Amm

[Dared]

I appreciate this seems to cause "handbags at dawn" but I am interested in having AMM or as near as is possible. I don't want to import but am struggling to find a supplier in the UK, any recommendations?

I have read the other posts about AMM and find it strange that people go on about the purity of AMM and then say buy "Buckfast" bees, what are they as every supplier in the UK seems to be able to supply Buckfast bees (and AMM). If that's the case how can they be anything but a mix of local bees? Please don't read into this as someone against Buckfast bees as I am not as the ones I have seen are very very good bees.

I do have other bees not sure what they are though, very good natured but seem to like brace comb and propolis!!

 

[Swarm]

Your biggest problem would be keeping your Amm pure, unless you buy in new queens.

 

[richardbees]

Sorry but what is Amm - I gather it's a strain but must admit the abv. is new to me!

 

[Dared]

Can't beat sarcasm ! Your going to get the wrath of the beekeeping world down on my neck now AMM is / was (depending on who you talk too) our native bee, Apis Melifera Melifera.

 

[Dared]

Appreciate it would be nearly impossible to keep the strain pure but for me I am interested to see what they are like to work with and if it turns out to be the way I want to go then there are ways to keep things as pure as you can do.

 

[richardbees]

Dared, no way was I being sarcastic, just that the use of that abv. had not registered with me before. Similarly an article in this month's bbka journal referred to beekeepers as 'keepers' which took a moment to register.

I should think keeping your bees 'pure' from year to year must involve buying in 'pure' Qs each year or so.....there's a lot of mongrel drones sniffing around.

 

[Dared]

I think to keep any strain of bee pure would be nearly impossible unless you live on an island. As you say its a choice of buying new when queen needs replacing, but from what I have read this is not required as often with AMM. Its also rumoured that AMM drones are hornier than other drones so fly faster maybe that will help

It really is just a personal thing and maybe having them would spread some new DNA locally.

 

[hedgerow pete]

amm bees are very nipper and harder on the bee keeper than most people are used to , get a bad cross breed queen and belive me they can out fight africian honey bees ten fold, get a goo d cross and they some what harder to deal with but a better bee to deal with, but then again i am the founding member of "i hate buckfast bees" and a member of "all carnies must die"

to i would suggest as high as 75% of bee keepers in the uk have a great strain of bee that is easy to handle and very productive and very few troubles, especially getting stung a lot, even mt calmest bees would be considered nipper than most and thats how i prefere them, i have never owned amm that can be dna proved as amm, but i have had the use other the years of some seriously darl bees.

the best place to buy a queen is from germany or denmark where the european amm group is based

 

[Haughton Honey]

Doesn't exist.

 

[Dared]

Sorry what doesn't exist?

 

[Haughton Honey]

Amm

 

[Hawklord]

I have some AMM queens that were open mated in Greece, and an outcross from last year. They are very runny on the comb and they suffer terribly with chalkbrood. I want to try something different this year but am struggling to find a UK breeder.

 

[Dared]

Its funny reading what I can find online some say Amm are hard to control others say they are easy, maybe because of the polarised attitude towards them that is what the real attraction is so I can find out myself.

Haughton if you are saying Amm no longer exists that what bee does? I cannot believe it has disappeared from the face of the earth, it will be out there somewhere

 

[Dared]

One of the reasons I would like to source in the UK is they might be Amm but if they are from outside the UK then they will be used to a different climate / environment. If I cannot find them here then I would not import as I really do not think it would be successful.

 

[Haughton Honey]

Its funny reading what I can find online some say Amm are hard to control others say they are easy, maybe because of the polarised attitude towards them that is what the real attraction is so I can find out myself.

Haughton if you are saying Amm no longer exists that what bee does? I cannot believe it has disappeared from the face of the earth, it will be out there somewhere

Can you please explain to me what an AMM is, who decided (group or individual) what the genetic characteristics and make-up are, where I might find some to look at and why the whole AMM 'debate' is nothing more than local dark mongrel being compared against local dark mongrel??

Sorry - I don't buy it.

It's a little bit like 'Buckfast'. There are several definitions, strains and breeders of the Buckfast type, but which one is true (over and above Brother Adams)?

 

[Goran]

I have some AMM queens that were open mated in Greece, and an outcross from last year. They are very runny on the comb and they suffer terribly with chalkbrood. I want to try something different this year but am struggling to find a UK breeder.

Where in Greece You found AMM? I never heard they have them.. Interesting..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Get in touch with BIBBA in the first instance.
Also, a lot do get bogged down with the phrase AMM maybe a better try would be British Dark bee even BIBBA are now happy to say 'near native' - a lot of people do talk about keeping a dark bee (not neccessarily pure blood AMM) as they could be better suited to our climate 'local mongrel' especially down our way is creeping towards a darker bee.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

BTW BIBBA = Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders' Association.

 

[Dared]

There are groups that have studied the history of our "local bee" (if I can call it that) and can trace the genetic makeup but that is way beyond me. I agree with you about Buckfast and does this not also apply to Italians etc in the UK, are they not all mongrels? But they can be traced back to their roots if you know what you are doing.

It might be looked on as a waste of time but I am just curious to try and find out myself like you say what is a true 100% AMM, I don't know. I am not looking to find the best honey producer just curious to see what all the debate is about

 

[BeeJayBee]

maybe a better try would be British Dark bee

I found this site the other day, it might be of interest.
"British native dark honey bees" http://www.bees.me.uk/Bees/Welcome.html