[CH] Re: was Feral Dogs (Squirrels)
Peter Moss (pmoss@yoda.alt.za)
Mon, 25 Jan 1999 20:40:08 RSA-2
>Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 17:01:24 -0800
>From: "Suz" <socalsuz@earthlink.net>
>Subject: Re: [CH] Re: was Feral Dogs (Squirrels)
[snip]
> As for bees, I have about 30 rosemary plants, and there are
> no less than 100 bees on each of these plants during the day.
> Don't know what will happen when the "killer" bees get to this
> region, but it's predicted.
Your beekeepers either learn to live with them and handle them
or go out of business. This bee is more defensive about its
home than the european bee. If it was a killer every one in
Africa would be dead ;-) Just learn to live with it and it's
defensive ways. Yes they can and do kill but not anything like
your media and Hollyweird would have you believe. Don't mess
with them and don't go near a hive if wearing strong (to a bee)
perfume or the weather is very hot.
I regulary check on the hive in my oak tree and work on my
plants under it. I always check on hive activity first and if
there are a lot of bees fanning the entrance I go elsewhere.
If you do get stung near a hive move away as fast as you can
because the attack signal just went up. Standing around
admiring the bees sting is not a good idea.
I don't think there is a difference in honey production
efficiency and they sure do the job in pollination. So from
the plants point of view there will be no difference ;-) They
are more prone to swarm and will settle for less accommodating
sites than the european bee as well which accounts for the fast
spread. I believe this is a fact of life you will just have to
get used to since there is no way of stopping them.
Peter
-- Peter Moss
"Well, let's just say, 'if your VCR is still blinking 12:00, you
don't want Linux'". - Bruce Perens