Africanized honeybee has arrived in NY state

latebee · June 21, 2006, 12:19:45 AM

I guess it had to happen sooner or later.Recently had lengthy conversations with a couple of guys who run well over a thousand colonies each here in New York state. They know I enjoy doing feral extractions and told me point blank to be VERY cautious because the AHB has positively made an arrival here. I really can't say how they got here and will not point fingers-but my guesses would be migratory colonies and/ or ocean going vessels. I respect these fellows as beekeeping is thier livelihood. Those of you who know me,will vouch that I am not an alarmist,I might be any number of other things :lol: but will not spread rumors. Lets hope that the climate along with good beekeeping practices hold the AHB at bay.So if you folks are working stange or feral colonies do yourself and others a favor, suit up properly and keep the spectators far- far away.

Jerrymac · June 21, 2006, 12:30:40 AM

Well I am in Texas in a county "known to have Africans". I have lost count of the cut outs I have done. Some where in the nieborhood of 20. Haven't run across anything that matches the discriptions of AHB. If any that I have is Africanized then I just don't see what all the fuss is about.

qandle · June 22, 2006, 01:27:09 AM

I'm no expert, from what I have read I was under that impression that they had not and could not survive that far north or east due to the cold winters...

What does the state have to say about it?

Quint

Zoot · June 22, 2006, 01:57:44 AM

By coincidence I just spent a week in New York state and Vermont and had an opportunity to talk to several beekeepers in both states and their attitude seems to be that the africans will never be an issue there for numerous reasons. None officially documented yet and no apparent concern that they will be. But..who knows? A local gentleman here (former beekeeper's assoc. pres.) swears he identified them in a swarm he captured in the spring but claimed they were no worse than anything he'd encountered in the past.

Jerrymac · June 22, 2006, 02:15:42 AM

How did he identify them :shock: :?:

ctsoth · June 22, 2006, 01:30:32 PM

From what I have read in ABJ and BC you can not accurately tell if a bee is africanized by appearance. Even if you know exactly what to look for. IT seems that telling the difference would be even harder on bees that are raised on small cell/natural cell because of their reduced size. Sure maybe some african bees have been carted up to NY by migratory beekeepers, but they will die out in the winter.

Apis629 · June 22, 2006, 11:00:52 PM

They can't be POSSITIVELY identified by the naked eye but, there are a few obvious early signs. For instance, (and I am making a reference to the July ABJ) africanized honeybees usually will not cover the brood if the frame is left out for any period of time while european colonies will ball around the brood to keep it warm. Other strong signs are a highly deffensive nature, and intermorph queens (there's another one of those references). My bet wouldn't be on shipping but, primarily on package bees and queen orders origionating from the southern U.S.