These bees that live freely
Although they are few in number, wild or feral colonies of A. mellifera mellifera do indeed exist in nature and are resistant to Varroa due to their small size, their tendency to swarm, the low density of the habitat, and probably through natural selection. Studies also show that these strains of black bees are pure, without hybridization. Consequently, researchers argue for the development of a conservation policy for these bee populations, because they constitute a wild taxon that is probably in decline, but also an interesting genetic reservoir from a beekeeping perspective.
by Janine KIEVITS
The honey bee is naturally present in Europe, as well as in Asia and Africa. Until quite recently, beekeeping remained a mixed practice involving both the keeping of colonies and the capture of wild swarms; moreover, beekeepers return to nature those swarms that escape them, which are then referred to as feral. The distinction between feral and wild colonies is most often impossible, because they generally do not differ genetically; in addition, they are always able to interbreed (Leclercq et al. 2018).
Nevertheless, it is a widespread view that wild or feral colonies scarcely exist anymore, notably because they have been decimated by varroosis (Browne et al. 2018; Leclercq 2018; Requier et al. 2019). However, French and American studies—previously discussed in these pages (1)—clearly report the existence of such colonies and explain their survival by the fact that their living conditions are unfavorable to the development of the mite (small colony size with frequent swarming, very low habitat density, natural selection). Wherever they are sought, they are found—for example in Poland along roadside trees (Oleksa et al. 2012), or in the forests of Bashkiria—a republic of the Russian Federation south of the Urals—where these colonies have been exploited for centuries (Ilyasov et al. 2015).
It is therefore known that colonies of bees still exist that are not subject to human management; however, their number is unknown. Searching for them is laborious, as their density is low and their nests are inconspicuous. Their existence is most often discovered when they settle in buildings. In nature, however, the bee is a forest-dwelling animal, nesting in hollow tree trunks or rock cavities; even if one happens to notice such a colony during a walk, systematically recording them is a demanding task. Nonetheless, a few recent studies have attempted this, as scientists are increasingly interested in these bees that live “freely.”
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