The small black bees in my area are German, I have been told, and the feral hive that I caught last Spring was hot. On a brighter note, though, they are great honey producers and I don't see any pests in the hive (ants, small hive beetles, wax moths or varroa mites).
I can't swear that they don't have these problems, but I have obseved them biting fire ants at the landing board.