John Mitchell wrote:

> In a message dated 5/11/00 9:39:43 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> << Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have agreed with John.  I would
> have adamntly insisted that honeybees simply do not dwell underground.  >>
>
>    Are there any references in the beekeeping literature, scientific or
> popular, to bees nesting underground?

I have been hesitant to engage in this discussion, because I no longer have the
specific numbers. I can tell you this - before AHBs in the Tucson area, the water
department (for 500,000 to 750,000 people) had basically no reports of bees
nesting in residential water meter boxes. These "boxes" are cement or plastic,
about the size of a nuc, and with the lid of heavy metal or plastic at ground
level. There is a slot in the lid for lifting, about 3/4 X 2 inches. After AHB
arrived, their reports shot up to several thousand per year, and they began
advising homeowners to place a small stone over the opening. With the quick drop
in temperature as you descend into the desert soil, these boxes are reasonable
domiciles for bees, even with a small water seep for evaporative cooling
sometimes. In humid climates, this ground nesting probably would not work out well
for the bees.  In the past, I have very seldom seen bees in ground squirrel
burrows (in soil), although these are common here. Occasionally, when hives are
moved or a queen is dropped when shaking bees, the stragglers will accumulate in a
burrow to escape the sun, but they soon die out. As Dr. Wenner says, feral bees,
especially on slopes are an entirely different subject, and commonly nest in holes
and on cliffs.
-----------------------------------------------------------
John F. Edwards
Carl Hayden Bee Research Center
Agricultural Research Service - USDA
Tucson, Arizona 85719
32.27495 N,  110.9402 W
http://198.22.133.109/