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Beebytes offer DNA analysis Beebytes In Ireland currently NUIG (University of Galway) is offering testing for free. That is part of ongoing studies mapping the level of hybridisation throughout the country.

Hi James, this is not so much a question for you but the other posters on this thread. You just brought up the demise of species over time due to human activity. Do you/they think that it is ok that AMM - the native honey bee to the UK and most of Northern Europe has been driven to near...

What’s the point in keeping hybrids with native bee qualities when you can just keep your native bee? It’s not that hard to source Amm even in the genetic mess that is the UK. Treatment free too or near treatment free if you look

Bees are looking great Deemann - what part of the country are you in?

third season using a sentinel II suit - find it great. Airy and very few stings. None through the actual suit - just mild stings through the gloves on occasion. Oh - and one on my chin the other day but I had my face in the leaves of a tree shaking out a swarm and the veil was pressed tight...

Now safely in a Layens hive. Looking forward to experimenting with these hives this year using caught swarms.

Beautiful swarm of black bees

Have my swarm traps set up now aswell. If I’m half as lucky as last season il be delighted.

Love this time of year. Some good sunny spells here in the West of Ireland and all the hives look like they’ve been spray painted yellow on the inside with all the dandelion coming in.

I just remembered this thread by Indibee - some very interesting use of skeps in Wales. Well worth a read https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/hello-from-wales.49739/post-754297

Looking great!!

If anyone wants to see skeps in use more recently than the 70‘s I would really recommend this movie That’s just the trailer. You have to pay to watch the whole thing. It’s haunting and very sad but a must watch especially if you are a beekeeper

Hi emmac79 - if you havn't been put off beekeeping for ever by your experience on this forum can I suggest looking at Layens hives. I started experimenting with them last year and they have lots of advantages especially if you are looking to be a little less hands on. There are many other pluses...

What science have you presented? I have provided links to a study that shows treatment free bee keeping can be an effective way to manage varroa for some beekeepers. You say this is just luck - well there must be plenty of lucky bee keepers around - I hope they buy their lottery tickets.

Im going to stop you there Apiarist. We are going around in circles. Once again - this is one study and it showed that in this specific instance there was a very low level of introgression. That doesn't suddenly make it some universal law of biology. I am pretty sure everyone on this forum can...

I watched both these videos - fascinating. A colony building it's own roof shows some resilience!

Great you have neighbours that you can work with towards a common goal!

That’s fair enough - so far it’s all been good natured and healthy debate. I was just reading about the Lleyn and Eifionydd association. 500 hives Treatment free. That’s fantastic. I would also like a VCA where I live. Currently working on it 😄

No - you are just choosing to mis-interpret what I am saying or at best being very selective. A study in Poland has suggested that Amm show some traits for self-selection even when they are in close proximity to colonies of Carniolan bees. That trait clearly does not work 100% - other wise you...

Just a suggestion but is it possible to have two Amm blogs? One for discussion of our beekeeping experiences through the year - where advice and mutual support can be given and another for more contentious discussions. Feels like there is two very different threads of conversation going on...