British Bred Queens or Imported Queens - peoples choice?

[Beefriendly]

I'm often asked for the provenance or ancestry of my bees but as I've never brought in any lines but also my bees are open mated I find it a bit meaningless. .

You may be wiser to wait for the DNA analysis before describing them as Welsh Amm's.
Many regions have good natured productive mongrel bees that they know are not "pure" Amm's.

 

[mbc]

They made it illegal to import stock (as some would prefer to happen here too). Consequently, over a period of time, they had less diversity as the queen producers produced more and more from less and less. It didn't matter that if it was open mated, the drones a queen could find became more closely related.

A bit different where "white man's flies" are a relative newcomer to the continent compared to this side of the pond where apis mellifera have been an integral part of the flora and fauna for millennia.

 

[mbc]

You may be wiser to wait for the DNA analysis before describing them as Welsh Amm's.
Many regions have good natured productive mongrel bees that they know are not "pure" Amm's.

Pre varroa very few imports came into the area and a few notable native bee beekeepers have been/are working in the general local (Griff Jenkins, Robert Jones).
As already stated I'm not all that exercised by purity and have really only been breeding towards a good, practical and sustainable bee for my own purposes but if you'd like some indication the stock is amm based here's a good example of the forum working well from a few years ago;
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4455

 

[Beefriendly]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4455

Wing morphometery distinguishes Amm from other species it is not a determinant of Amm. Although many misuse it so.

 

[B+.]

A bit different where "white man's flies" are a relative newcomer to the continent compared to this side of the pond where apis mellifera have been an integral part of the flora and fauna for millennia.

America imported bees from all over Europe (pre 1922) just as we do. The only thing that separates us is the 100 years it took them to realise the problem they had created.
To state the obvious: America has a much greater land-mass and variety of weather patterns, so, there was even more potential for the bees to adapt. That is, without human involvement. The problem is that human involvement exists - even here. You can't ignore it and pretend it doesn't happen (or need to happen). We occupy this area and, unless we all move away and leave the country uninhabited, bees will continue to come into contact with people. That means, they have to satisfy our needs (pollination, honey production, etc). So, they will be selected for improved performance, just as they did in America.

 

[philipm]

The forum seemed to have less trolls in those days and people were helpful and not just out to slag everyone off.

 

[B+.]

The forum seemed to have less trolls in those days and people were helpful and not just out to slag everyone off.

I don't think the forum existed pre-1922

 

[madasafish]

The forum seemed to have less trolls in those days and people were helpful and not just out to slag everyone off.

You joined in 2012 so probably missed the worst of the neonics trolling..It makes the forum as it has been for the past 2-3 years appear a vision of peace, tranquility and love towards fellow posters..

 

[Ian123]

The end of the 1st bbka forum had a certain entertainment value in that regard