From: "Eddy Lear" <arbour@netactive.co.za>
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 08:16:31 -0000
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@egroups.com>
Subject: Re: Observations.

Trevor Weatherhead answered Chris:
Even here in Australia we have descendants of the Apis mellifera melliera
entrenched in our feral hives. Whilst not pure, they will influence any
hive that is left in the bush and left to re-queen itself. So I can well
imagine that anywhere in the world that Apis mellifera mellifera was taken
to and survived, it would still be influencing the make up of honey bees.

I thought I'd interject a paragraph on this comment:
European bees were brought to South Africa in the mid forties, as some
beekeepers thought they would be better. Their hives were soon superseded
by A.m. scutelata, and from work done on DNA today, there is no trace of
these European weak anywhere.

Eddy Lear
+2711948-9868
+2782752-7090
Ravensberg Estate, Plot 58 Alewynspoort
www.triponline.com follow through Africa, South Africa, Gauteng,
Johannesburg, Children's Entertainment, Honeybee