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Author Topic: The Science of AHB  (Read 19278 times)

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Offline LazyBkpr

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The Science of AHB
« on: February 12, 2014, 02:17:01 pm »

   For something to do, I was looking up how far AHB has now progressed, and see an article that they have made it to Tennessee!!!
   Only to find out that those bees were imported, and were only found to be 15% AHB...

   15%?? In the same article it said that they had to be 50% to be considered Africanized Honey Bees.

   So....   If.. these bees ARE getting dumbed down by cross breeding, is there hope, that by the time they are prolific in COLD climates that we may have bees that can be kept? Or do bees that are only 15% hybrids still retain the aggression and defensiveness? I have read research that said the aggressiveness came from drones, not queens, so am quite curious.

  I see no way to stop them. Warm weather swarms go north in the spring. They make hives and their drones mate with commercial queens that we all buy.. maybe that swarm will DIE when it gets COLD, but they have already crossed with the queen that commercial breeder just shipped to Perry in Canada...
    What are yalls thoughts???
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Offline riverbee

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2014, 04:34:37 pm »
lazy, i am thinking you need a stiff drink and some more reading material; also less snow, less wind blowing mind numbing cold, and some sunshine...... ;D :D
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2014, 04:40:58 pm »
Quote from: riverbee on February 12, 2014, 04:34:37 pm
lazy, i am thinking you need a stiff drink and some more reading material; also less snow, less wind blowing mind numbing cold, and some sunshine...... ;D :D

   Uhyup!!    That would clear all this thinking away till at least a month after the next snow fall!
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Offline Zulu

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2014, 11:17:50 pm »
The TN report were bee hives that had been transported into TN, this was documented last year. They were tested due to meanness and destroyed as far as I remember.

The basic research I did two years ago , drew a parallel between the fauna boundaries and the current spread of AHB.
They also have not made a hold in any cold climes either.  So it seemed that the plant kingdom areas had restricted spreading beyond where we see them so far. Now this was two years back, so would need a day or three to review what I found back then and current reporting.

I will go back and find my posts on this subject

Again I am iPad based in a hotel because of the snow storm in NC, no PC access tonight.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2014, 12:40:49 am »
Interesting stuff!   Pollen types AND temps are holding them at bay?   Or was it just the plant species pollen?
   I watched the documentary that had a colony in a freezer testing them for tolerance, and for the short time they were there they clustered and did fine..   Not sure about ability to cluster for longer periods of time.
   The more worrisome to me would be that even finding them having 15% AHB and they were still aggressive to the point of notice and worry..    :sad:
   I was holding out some hope that flooding them with European drones would make them handle able..
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Offline Zulu

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2014, 12:07:38 pm »
http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/AHB.htm




and

http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/Forage_info.htm

You will notice the Purple forage region being the predominant AHB region, with small over laps into surrounding area.


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Offline Crofter

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2014, 03:07:51 pm »
How much AHB genetics can be bred into European bees and have the cross still viable outside the prestent geographical boundaries? The initial incursion in their intact form was relatively quick but I am wondering if they can gradually exert their genetics in a form that will allow a more subtle move further out into colder and damper regions.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2014, 04:29:19 pm »
Not sure.. with the mean bees in Tennessee testing at 15% it worries me. If as little as 15% can make them mean, then lets hope at 15% they cant tolerate COLD either.
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2014, 05:29:01 pm »
Quote from: LazyBkpr on February 13, 2014, 04:29:19 pm
Not sure.. with the mean bees in Tennessee testing at 15% it worries me. If as little as 15% can make them mean, then lets hope at 15% they cant tolerate COLD either.

Our state apiarist talked about that last year at a bee meeting.  I think they were from out of state and there was only one hive of them.  I don't think they affected any other bees in the area.  Our state folks and inspectors are vigilant when it comes to AHB, diseases, etc.  At the meeting, they seemed like it had been taken care of and there was no reason for concern.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: The Science of AHB
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2014, 10:11:00 pm »
I read they were imported, and quickly dealt with, but good to hear from someone closer!
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