Subject: Killerbee hype

From: [email-masked] (Andy Nachbaur)
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 16:14:00 GMT

Hello Chris,

  First I must say that I am opinionated, but I do base my opinions on
a extensive personal history of commercial beekeeping in the west;
California, Arizona, and Colorado.

I have no doubts that what you say of your experience with African
Bees in Texas is the truth. I have not been to Texas to see for myself
so I am not in a position to comment first hand.

Here in California we have Texas bees, maybe 6,000 hives this area that
are moved here for the almond pollination from the so called quarantine
areas. It is reported that these bees on arrival here are indeed more
aggressive then normal, but within a few weeks are not. I have know two
of these Texas beekeepers for almost a lifetime and they are both very
good queen breeders besides being among the largest producers of
honey in the nation. They do not say that the TEX-Mex Afro bee is a
problem they have not been able to overcome, including the government
regulations.

California also has been receiving the so called Afro bees the natural
way by way of Arizona according to the USDA, and the University of
California and they have been identified as AFRICAN using the latest
DNA tests, and have been reported to have attacked at least two people.

The latest press release from the University just made last week is
that the African bee found in California is a NON EVENT in California.
This was after two or three seasons of looking at the spread of them
outside then California regulated area.

My own step son has pure-o Mexican Afro bees in his beekeeping operation
in Arizona, tested and certified by the government, and has reported
that a few of them are indeed more testy then the average hive but has
had no problems with then and thinks he has benefited because they are
heavy brood producers which he uses to make up nucs. He is a life long
3rd generation beekeeper operation a no move commercial outfit that has
been in the same place for over 50 years. He also is a commercial queen
breeder and has worked several queen seasons in Florida with his father
in law who is one of the nations finest queen breeders who also is a
commercial honey producer in Wisconsin.

I can report from first hand experience with the same Arizona outfit
that I worked before the advent of Afro bees is that they are the most
aggressive bees that I had ever worked with and I myself believed that
something was different with them. I spent 5 years requeening them with
nice yellow bees from California from people who had from my own
experience very gentle bees. (Oliver Hill and Kohnen's) One season I
took 500 singles that I had worked down in California without the use of
a veil to Arizona. All these things did not make any difference as far
as the temper or aggressive nature of this outfit as the day after
unloading the bees from California they were very aggressive and no
different from the local bees or the Mexican bees that for years have
given great pride to their keepers at being very aggressive keeping
down theft and vandalism.

RN>Andy, I am confused (just ask my wife!).  You stated that those fellas =
  >in the film were basically full of crap, yet all the old time beekeepers =
  >I hang around with (70+ years old) say with the killer bee here, Austin, =
  >there have been some aggresive bees.  I have voluteered to work with =
  >some Africanized colonies (Manor, Tx) and I could tell IMMEDIATELY they =
  >were very, very, very mean.  I have never came across European bees this =
  >mean.  Also I am a member of the Central Texas Honey Bee Stewards and we =
  >have had numerous folks from Texas A&M and down at the Weslaco facility =
  >tell us the same story about how these bees came to join us recently.  =

You should ask your friends from Texas A&M, (Howdy Aggie's!), to ask the
so called scientists at Weslaco if any of them have ever staged
demonstrations of aggressive "killer bees" for the visual press to gain
personal notoriety for their research. I would say that some of them are
less then honest in promoting their brand of so called Bee Science,
(BS). Not only in Arizona but other places as well.

  >If the African bee has been around so long then why has the entire =
  >beekeeping community and bee scientific community bitten off on this =
  >hair-brained idea?

I can't answer this, but believe it may be because very little was known
of the feral population of bees in the US before the arrival of the
African bee.

Over the years there has been many reports of bad temper in bees from
various locations in the US. If there is one thing in common it seems
they do live in the sticky bush desert areas from California to Texas.
Maybe its all that Mesquite and Catclaw pasture that does it.<G>

  >I am not arguing with you and have great respect =
  >for, reading your threads for a long time but I am confused that =
  >everyone (that I have come across) disagrees with you.  If the African =
  >Bee has been around for a long time, why can't we find some of these =
  >Feral colonies?  I have never come across one prior to the first =
  >announcement of the killer bees here in Texas.

Its a little late to look in areas that already have confirmed Afro
bees, but here in California some interesting work was done prior to the
arrival of them in the US and in both the feral and hive bees it was
found African genes were common from one end of the state to the other,
including one hive that passed every known test for being 100% African.
This hives was in a public park adjacent to a riding trail and never
caused a problem as none of the hives tested showed any signs of being
more aggressive then any other hive.

RN>Again, I am not arguing with you just confused.
Yes, it is easy to bee confused, all one has to do to qualify for
that job is get some bees.
                             ttul Andy-

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