Amm / Native Black Bee Discussion

Hello,
For those interested in Amm / Native Black Bees. Tell us about your bees, queen rearing groups, successes and failures.
Please feel free to post your experiences, observations, or questions regarding the above.

 

[Mabee]

Checked on the fondant levels yesterday, I have clear crown boards so can see the bees easily. All reasonable sized clusters but one has ten seams of bees already. Granted I can’t see how far down the combs they are but I was surprised. Were generally told AMMs don’t build up very fast in Spring. This is a one year old queen, excellent in every respect which I hope to breed from this year, originally from @mbc

 

[Swarm]

Sounds like they are doing really well, I couldn't agree more, Ceri sells lovely queens.
Put an inspection board in and check the capping debris below the brood area? One of my Amm has had a slowly expanding patch that now looks like they have brood on four or five frames. They are in two boxes so there could be more, a photo through the OMF showed lots of bees in the bottom box and no tight cluster, they are very busy every time I visit.
The farm stock will all be thumping by mid April and some charging cells unless I'm on the ball.

 

[Mabee]

Put an inspection board in and check the capping debris below the brood area?

Good plan, i’ll check that next week

 

[Polymorph]

All three home reared nucs from last year flying well

 

[Ian123]

All three home reared nucs from last year flying well

Second from left may be an issue there’s a lot of drones at the front and flying.

 

[Polymorph]

They are just a bit chunky. No drones present in any of them yet.

 

[Swarm]

What's the plans for this year?

 

[Polymorph]

Plans are
1. Modest increase in numbers
2. Trying to be more selective on queens
3. Being better prepared for swarming.
4. Keeping better records

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not available yet, but here's a trailer

 

[Mabee]

Not available yet, but here's a trailer

Just came here to post this, looks really interesting, nicely shot too

 

[user 20297]

I am completely in favour of making the greatest efforts to maintain and propogate a localised honeybee type.
But seeing as it is demonstrable that in order to keep fully native bees you need the sole use of an island and legislation that forbids any alternative introductions, the pursuit of that "pure" bee, whilst understandable and interesting, seems to be of academic relevance.
But I wish all my bees were like Andrew Abrams'.

 

[fian]

I am completely in favour of making the greatest efforts to maintain and propogate a localised honeybee type.
But seeing as it is demonstrable that in order to keep fully native bees you need the sole use of an island and legislation that forbids any alternative introductions, the pursuit of that "pure" bee, whilst understandable and interesting, seems to be of academic relevance.
But I wish all my bees were like Andrew Abrams'.

It is more the concept of a biological island than a geographic island, with a radius of 15 km in which an area of concentration of drones was stable would be enough to maintain several apiaries of a local bee population.

 

[Murox]

Interesting idea. What’s the role of localised geograhic and ecological varation in the partial reproductive isolation of your “biological island” ? And what about the existing subspecies and their drone production and swarming periods ?

 

[Bazzer]

Interesting idea. What’s the role of localised geograhic and ecological varation in the partial reproductive isolation of your “biological island” ? And what about the existing subspecies and their drone production and swarming periods ?

It is clearly theoretically possible to generate biological islands at the ends of peninsulas or within isolated valleys provided there is a agreement amongst all (most) of the beekeepers in that area. Those locally adapted bees can then be maintained and will resist the odd incoming queen through the weight of local drone numbers.

 

[user 20297]

It is more the concept of a biological island than a geographic island, with a radius of 15 km in which an area of concentration of drones was stable would be enough to maintain several apiaries of a local bee population.

That is also of academic interest as it would be impossible to achieve in an area of mixed beekeeping.
In the UK. If the constant reference point for AMM is predominantly the Colonsay bees, there must be a risk of inbreeding, both within the island and where the queens are taken further afield. At the least, the Colonsay AMM is missing out on any localised adaptation gains made by bees bred within and from the stock of the areas to which they are introduced.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

They are also very prone to chalkbrood - not really a desirable trait

 

[madasafish]

And die promptly when exposed to varroa.

 

[Murox]

Yes its a problem, infected colonies can be weak, have poor honey yields and become susceptible to the other pests and diseases. Chalkbrood occurs worldwide and can be serious in some warmer climates too; and the spores can remain viable on equipment and in soil for many years.

 

[Erichalfbee]

But that’s not the point. They are native bees and have a place in some folks’ apiaries.

 

[Murox]

But that’s not the point. They are native bees and have a place in some folks’ apiaries.

Absolutely right.