I recently "coursed" a tree of German bees just outside family property lines. The owner would let me collect a few eggs to raise queen, buy the tree, or whatever to get the stock into or around my yard. I am doing some splits soon with certified Russian queens. Like everyone else (hobbyist), I am interested in bees that have some chance against mites.
That said, I remember my Dad's Italian bees going through a supersedure or two and the queens picking up some defensive genes from the feral drones. You couldn't get within 15 feet of the hive(s) without getting stung. I also remember doing a cutout of these feral bees in the late 80s and they did swimmingly and were almost as gentle as Italians.
I'm wondering if the "swarminess" and therefore brood-cycle interruptions are helping the feral bees survive without treatments or if their defensive behavior extends to pests, or both. i.e. if I get these bees and do the same things as my regular colonies, will I water down anything gained by the new genetics? I know this is a lot. I just really need someone to tell me that bringing them closer than they are now (about .4 miles) is a bad idea. Thanks.