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.

 

[warsaw_hive]

 

[Dibbler]

Probably a daft question, but if you got a mated Amm queen and introduced her to a queenless colony of let's say one of my hives. Would the next brood be black bees ?
So making a colony of Amm bees that you could rear more Amm Queens from ?

 

[user 819]

Yes brood will be black bees all the time she lays it.
Raising Q's unless under controlled means will mean subsequent daughters will be hybrid bees if relying on open mating , so bees then raised would be a mix , one would see some dark bees but also browner or amber bees.

To keep the line true one will need to control Q breeding or keep buying in new Amm Q lines if Q replacement is needed.

 

[Swarm]

The first of my 2024 Amm queens has taken off and has eight frames of brood, most of it capped. I'd already distributed spare supers to other colonies so I'll have to call back tomorrow and give them a super.
I think I made a good choice selecting the queen at this apiary to raise daughters from this year, I've been quite surprised as well if I'm honest, considering all the brood and bees donated. She was built up to double brood and two supers before adding a third brood box followed by a vertical split and dropping her back onto double brood. I did a second split, removing more brood and bees into two nucs and far from checking her progress, she has since built back up to double brood and four supers, the boxes are very full with bees. They had a fifth super today when I found a load of white wax on the crown board, a very hard working colony and quite pleasant as well so I'm hoping the daughters follow suit.

 

[SWEET]

I've some nice *local* black/dark Queens appear from OM this year - (pay little attention to the worker colours, these are from a mix of hives)

 

[Swarm]

Stunning photo, SWEET.

 

[SWEET]

Stunning photo, SWEET.

Thanks Steve, Andy Sweet for ref ha. I need to read over this blog in detail but wondering if there is anyone in the UK offering AMM/BB drone semen, before I fire off an email to Luke @ NHC.

 

[Swarm]

I wish you luck with that Andy, it's difficult enough just finding decent Amm queen suppliers.

 

[SWEET]

Thanks Steve, i'll post my findings on here if fruitful. I'll carry on with my dark magic experimenting

 

[Erichalfbee]

Heavens. Black bees make black queen cells

 

[JamezF]

Heavens. Black bees make black queen cells

Have you not seen "Alien"?

James

 

[Swarm]

Well, weighing things up, I decided to give my first new Amm queen another brood box rather than a super, it made far more sense. She is now on eighteen frames and looking humungous, won't need feeding for winter that's for sure. The other two here are in full hives and looking very strong as we approach August, looking for supers???!!!
The other new queens at this site are laying now and the honey is pouring in at last. A triple tier nuc that I moved into a double brood with a super of foundation frames has sorted themselves out and drawn out that super.
The last batch of virgins we ran in are now mated successfully and laying well.
The next big event is the honey pull, whatever happened to the season?

 

[Penninetrader]

I've some nice *local* black/dark Queens appear from OM this year - (pay little attention to the worker colours, these are from a mix of hives)

View attachment 40482

What camera did you use and did you use lighting

 

[Penninetrader]

The first of my 2024 Amm queens has taken off and has eight frames of brood, most of it capped. I'd already distributed spare supers to other colonies so I'll have to call back tomorrow and give them a super.
I think I made a good choice selecting the queen at this apiary to raise daughters from this year, I've been quite surprised as well if I'm honest, considering all the brood and bees donated. She was built up to double brood and two supers before adding a third brood box followed by a vertical split and dropping her back onto double brood. I did a second split, removing more brood and bees into two nucs and far from checking her progress, she has since built back up to double brood and four supers, the boxes are very full with bees. They had a fifth super today when I found a load of white wax on the crown board, a very hard working colony and quite pleasant as well so I'm hoping the daughters follow suit.

Do you sell any queens ?

 

[SWEET]

What camera did you use and did you use lighting

Phone snap and the

 

[Swarm]

Do you sell any queens ?

I don't sell queens, most of the queens raised each year are distributed among local beekeepers who are part of a black bee group. Some are daughters of Amm queens and others are local black genetics and the majority go as virgins, I think it's much better that way.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I don't sell queens, most of the queens raised each year are distributed among local beekeepers who are part of a black bee group. Some are daughters of Amm queens and others are local black genetics and the majority go as virgins, I think it's much better that way.

That's a pity. Your reports of your queen's performance is always so encouraging. It might be a way of spreading the gospel amongst other hobbyists who routinely opt for re-queening from usual orange bee producers

 

[Swarm]

That's why I always encourage others to do the same, infinitely more rewarding to raise your own queens and better still when working with a group.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s not easy and not everybody has time skill or inclination and rely on others’ such dedication

 

[Swarm]

The result of a queen rejected after she smeared her antennae with green paint. I found no sign of her and no brood a couple of weeks after I marked her and the 'incident' occurred and was contemplating turfing them out when I caught a glimpse of this little queen. Today she strolled into view yet again as I was looking at her handy work.
She is a sweet little thing (but I'm a softy) I'll keep my eye on her and see how she goes, it won't be the first good queen I've had from a happy accident. The last one went to a friend, she has made no attempts to swarm in two years and brought in a very good crop of honey.