B4 is raising £800 by crowdfunding.

[Hivemaker.]

B4 is raising £800 by crowdfunding, which will support the PhD collaboration with Plymouth University, provide B4 interpretive material for Kurt Jackson’s exhibition a “Bee in His Bonnet” and help support Mount Edgcumbe Park Bee Reserve.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/B4Project?utm_id=2&utm_term=4eg55Bgm9

 

[For want of a better word]

A worthy cause.

BUT.... before the anti Amm brigage go off on some kind of hissyfit... there will be many transferable skills that will come out of this research project as the University has links with many other institutions e.g. the Marine Biological Association with its laboratories in Plymouth, that have been carrying out research on honeybee viruses..... and the Penryn Exeter University campus research facilities.

Myttin da

 

[Little John]

A worthy cause.

BUT.... before the anti Amm brigage go off on some kind of hissyfit...

I've been noticing for some time now that you appear to have a predilection for posting flame-bait where AMM is concerned - it's as if you are actively inviting people to enter into acrimonious exchanges on this subject.
LJ

 

[Quis Custodiet]

I've been noticing for some time now that you appear to have a predilection for posting flame-bait where AMM is concerned - it's as if you are actively inviting people to enter into acrimonious exchanges on this subject.
LJ

You are not alone in noticing that. He is also identified as a typical Native AMM "enthusiast" by his total refusal to even consider or discuss that some of their beliefs might be flawed.

 

[mbc]

Lol, its all about perception. Now, someone without an axe to grind and a preconceived prejudice might have noticed that Icanhopit keeps many types of bees and seems to value some of all their qualities.
Just who it is posting "flame bait" and inviting acrimony is debatable.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

................................

might have noticed that Icanhopit keeps many types of bees

You seem to be grasping the situation, Icanhopit does indeed keep many types of bees; that is what he and his fellow enthusiasts call "Native Cornish AMM".

 

[For want of a better word]

You seem to be grasping the situation, Icanhopit does indeed keep many types of bees; that is what he and his fellow enthusiasts call "Native Cornish AMM".

These posts are getting a bit booooring.

To defend my corner... and HM will probably blue pencil this and most of the other pointless postings by the few anti Amm Trolls.....

I have personally myself kept many types and kinds of bees.
Nothing compared to the Buckfast type hybrids that were kept when I worked in Surrey, regularly new queens restocked the old to retain that hybrid vigour, nice bees.. I tried them in the South Hams in Devon and they just did not thrive in a coastal apiary... I tried the Greek bees... decimated with Nosema, plagued with chalk brood, that I just could not get rid of.

I found that the local NZ Italians seemed to be OK... then I happened across the bees on Rame in Cornwall and made a decision to work with them.

B+ has his Carniolians and does very well with them... I admire his dedication and skills... but I do not spend time on here knocking his chosen path!!!

Yeghes da

 

[Swarm]

I do not spend time on here knocking his chosen path!!!

That's the most important bit.

 

[B+.]

B+ has his Carniolians and does very well with them... I admire his dedication and skills... but I do not spend time on here knocking his chosen path!!!

It would be a mistake to assume that I always kept Carniolans. I came to them via a circuitous path so I can understand where you are at now.
I think you'll come to the same conclusion I did too.The only way to do any sort of proper breeding is through II.

 

[Hivemaker.]

BBC 1 Countryfile 7pm.

Rame Peninsula
Countryfile

Ellie is on the Rame Peninsula - Cornwall's 'forgotten corner' - and visits Mount Edgcumbe, where the UK's first ever native dark honeybee reserve has just opened. Previously thought to be all but extinct in the UK, an almost pure and distinctive population has been identified on the Rame Peninsula, and although they make up only one per cent of the bee population, it is thought they might hold the key to more sustainable beekeeping - Ellie finds out how.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0959jmz

 

[pargyle]

Yes ... I watched it ... interesting - but it's going to be a bit confusing for Joe Public watching it ... a whole new raft of questions about bees becoming extinct no doubt at the next bee function I do ... ?

 

[B+.]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0959jmz

The bees shown were clearly hybrids.
What gives?

 

[Tom Bick]

The bees shown were clearly hybrids.
What gives?

Typical of tv programs.

They needed good close ups of bees and probably used a handy bit of film probably taken to show the differences in the bees but the explanation left on the cutting room floor.

They probably got some of the other articles slightly wrong also.

 

[For want of a better word]

The bees shown were clearly hybrids.
What gives?

That was the BBC using old stock footage of bees... as they would not know any better!

OMG ammunition for our Irish importers!

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

That was the BBC using old stock footage of bees... as they would not know any better!

Perhaps so. Unfortunately, things like this do nothing to validate the authenticity of the stock.
You would think the BBC would be capable of videoing the actual colonies and represent them properly. If they haven't done this, I think it detracts from the argument .

 

[Finman]

.
Pure open mated mongrels

.

 

[domino]

I've never understood how people maintain the 'pureness' of a strain of bee?

Is there some sort of genetic test to prove they are AMM before a breeding process starts?

Once is starts are they only able to breed through insemination?

 

[For want of a better word]

I've never understood how people maintain the 'pureness' of a strain of bee?

*Is there some sort of genetic test to prove they are AMM before a breeding process starts?

**Once is starts are they only able to breed through insemination?

*Extensive DNA testing as undertaken and paid for by B4 in the case of the Cornish Dark Native honeybees.... possibly not understood by the Mr or Mrs average beekeeper who has been told to keep buying in foreign bees.
An understanding of molecular biology and high level statistics are needed to get your head around the very complex subject. ( Even our Finnish expert is not up to speed on the latest developments.. it seems!)

The caveat is that the Germans were shocked to the core when their wonderfully pure Carniolian bees were DNA tested to show a high level of introgression!!

**Either naturally by ensuring massive drone flooding of the reserve or by II !

As the more savvy among us noted the BBC used stock footage of some yellow bees... when I saw that I knew immediately that the Countryfile topic would have the more tetchy of " so called" Buckfast importers and breeders rushing out with large spoons in hand!

Yeghes da

 

[domino]

*Extensive DNA testing as undertaken and paid for by B4 in the case of the Cornish Dark Native honeybees.... possibly not understood by the Mr or Mrs average beekeeper who has been told to keep buying in foreign bees.
An understanding of molecular biology and high level statistics are needed to get your head around the very complex subject. ( Even our Finnish expert is not up to speed on the latest developments.. it seems!)

The caveat is that the Germans were shocked to the core when their wonderfully pure Carniolian bees were DNA tested to show a high level of introgression!!

**Either naturally by ensuring massive drone flooding of the reserve or by II !

As the more savvy among us noted the BBC used stock footage of some yellow bees... when I saw that I knew immediately that the Countryfile topic would have the more tetchy of " so called" Buckfast importers and breeders rushing out with large spoons in hand!

Yeghes da

I found a summary of their results.

http://www.b4project.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Results-Summary.pdf

It seems they don't have any pure AMM, rather AMM types. Whilst I understand why people would want to retain a rare breed, I'm not clear what value it has to the average beekeeper.

The technology to maintain even an AMM type would seem outside the realms of most beekeeping.

 

[B+.]

Either naturally by ensuring massive drone flooding of the reserve or by II !

What ratio of drone colonies to virgins do you consider necessary ?