SELECTION OF NEST CAVITIES BY AFRICANIZED AND EUROPEAN HONEY-BEES

Africanized honey bee swarms in Costa Rica displayed no size preferenc e among pulp-based nest cavities molded to internal volumes of 13.5, 2 4 and 31 I. In a crossover experiment where only one cavity volume was available at a site, European honey bee swarms selected 68 cavities o f 31 I volume and only 22 cavities of 13.5 I volume. When given a choi ce of either 31 or 13.5 I cavities, European swarms occupied the large r cavities in 84% of the choices. No correlations between swarm size, swarm date, and size of cavity inhabited by a swarm were observed amon g 82 European swarms measured in Tucson, Arizona during the 1993 sprin g swarming season. The results indicate that 13.5 I cavities are best for trapping Africanized bee swarms since they are rejected by most Eu ropean swarms.