Feral Hives
2011
04.04
04.04
A Feral Hive is any hive that is not managed by a beekeeper.
This is my definition. There might be a better one somewhere, but I like mine for now.
Anyway, feral hives might be a hive that swarmed out of a beekeepers hive last year, or a hive that is hundreds of swarms removed from a beekeeper’s hive 200 years ago.
Well, awaiting the arrival of feral bees. A coworker has a bird bath frequnted by honeybees from hives on two sides of her home. Weather is right and deployed two swarm boxes built to specifications listed on your YT videos. They are scented with lemongrass oil and set up with topbars with string and beeswax. She called to let me know of activity around the boxes on 4/3, only a day after deployment, but when I went by today 4/4. I saw nothing. I’ll keep my fingers crossed….
Well thet aren’t exactly feral are they…..
MT, how do YOU classify bad tempered?
All of my “feral-gotten” hives are less tolerant of me than the few that are left from boughten sources. They are more likely to bounce off the front of my veil anyway in the event that I get into a hive. Also windy days are not good for mowing around my hives. I always wear protective clothing when working with them. I highly doubt that I have African genetics here.
So how “mean” would they need to be before YOU set to queen killing? Or what behavior would you recognize to indicate that requeening is needed?
I don
When they become unworkable or outright unpleasant. My acid test is if I can’t work them bare handed. If they sting my hands each inspection without cause, that queen has to go. Vicious hives exist without being Africanized. German black bees are notorious for their temper, and they were released in the US in the 1600’s.
I plan to go all feral. No reason to spend cash on potentionally genetically inferior stock. Fortunately I have access to lots of land, in town an out, to set traps. I have also found several hives that have been in situ for years, so have some “honey holes” to set some traps. None of them would offer easy cutouts, so hope to catch their castoffs. Thanks again for your book!
Cary