Origin of AHB?

[JohnK and Sheri]

Not sure if this link was posted already and I missed it.
http://www.beesource.com/news/article/azrepublic.htm

This is an interesting article published right here on Beesource, with reference to importation in the mid 1800s and more recent dissemination (no pun intended ) of AHB semen and queens by the US Department of Agriculture to various bee labs in the U.S. in the early 60s, notably Madison WI and Baton Rouge.
Sheri

[tecumseh]

thanks sheri for the reference..

the article fairly well conforms to my own experience and what my old mentor explained to me about the incident. my mentor at least seem to believe that african blood had been turned loose over some of the lower mississippi valley, based on your referenced thread it does appear the distribution of african blood lines was a bit more widespread than that....

[deknow]

dee lusby gave a talk on this very subject at the Southeast Organic Beekeeping Conference just over a week ago. much of the talk was reading and commenting from real documents. if anyone here expresses interest in hearing this talk, i'll post it up here (i have her permission to post it). i haven't listened to the recording as of yet.

deknow

[Oldbee]

Thanks everyone for responses and 'votes'.

Wow! Right here in Madison, WI. there was research going on, lol.

When I started beekeeping again four years ago, I bought myself a complete suit, with experience with honeybees 50 years ago [1959-72] in mind, not knowing what to expect. In my mind, the bees are much less agressive/defensive now than they were back then it seems, but it's hard to make an accurate comparison. Thanks France for taking the time to write a well thought out response in post #15 [and others]. It's probably something we won't know for sure or why.

[sqkcrk]

sqkcrk writes:
Apis mellifera were imported to North America by Europeans (Englishmen to be specific) in 1620. To Jamestown, VA. Before then the only bees in North America were nonapis types, bumblebees and such.

tecumseh:
I think this 'date' is associated with a shipping manfest of goods to the early english colonies. In my somewhat dated version of abc-xyz it was suggest that viking, who made settlement in nova scotia, 'may' have also brought honeybee to north america. a much earlier date, but not verifiable in regards to a paper trail.

Right you are Tec.

"By this ship and the Discovery we send you...." So begins the manifest of good shipped to Jamestown on two ship in the fall of 1619, which I believe arrived in March. But I'm not sure.

There is some historical conjecture and perhaps evidence that Spaniards brought bees earlier than 1620 also. I don't know about the Norsemen doing so.

[sqkcrk]

I find that hard to phantom! God is perfect. There is just no way I can comprehend there being no bees here before being invaded by the "white man".

Just to go off topic because that's the kind of guy I am. What does Gods' perfection have to do w/ whether honeybees were here or not before Europeans came to the Americas? I don't see the corolation.