Buckfast bees in Ieland

[Finman]

I thought Barbar was an elephant

You should identify better animals. It is Babar.

These are female and male moomins

 

[Luminos]

Were the Moomins the ones that went to sea in a seive...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Were the Moomins the ones that went to sea in a seive...

The Jumblies.

 

[Luminos]

Ah! Jumblies, thankyou HM.

Those Moomins look a bit like burger fodder

 

[Norton]

Yes, well - you lot in France are experts in burger fodder.

 

[Finman]

Those Moomins look a bit like burger fodder

Don't tell to others but they are not real.

.

 

[Luminos]

Yes, well - you lot in France are experts in burger fodder.

Why is that?

 

[Tdf]

I like the train of your thoughts Icanhopit. I would like to know how closely related the Irish AMM are to the old AMM that existed before the decimation by acarine/virus a hundred years ago. I think that there could be a real threat to the Irish AMM from acarine, may be even extinction!

The AMM breeding groups in Ireland should be testing and selecting for resistance within their bee populations instead of taking wild shots at beekeepers that wish to keep other bees, attempting to get imports banned and engaging in a stupid propaganda campaign that will lead nowhere.

I would be willing to support a bona fide breeding effort with technical know-how and even financial contribution.

this was in the paper a while back
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2012/0419/1224314919925.html
it looks like they're trying to breed some resistance in, your right about a national breeding program something like the danish have but couldnt imagine it happening for a good while yet just small breeding groups which is why i made the point to the op to respect anything in their area because isolated sights are hard to come by in the south east

 

[Hivemaker.]

The Galtee group’s task is to select and cross-breed the bees with the most advanced grooming and hygiene habits.

Wonder what they are cross breeding them with,Monticola perhaps,maybe Primorsky.

 

[Norton]

Luminos: The French and surprisingly the Cypriots are heavily involved in the horsemeat scandal:
http://www.euronews.com/2013/02/11/stakes-raised-in-the-horsemeat-scandal/

 

[keith pierce]

Wonder what they are cross breeding them with,Monticola perhaps,maybe Primorsky.

Nothing imported. A good few queens have been found so far, where their progeny are showing extremely good signs of been able to reduce the mite load themselves.

 

[Luminos]

Luminos: The French and surprisingly the Cypriots are heavily involved in the horsemeat scandal:
http://www.euronews.com/2013/02/11/stakes-raised-in-the-horsemeat-scandal/

Yes, I know - but evidently stems from Romania, according to the French.
It must be true, because I can't believe the French would have sloping shoulders...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Nothing imported. A good few queens have been found so far, where their progeny are showing extremely good signs of been able to reduce the mite load themselves.

Hi Keith, what are the other strains they are using for cross breeding.

 

[For want of a better word]

I believe that there is some research on the AMM populations of the UK and Ireland using DNA microsattelite/ real time PCR etc, however there is definitely a lot of the original and endemic AMM extant... the sub species was not it seems "wiped out" by arcane.

In fact it is of no consequence to honey bee survival, if honeybees were not kept by beekeepers, ( In the British Isles) they would possibly become extinct in a very few years... whatever the sub species?

 

[Hivemaker.]

In fact it is of no consequence to honey bee survival, if honeybees were not kept by beekeepers, ( In the British Isles) they would possibly become extinct in a very few years... whatever the sub species?

I think i would agree with you, especially if there were many seasons like the last one,and coupled with the man introduced varroa ect.

 

[keith pierce]

Hi Keith, what are the other strains they are using for cross breeding.

Hi hivemaker.
Nothing has been imported into the country of any stain, for cross breeding. I believe that students from collage were helping out beekeepers, doing a study on the varroa mite and looking for hygienic bees in our dark native bees AMM. They were testing and monitoring apiary's across the country, and came across several hives that were biting and stripping the legs off varroa mites. To what scale they were doing this I don’t know, but I know that a good few hives that were showing hygienic signs were put through the winter with no treatment. Fingers crossed to see what happens. I got one of the queens last year and have several of her daughters heading up nucs going into the winter. All I need now is a bunch of enthusiastic students to do the monitoring for me .

 

[Hivemaker.]

All I need now is a bunch of enthusiastic students to do the monitoring for me .

Thank you for explaining Kieth, hope that you get the help you need regards monitoring, and i really hope the results of the breeding program are good.

 

[Finman]

doing a study on the varroa mite and looking for hygienic bees in our dark native bees AMM. .

What I know, that job is very difficult if you want to find varroa protection genes from your native AMM. Other guys have crossed what ever to one package enough protection.

Hygienic bees are far from varroa resistant bees.

. But at leat that is interesting job and give much knowledge.

 

[Teemore]

I think the Galtee group have just got the use of an island to further their breeding programme....
I just hope they select strains that are not prone to chalkbrood!

 

[keith pierce]

What I know, that job is very difficult if you want to find varroa protection genes from your native AMM. Other guys have crossed what ever to one package enough protection.

Hygienic bees are far from varroa resistant bees.

. But at least that is interesting job and give much knowledge.

As far as i know, hygienic bees are excellent at cleaning out cells and house keeping, but varroa resistant bees also target the adult mites that are outside the cells and being carried around on the bees . Fingers crossed