Re: Plants that attract bees
- Subject: Re: Plants that attract bees
- From: D* B*
- Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 08:36:53 -0700
At 5/17/2002, M. & L. Doster wrote:
>Although honey bees are introduced, there used to be a lot of "wild" honey
>bees. These wild honey bees have been completely (or almost completely,
>depending on whom you listen to) wiped out by the mites in California. Honey
>bees will continue to escape (by swarming) from commercial hives, but if
>they become infested with mites they will not survive in the wild.
The honey bee was introduced into the Americas with the first
colonists. Very soon after a wild population was established via swarms
and the practices of the time. That wild population was self sustaining
until recent years. Two types of mites are taking a heavy toll of both
wild and manipulated hives and in many areas the wild population is
completely wiped out. Manipulated hives also have very high losses during
severe winters. In the southwest the Africanized Bee is about the only
feral bee left.
Don Bowen donb@cts.com
Valley Center, CA
Senior Software Engineer
Full Sail Software Development, Inc.
http://members.cts.com/crash/d/donb
