[Annabee]

Wondering what experiences all of you here in California are having with AHB/possible AHB colonies this year. I've seen a few things like this for Florida and Texas so far.

Any swarms that turned really nasty or run in's with AHB possible wild colonies?

Not just hot or aggressive, but full on boil out in hundreds and chase you to the next county type colonies ...


I know they are here, just wondering about RECENT experiences in this area.

 

[Mbeck]

Wondering what experiences all of you here in California are having with AHB/possible AHB colonies this year. I've seen a few things like this for Florida ..

AHB first entered Florida 10-15 years (depending who you ask) after they became established in California?

 

[jfb58]

My first year beekeeping experience in Southen California is that all the "free" bees from swarms and cutouts are hardy, but once they get big, they become aggressive. I purchased two nucs whose queens were open mated from Italian VSH stock, and they got mean when they grew up as well. I've now requeened over half my hives with queens from Koehnen's in Northern California which I hope will make a difference.

Once your queen has been replaced with an open mated queen in southern states, you can assume you have a great chance of having more aggressive bees, but they might be more disease resistant.

 

[beepro]

I have also ordered queens from Koehnen though my bees are not aggressive or
contaminated with AHB. I would know otherwise. They are still gentle now and
will soon be requeen. The website said their queens are hygenic and gentle too.
We will see when they grow larger into the Fall this year. I think our area has not
been contaminated with the AHB genetic yet. But who knows, right. Time will tell!!!!

 

[Annabee]

I'm just really curious what people in So Cal are getting as far as swarms or feral bees right now ... jfb58 You're about an hour and a half from me ...

I've seen a few people mention very hot/possible AHB this year in Florida and Texas ... Just wondering if we are having the same situation.

 

[jfb58]

I've heard that the penetration of AHB like behavior extends as far north as San Luis Obispo. There is certainly some hybridization, and a team from UC Davis is looking at mitochondrial DNA in honeybee colonies to document the extent into California. That being said, mean is mean, and in hot dry climates, AHB behavior seems to have a genetic edge. Make sure your queens are marked since Europeans can be superseded if you turn your back for a while, especially weak colonies.

If you don't have neighbors nearby, get a good suit, gloves and anklets, and enjoy the honey, since you probably won't have to worry about keeping them alive.

 

[Dan. NY]

I lived in San Fran 2 years ago and spoke to a large commercial beek from Castro Valley area. She said AHB was there, had been there, and was moving North. This was not a point of discussion and was not a maybe, in her opinion. It was a fact, to her.

 

[jfb58]

It would be naive to assume no AHB colonies are trucked to the almonds...

 

[JWChesnut]

Huh ? Africanized bees have been in California since 1994.
Viz http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/PE/interiorexclusion/images/grow_area_south.jpg

They are now so well established in the Sonora-Mojave-South Coast regions that CDFA no longer tracks them. One should assume that **any** feral bee in southern California is mostly Africanized. Avocado pollinators in San Diego County must requeen semi-annually to prevent commercial hives from going African.

African bees in southern California usurp hobby hives, and kill and replace the existing bloodline queen.

They are also throughout the Central Valley, but are less competitive there.

 

[Annabee]

Actually, what I was asking originally was just what experiences have been for anyone this year, with encountering them in swarms/feral hives/takeovers etc.

I know they are here.

But was curious of recent encounters in So Cal.