Feral Hives

JordanM · May 21, 2008, 07:47:43 PM

What is the differnece between feral bees and the bees that i get in a package from a store?

Kathyp · May 21, 2008, 07:51:21 PM

the hope would be that having survived on their own, they would have some resistance to mites, etc. not all of the swarms and cutouts that you might do can really be classified as feral. if you live in an agricultural area where bees are used for pollination, you may be picking up escapees from those pollination hives. i know that at least two of the hive i got this year fall into that category.

doak · May 21, 2008, 08:11:58 PM

Ditto on what kathyp says.
I got one several years ago that were nice yellow/gold colored.
Picked this swarm up inside Macon City Limits.

The ones I have come out of the woods where I live are very different in all aspects, color, gentleness etc.
The nearest beeker to me is about 15 miles, and there is no bee movers here.
So I can say mine are truly ferrel. Although they could be off spring from some of my escapees.
Plus, My Wifes Farther had bees here some 50 to 60 years ago, and lost a lot of swarms to the woods.

I'm out here wild. ;)doak

Jerrymac · May 21, 2008, 09:33:01 PM

OK. One more time. Feral bees are like feral cats. There is nothing different between a feral cat and a domestic cat except nobody owns a feral cat.

The bees are the same nobody owns them. If a swarm just came from your hive it is feral up until the time it is captured and placed into a box and attended by a person.

There is feral or domestic. No such thing as something in between.
Here it comes

Kathyp · May 21, 2008, 09:40:29 PM

ok....here it comes!!!!

technically, you are correct. guess i was trying to answer what i thought was the spirit of the question. i will try to be more accurate in the future :evil: .

doak · May 21, 2008, 09:55:49 PM

Thanks kathyp,
My other, New topic, Has to do with this subject.
after typing out a reply then wiping it out and not posting it.
I do this a lot, after reading my reply and deciding it would not be in the best interest of the community to post it.
make sence?

doak

Jerrymac · May 21, 2008, 10:40:34 PM

But now if we start talking wild bees..... :-*

JordanM · May 22, 2008, 08:16:19 AM

Thanks i understand now.

Kathyp · May 22, 2008, 10:17:16 AM

sorry JordanM. hope we did not confuse the issue for you. :-D

KONASDAD · May 22, 2008, 10:44:34 AM

Its a matter of degrees. Personally, its not feral unless it survives w/o the aid of man for a period of time. For purposes of genetic value, that means minimally one full year. It has to survive a winter and survive mites and other diseases and develop "survivor" traits. Simply b/c a cat is w/o an owner, doesn't mean its feral. When it starts to hunt, fend for itself and not have mankind as a "safety-net" should it have needs, it will have become feral.

Brian D. Bray · May 22, 2008, 08:06:36 PM

Quote from: KONASDAD on May 22, 2008, 10:44:34 AM
Its a matter of degrees. Personally, its not feral unless it survives w/o the aid of man for a period of time. For purposes of genetic value, that means minimally one full year. It has to survive a winter and survive mites and other diseases and develop "survivor" traits. Simply b/c a cat is w/o an owner, doesn't mean its feral. When it starts to hunt, fend for itself and not have mankind as a "safety-net" should it have needs, it will have become feral.

That is logical and the way I see it. It is not scientific but being scientific is not always logical but too much into splitting hairs.