From: "huestis" <buzzybee@capital.net>
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 12:57:16 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: best mating time?

Hi Dee,

> Can you give any referrence as to actual size here?

reply:

Yes I am talking about the size ball of bees. The large cast would be 8-12
pounds of bees. Small would be 2 pounds to two cups worth. Medium is
everything in between.

> It is natural in the wild for smaller groups to join larger groups. I
> videoed it once in the 1980s when we were up on Mt Hopkins in a
> beeyard in the late fall. It is indeed something to see. It's not like
> a fighting scene the way the bees do it. When the bees want to do
> it, it sort of like a bunch of people meeting and eyeing each other up,
> and then many coming out, and then all out going back in together for
> a big long winter party, like Clans getting together!

reply:

Thanks. This is what I have suspected to happen from time to time. Yet I'd
still like to see it happen.

Clay