Bees in the wild

[Chris B]

I once read that pre-varroa, the average lifespan of a wild colony was 7 years (sorry can't remember the source but if anyone can shed light please do). Colonies die out for any number of reasons, but queen failure and starvation must be high on the list.

 

[huntsman666]

This is an extract from a PDF issued by researchers in the Irish Department of Agriculture. Helpful for fhose who need to know the 'facts.'

"Eventually, the mite population reaches a level that the colony can no longer tolerate and thus loses its social organization and disbands. This is referred to as colony collapse disorder." See page 12 on the document.

I'll give a link to the full paper in a minute. It's well worth a read.

 

[huntsman666]

The link:-

http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/beehealth/BeeParasites.pdf

Irish Department of Agriculture - 'Parasites of the Honeybee.'

 

[oliver90owner]

I thought it would be Yates again.

So why do we not treat for varroa just once every three years?

 

[Chris Luck]

According to that document...

Untreated colonies of Apis mellifera will collapse within two years of infection,

Go figure.

Chris

 

[oliver90owner]

the average lifespan of a wild colony was 7 years

That may well include an awful lot of doomed colonies from the time of swarming?

A bit like average of three score and ten for humans. Reduce/remove the infant mortality and the figure rises rapidly. That is one of the problems with simple statistics. One needs some qualifications.

Regards, RAB

 

[huntsman666]

Chris, pound to a piece of horse-dung you don't have Apis millifera millifera.

Oh and Oliver, you really SHOULD read some of the better books.

What a lucky forum we are to have not only one but two Prima Donnas.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Ireland where the bees still are still very close to Apis millifera millifera, same as what the U.K. had until the immigrants.

Nice to see that the Irish also like,and have, our native Buckfast bees as well.

 

[Chris Luck]

You loose huntsman.

1st paragraph, it's the native bee and I have some colonies that are close to, if not actually, pure.

http://apitherapiefrancophone.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1179&Itemid=753

Known as Les Noire they are thought by many keepers to be the most resistant and strong.

Chris

 

[Chris B]

the average lifespan of a wild colony was 7 years

That may well include an awful lot of doomed colonies from the time of swarming?

A bit like average of three score and ten for humans. Reduce/remove the infant mortality and the figure rises rapidly. That is one of the problems with simple statistics. One needs some qualifications.

Regards, RAB

Quite right RAB. But the point is they don't continue indefinitely. Sooner or later something does for them.

 

[Gardenbees]

are they honey bees

Yes.

The "hive" may of course have been occupied by successive new colonies, but as far as I can tell it has had a continuous colony certainly for as long as I've been here. They have overwintered and I've occasionally seen them pottering about at the entrance on warm winter days. There has never been a time in spring, summer or autumn when there hasn't been bees emerging. If they absconded or died out at any stage then more bees must have arrived very quickly. I've noticed swarms leaving but never arriving.

I've long wanted to capture a swarm to see what the bees are like, but they're too wily for me, and tend to cluster right up in the trees some distance away, or right up under the roof (very high up!!).

 

[Chris Luck]

Quite right RAB. But the point is they don't continue indefinitely. Sooner or later something does for them.

Wouldn't you say that was blindingly obvious? Otherwise we would be buried in bees.

Chris

 

[susbees]

Nice to see that the Irish also like,and have, our native Buckfast bees as well.

Buckfast from mainly A.m. ligurica (Italian), A.m. mellifera (English), A.m. mellifera (French), A.m. anatolica (Turkish) and A.m. cecropia (Greek), with a dollop of A.m. sahariensis and A.m. monticola (African).

Native? I think not...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thats it,our native buckfasts,survived acarine,and the rest had to be imported from places in Europe like Belgium,France ect,to re populate the area's that did not have our native Buckfasts.

 

[oliver90owner]

the point is they don't continue indefinitely

I would have thought that was rather obvious/clear and taken 'as read'. Otherwise the planet would be overrun with bees! But what with a high first year mortality of swarms, the age of a well founded productive colony might be well in excess of that average figure before some fatal mishap overcame them (a run of poor seasons, a marauding bear, looting hominids, tree falls over, forest fire, lightning strike, etc).

I still think stating a colony lasting (about) 4 years, with varroa, is a very misleading statement.

As Chris says, a colony may be able to survive with the parasite indefinitely (it's demise would be for the other possible reasons) and many have to treat each year or the colony would likely no longer exist the following spring. Perhaps John Harding is spot on with location, location, location.

The OP asked a very non-specific question about wild honey bees, not any one particular strain. Bees are found around the world, not just in someone's back yard.

 

[Chris B]

Wouldn't you say that was blindingly obvious? Otherwise we would be buried in bees.

Chris

Of course it's obvious. That's why it's ludicrous that many beekeepers believe there is no wild population due to varroa.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Smith21
http://youtu.be/Wp_kevGjpqw

sorry don't know how to post the video

 

[huntsman666]

What a forum. Where would you get such entertainment for free?

Amazing to think some are saying the Buckfast (and this is not normally what an irishman would say but you'll get my drift) is the native bee of the 'British Isles.'

It's a queen type, nothing more, nothing less, albeit a good one.

Apis millifera millifera in France? If crop circles mean anything, this could also be true

 

[Hivemaker.]

Of course there are AMM in France,thats where lots of bees came from to restock this country....imports if you like. Would perhaps of been better to breed from the native Buckfasts,but would of taken to long....
Some of your Irish beekeepers are also doing there bit for our native bees as well.
http://www.beekeeping.ie/

 

[Smith21]

Smith21
http://youtu.be/Wp_kevGjpqw

sorry don't know how to post the video

Thanks for the link Erichalfbee