A fair number of the dakotas crowd winter around Paris Texas. If you've ever asked why Dadant has a branch office there that's why. Mild winters, early spring compared to the dakotas, decent rainfall, in between the tallow stands in southern texas and clover in the dakotas, warm temps (but nothing to eat) usually up until mid december.
for reference prime swarming date is end of march / april 1st so that give you an idea of when brood rearing kicks in and the buildup occurs.
negative is california is sensitive about fire ants which are in texas (and california too).
Winters are cold enough the AHB is not a problem. In spite of the fearmongering you hear about AHB infesting the northern states reality is their constant swarming behavior leaves them unable to survive anything colder than zone 8b.
BTW, Lousiana is a closed border state for bees.
I was in central florida last week and there were blooms, not a lot but it was plenty warm enough for brood raising.
"Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes"
Henry David Thoreau, Walden