so successful at invading and taking over in the new
>areas they have encountered as they have moved from Brazil, through Central
>America, and finally to the US? There is no doubt that there are many
>mechanisms responsible for this, but one of the most interesting is their
>propensity to "take over" colonies of less aggressive European bees. 
>  
>
Hi Peter,
Gloria just presented at the CSBA convention.  She showed that an AHB 
swarm will land near the entrance of an EHB colony--preferrring 
queenless or poorly queened colonies.  The AHB workers intermingle and 
work their way in, and dispatch the EHB queen overnight.  They then form 
a tight ball (different than "balling") around their own queen and move 
her in, keeping her protected by their bodies for a few days until she 
is accepted.
Randy Oliver

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