bee weaver bees

[johng]

The bees I have from them are definatly not africanized. Two or three bees may follow me 20-30ft from the hive after an inspection then they return to the hive. Africanized bees will follow you several hundred feet and be trying to sting you not just head butting. Larua is very helpful, and will give you great customer service.

To be labled as AHB county all they have to do is find one confirmed hive in the county. That does not mean that every feral hive is now africanized. I even wonder if some of the counties here in Florida still have any AHBs after two record cold winters in a row. I would really like to know how many AHB swarms the State of Florida catches in thier swarm traps each year. They have not added any new counties to the list in several years now. Would be really interesting to see some of their data.

[ChristopherA]

The way it was taught that is what you would conclude.

The thing that I found striking it the class used photo powerpoints slide that showed other countries actually working AHB apiarys. The people only used veils and these huge smokers. One person smoked while the other persons worked the hives. The hives were situated very close to one another but you could not see each hive from one another due to the brush. It was taught that if you excited one hive you excited all hives in that area, however if you seperated the line of site and I am guessing vibration and smell that you did not have multiple hives attacking at once.

It was a great presentation and opened my eyes to the AHB.

The gene pool section really opened my eyes and really explains how adaptable the bee is and why its so hardy of a bee.

[Seymore]

Double dog DANG! I'm sooooo confused! So, does this mean I should cancel my order???? I think my current hives - from Texas - are what I would call HOT. At least from what I watch online, mine seem to come hunting me pretty fast. Is that "hot"? It is rather a risk to work without gloves, but I keep trying, viewing it as apitherapy. Wonder if it's true - you can't breed out AHB. Anyone else heard this?

[Daddy'sBees]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!! Oh you poor chicken littles(Yankees). You worry about nothing.

I extract and have done MANY cut-outs in a 9 county area of south central Texas. I, of all people have the highest chance of encountering AHB, ya think? The true HOT bee gene is gone and deluted here. I don't care what some expert says, the gene IS deluted. It is basic genetics over time. They are truely only HOT BEES on the leading edge of their geographic expansion as witnessed years ago by BeeWeaver and others here.

My thing, if you will, is saving the feral bees in this area. These bees may hold the keys to bee hive survival versus whatever is mysteriously going on globally with bees. Afterall, they survive here for many years in one location w/o man's influence. They are strong and need virtually no care!

I notice that these feral bees(post AHB influence) have a very high resistance to mites. They can be hot, but I find this is due to the bees fighting SHB and Wax moths for hive survival. Once the hive is relocated, this same HOT HIVE is remarkably calm and productive. Most of these feral bees are a breeze to handle after about 3 or 4 days post apairy installation. They can be remarkably calm. I just smoke a cig and everything is cool with them! The queens are very productive. The hive manages itself well during the milder winters here. I have compared many breeds of queens in my area apiaries. I find that these feral queens are very fine queens and have a much higher survival rate versus others I've tried!!!

Strangely so, I honestly think our feral bees have benefited in the long term from the AHB influence. Perhaps it is this influence that helps all our bees survive and become stronger in the long run.

[ChristopherA]

The hardiness of the bee is true thats why they call it a survior bee. Pretty much what you throw at them they survive if not excell. As far as mites, shb the bee will overwhelming ignore the threat. You really dont find any of the problems we find with european bees.

Even the removal of honey supers are easier. Remarkably one of the traits of the bee allows you to remove and replace honey frames without much work. You lift the frame the bees almost bail and fale back into the hive. Thus you dont have to remove the boxes, just the frames. Another thing is AHB dont seem to rob. They speculate it is due to the fact the colonies are big time honey producers.

Now with the last post of skyfalling, world ending. You dont have to be so defensive. I have stated the facts from a class that was taught which gave the pros and cons of the bee. Honestly I would love to have some, the only difference is you have to keep the hives isolated. Are the bees moving north, some evidence shows it however no one really knows how the bee will react in colder climates. It is also speculated due to the fact the bees are found in colder areas at higher altitudes that they can survive northern state winters.

[Seymore]

Well, YES, I doooooo sorta feel like Chicken Little! I read so much and JUST when I think I've got the right decision, I read something that makes me doubt what I had moments earlier decided is THE way to do something!

Oh me, I can't wait till I've got some more experience under my belt! ITMT, it is what it iz! LOL.

[Risky Beesness]

Seymore, I went through the same thing about two months ago. The more I read, the happier I am that I chose Beeweaver's. If you decide to cancel, send me a PM and I will take them off your hands, since they are SOLD OUT

[Seymore]

LOL, Risky..... If I told you "yes" today, I would change my mind tomorrow! But that DOES make me feel better!

[NasalSponge]

I have been very reluctant to post this as I think the Weavers have done an outstanding job and have excellent bees but....Here is my experience with BWeavers: They are the most prolific queens I have ever seen, excellent layers, will fill a frame top to bottom side to side. Problem one: The day I removed my queen cages from the hives I had foot surgury...broken bone. That was in April so BOTH of these hive swarmed on me. When I got my walking boot on I checked them and of course as I am walking out the door a third swarm issued from one of the hives so I quickly did a paper combine and all was well.....until late summer when I was weed whacking near the hives. I got hit hard by 10 or so bees so as is my practice I head for the gate and leave them be, as I was walking thru the gate I glanced back to see thousands and thousands of bees pouring out of that hive. Since I am a suburban beek I could not afford to "wait for a replacement" so I had to kill the hive. My perspective: I intend on giving them another try once I secure an out yard and here is why, since the remaining queen had been open mated and I do live in a county where AHB have been discovered there is the slightest chance the queen bread with a bad drone. They where the best queens I have ever seen, and with a bit of smoke they where kittens, but they didn't like the weed whacker!

[D Coates]

I tried 3 last year thinking adding their genetics to my "homegrown" muts would be good. One was almost immediately superceded. The other two kept ticking well though one was definately hotter than the rest of my 11 hives. One produced slightly more than average the other slightly less. This year I lost 4 of my 11 double deep hives (not proud). Ironically 2 of them were the remaining B Weaver queens. They had both "chimneyed" though 2 deeps and one super and died leaving substantial stores around them when they came up to the "Mountcamp" emergency feed on top. They didn't seem to be interested in chewing through the paper and starved to death, one them had quite a large population.

Those are my personal observations and I can only comment on them.