The Old Folks Home

[pennyJo1960]

Morning all The entire world has become so touchy I hate to say anything Ron
JD I am sure glad to here you escaped not sure if they are aggressive as the african
variety but I carry an epi pen also.... SCG why did they not want to eat the berries ?

 

[Latestarter]

Jd, so sorry you and your wife had to deal with AHBs... You must have gotten near their nest as they generally will only attack to protect the hive. They are the primary reason that I have not gotten back onto beekeeping here in NE TX. I don't want to have to deal with a hive becoming Africanized and the potential damage they can do to neighbors and their animals/livestock. I also don't want them hurting my animals or livestock.

From what I've read, they don't coexist well with native bees, and that's not good. The hybridized bees seem to be more vulnerable to colony collapse than native bees, so we don't need the africanized ones wiping out the native ones.

It's not that they don't coexist well... It's that their queens hatch out 2 days earlier than European bee queens and then kill the European queens before they can hatch. In doing so, they take over the hive and produce AHB offspring. As for them and colony collapse, colony collapse has been traced back to pesticide use, single species plant farming, and the varroa mites who carry vectored diseases that are killing bees.

In fact the AHBs have proven to be just as proficient and even better than their European cousins at pollinating and tend to be much better hygienically at keeping their hives free of the varroa mites that have devastated the European and local bee colonies. They also seem to produce honey faster and in better quality/quantity.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Quite lesson there @Latestarter thank you did not know quite how the took over
is there a move afoot to stop them ? do you know

 

[Latestarter]

Initially it was thought believed that they could/would be stopped but as stated, an AHB queen hatches 2 days before European queens do, so once one hatches, it automatically kills any and all other gestating queens in their cells before they can hatch, and takes over the colony. Just as an aside, the first European queen to hatch (no AHBs present) will ALSO kill any/all other queens in their cells.

Once they moved across the Panama canal, there was nothing to stop them continuing north until they meet the climate change (too cold) that would stop them. I believe colonies have now been found in areas that experience actual winter weather. That being the case, I think they are with us to stay. There's no way to eradicate them at this point. But we CAN learn to work with them and use them. We just have to be careful.

http://www.propacificbee.com/infographic/AHB/infographic.php Keep in mind this site is from 2012-2013 and bees had reached TN. They have spread further since that time.

In Panama, extensive studies have been conducted regarding the AHB's effect on local pollinators (honey bees as well as all other bee pollinators). As it turns out, the AHB's have actually benefited ALL of the other pollinators, including the European bee colonies. All seem to have learned to coexist and better pollination is happening across the board.

 

[pennyJo1960]

So maybe blending with ours are not so so bad

 

[ronott1]

Initially it was thought believed that they could/would be stopped but as stated, an AHB queen hatches 2 days before European queens do, so once one hatches, it automatically kills any and all other gestating queens in their cells before they can hatch, and takes over the colony. Just as an aside, the first European queen to hatch (no AHBs present) will ALSO kill any/all other queens in their cells.

Once they moved across the Panama canal, there was nothing to stop them continuing north until they meet the climate change (too cold) that would stop them. I believe colonies have now been found in areas that experience actual winter weather. That being the case, I think they are with us to stay. There's no way to eradicate them at this point. But we CAN learn to work with them and use them. We just have to be careful.

http://www.propacificbee.com/infographic/AHB/infographic.php Keep in mind this site is from 2012-2013 and bees had reached TN. They have spread further since that time.

In Panama, extensive studies have been conducted regarding the AHB's effect on local pollinators (honey bees as well as all other bee pollinators). As it turns out, the AHB's have actually benefited ALL of the other pollinators, including the European bee colonies. All seem to have learned to coexist and better pollination is happening across the board.

I also read that they calm down some as they move into cooler pars of the country.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

SCG why did they not want to eat the berries ?

Because they basically only eat crap.

I made the boy eat his berries and some yogurt, or so I thought. He said they were sour. Yeah, they're not covered in sugar. I ate them, they were great.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Because they basically only eat crap.

I made the boy eat his berries and some yogurt, or so I thought. He said they were sour. Yeah, they're not covered in sugar. I ate them, they were great.

oh my this is not good huh kinda have you tried flavored yogurt ?

 

[perchie.girl]

For what its worth they have been tracking Africanized bees for

In fact the AHBs have proven to be just as proficient and even better than their European cousins at pollinating and tend to be much better hygienically at keeping their hives free of the varroa mites that have devastated the European and local bee colonies. They also seem to produce honey faster and in better quality/quantity.

thats why they were experimenting on them in South America back in 1956 they were part of a research facility... twenty six swarms escaped quarantine... and it took till 1985j to reach the US. They assumed the colder climates would halt their progress.

but they have been found in Colorado....

deb

 

[pertnear09]

For what its worth they have been tracking Africanized bees for

thats why they were experimenting on them in South America back in 1956 they were part of a research facility... twenty six swarms escaped quarantine... and it took till 1985j to reach the US. They assumed the colder climates would halt their progress.

but they have been found in Colorado....

deb

26 swarms just somehow escaped. Pretty careless