| TABLE
2. - Attributes of
the Brazilian Bee taken from the Final Report of the Committee
on the African Honey Bee, 1973. |
| Brazilian Bee Claims |
Committee Report |
Reference Given in Committee Report |
| 1. quicker
& more nervous flight |
did
note the phenomenon |
|
| 2. work
1/2 to 2 hrs. earlier in the morning & later in the evening |
not
verified by committee |
|
| 3. forage
at lower temperatures - even in light rain |
not
verified |
|
| 4. wild
swarms do not always accept standard comb foundation |
|
Wiese
1970 |
| 4a.
do accept foundation |
17 out
of 18 surveyed |
survey
(questionnaire by committee) |
| 5. carry
larger nectar loads |
not
verified |
Wiese
1970 |
| 6. colony
sometimes absconds when hive is open |
not
verified |
committee |
| 7. Brazilian
bees produce from 1.25 to 2 times amount of honey |
not
verified |
various
persons state. others state to the contrary |
| 8. growth
cycle shorter |
not
verified |
Wiese
1970 |
| 9. more
susceptible to EFB |
saw
little if any disease |
Wiese
1970 |
| 10.
heavy propolization |
not
verified |
|
| 11.
abscond in cold weather |
not
verified |
reported
to? |
| 12.
will adapt to warm climate |
not
verified |
|
| 13.
increase in bees away from apiaries |
not
verified |
inquiries
indicate |
| 14.
wild bee nests 107.5/sq. kilometer |
not
verified |
Kerr
1971 |
| 15.
do not die (starve) inside hive |
not
verified |
|
| 16.
can't use small nuclei for mating because of absconding |
not
verified |
Wiese
1970 |
| 17.
small swarms enter hive and kill European bees |
not
verified |
certain
beekeepers |
| 18.
take over hives of other bees sometimes at night (reported to
be in Ribeirao Preto) |
not
verified |
repeatedly
described to committee |
| 19.
reproductive swarming is common (various beekeepers report bees
rarely abscond or swarm if given adequate space, food & water) |
not
verified |
|
| 20.
24 of 31 swarms occurred during a time of food scarcity |
not
verified |
Cosenza
1972 |
| 21.
7 swarms with one queen each |
verified |
seen
by committee |
| 22.
queens from 31 swarms were uninseminated |
not
verified |
Cosenza
1972 |
| 23.
vicious bees in swarms |
not
verified |
swarms
encountered by committee were gentle |
| 24.
swarms attack and sting without provocation |
not
verified |
no such
swarms were seen by committee |
| 25.
high degree of swarming or absconding |
not
verified |
no evidence
of recent swarming (or absconding from apiary hives that the
committee examined) |
| 26.
stings produce effects comparable to stings from other honey
bees |
verified |
|
| 27.
northern bees aggressive |
verified
- committee impressed by the vigor |
|
| 28.
southern bees not aggressive |
verified
- no colonies observed went out of control |
|
| 29. bees from a
hive being worked sting people and animals |
European
bees can do same |
|
30. aggressive during
flow
aggressive when little food present
aggressive in hot weather
aggressive in cool weather
aggressive in humid weather
aggressiveness is variable |
not
verified - committee had little opportunity to study |
committee
often told other information |
| 31. stings cause of death to people |
involve allergic
persons or rash efforts to destroy hive in a hysteria arising
from over publicizing about the danger |
|
| 32. drones fly faster
& lower |
not verified |
most beekeepers
suspect |
| 33. drones do not
fly faster & lower |
not verified |
Kerr & Bueno
1970 |
| 34. European queens
more likely to mate with Brazilian bees |
not
verified |
|