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Survey of Feral Honey Bees in
North East Texas
 Dr. Robert Coulson and
Dr. Tanya Pankiw
Texas A&M University

In cooperation with the Eastman, we recently completed a survey of feral honey bees at a site near Longview, Texas. Honey bees from feral colonies are a beneficial and vital component of natural and managed forest landscapes, as they serve as pollinators for many flowering plants. A common belief is that feral honey bee populations have been greatly reduced by predacious mites. Therefore, the purpose of this survey was to monitor for the presence of feral colonies. The results of the survey provide a means for assessing the status of feral honey bees in northeast Texas forests.

      
    Honey bees are commonly surveyed at times when they are seeking new cavity sites. Two types of behavior lead to this activity: swarming and absconding. Swarming is reproduction at the colony level where a queen and a portion of the workers leave the parental nest and establish a new colony. In the case of absconding, the entire colony abandons the nest due to factors such as diseases, parasites, pests, or limited resource availability. Survey approaches for feral honey bees are based on the fact that cavity sites in forest landscapes are uncommon and that worker bees actively search for sites suitable for the establishment of new colonies. By providing artificial cavity sites, survey entomologists can often capture honey bee swarms.

The survey was initiated on 16 April and terminated on 24 September, 2001. Fifteen "pulp swarm traps" were distributed in and about the Eastman Corporation plant site in Longview, Texas. The traps were monitored on 22 August and six were found to be occupied by honey bees. On 27 August, samples of the bees were collected from each of the traps and taken to the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University. As we are currently studying the interaction of African and European honey bees, the specimens from the swarm traps were examined for their genetic origin. Using an mtDNA testing procedure we identified three of the colonies to be African honey bees and three to be European. The tests were completed on 18 September. On 24 September, we examined each of the occupied swarm traps and found five of the six to be vigorous and healthy colonies. This finding suggests that feral bee populations are surviving well in east Texas forest landscapes and that populations have not been greatly depleted by predacious mites. The survey was terminated on 24 September with the removal of the colonies and the collection of the swarm traps.

Texas has an ongoing program to monitor the immigration of African honey bees throughout the state. On 25 September we examined the location of the survey site in the context of existing County records for African honey bees. The site was located in both Gregg and Harrison counties. As African honey bees had not previously been reported from these counties, by memorandum, we informed Mr. Paul Jackson, Chief Foulbrood Inspector - State Entomologist, of the new record. Mr. Jackson subsequently issued a news release of the discovery.

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