Front Cover of Welsh Beekeeper

[BMH]

Pretty direct to slap that straight on the front cover!

What a load of BS

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[B+.]

Pretty direct to slap that straight on the front cover!

What a load of BS

There is a lot of this sort of politically motivated stuff going on at the moment.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In your opinion

 

[BMH]

In your opinion

Not think it's a bit rich to slap it on the front cover and then provide no justification for it within the magazine?

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[Hachi]

Not really the pro's and con's are well understood

 

[BMH]

Er, please explain them to me then?

Because I think the complete opposite and find that the Buckfast queens I use outperform any generation of local bee, around here anyway.

 

[Beefriendly]

and find that the Buckfast queens I use outperform any generation of local bee, around here anyway.

Shhhhhhh....Honey prices are already falling this year....don't encourage them....local bees rule OK!!! [BIG wry grin]

 

[FarmerCow]

As a farmer of cattle I know full well the effect of an endemic disease in the national population. There is no doubt that there are a number of ways TB is transmitted from wildlife, slurry and the movement of infected cattle from infected areas to uninfected.

I don't know the politics or the motivation behind this but from one farmer to another, my advice is bee keepers should be wary of moving bees around the country.

Otherwise one day you'll end up with a national registry of hives and movement restrictions imposed upon you at government level. Far better to manage the industry from within.

 

[BMH]

Shhhhhhh....Honey prices are already falling this year....don't encourage them....local bees rule OK!!! [BIG wry grin]

LOL. I did say the exact same thing as I read it!

 

[B+.]

Er, please explain them to me then?

Because I think the complete opposite and find that the Buckfast queens I use outperform any generation of local bee, around here anyway.

That makes them locally adapted, doesn't it? Just like my native carnica.

 

[BMH]

As a farmer of cattle I know full well the effect of an endemic disease in the national population. There is no doubt that there are a number of ways TB is transmitted from wildlife, slurry and the movement of infected cattle from infected areas to uninfected.

I don't know the politics or the motivation behind this but from one farmer to another, my advice is bee keepers should be wary of moving bees around the country.

Otherwise one day you'll end up with a national registry of hives and movement restrictions imposed upon you at government level. Far better to manage the industry from within.

I understand your point, but I dont think disease limitation is the driver behind their propaganda.

It seems to just come down to colour. Darker the better. Nothing else seems to matter

 

[BMH]

That makes them locally adapted, doesn't it? Just like my native carnica.

I guess so. They definitely overwinter well, gather a decent crop and aren't riddled with disease.

Im not sure they would agree that a F1 imported buckfast colony was locally adapted though. Worth a try!

 

[Hachi]

Er, please explain them to me then?

Because I think the complete opposite and find that the Buckfast queens I use outperform any generation of local bee, around here anyway.

Have a chat with Cheers

 

[BMH]

Have a chat with Cheers

I prefer to provide my own analysis than listen to somebody else's propaganda.

 

[Show me the honey]

I’m new to beekeeping and know little about genetics and history so sorry for my ignorance, but if everyone kept local bees and bred from the best of them wouldn’t they become as good as any other bee? Or have I massively simplified an issue? I use local bees mainly because they are gentle and produce honey so why pay for a queen. But for me it’s a hobby and also what seems like a good crop to me could be pitiful to commercial keepers

 

[SDM]

Er, please explain them to me then?

Because I think the complete opposite and find that the Buckfast queens I use outperform any generation of local bee, around here anyway.

Then you understand the cons perfectly

 

[BMH]

I’m new to beekeeping and know little about genetics and history so sorry for my ignorance, but if everyone kept local bees and bred from the best of them wouldn’t they become as good as any other bee? Or have I massively simplified an issue? I use local bees mainly because they are gentle and produce honey so why pay for a queen. But for me it’s a hobby and also what seems like a good crop to me could be pitiful to commercial keepers

I'm no expert and can only go from my own findings but the fact bees 'produce honey' is a bit hit and miss...

Even the worst colonies may produce a few pounds. Some colonies may produce over 100 pounds. There's a big difference.

I find the complete opposite in terms of temperament.

I have collected native swarms and been given locally reared and selected virgins (by a respected local breeder) and they have all been vile in nature compared to an F1 buckfast

 

[BMH]

Then you understand the cons perfectly

It seems one man's pros are another man's cons!

It just seems to be a colour contest to me...

 

[SDM]

I’m new to beekeeping and know little about genetics and history so sorry for my ignorance, but if everyone kept local bees and bred from the best of them wouldn’t they become as good as any other bee? Or have I massively simplified an issue? I use local bees mainly because they are gentle and produce honey so why pay for a queen. But for me it’s a hobby and also what seems like a good crop to me could be pitiful to commercial keepers

If you have gentle, productive, disease resistant bees just appearing locally , then you can thank someone for it. They don't happen by accident just by virtue of being local.

 

[BMH]

If you have gentle, productive, disease resistant bees just appearing locally , then you can thank someone for it. They don't happen by accident.

Precisely. Quite the opposite, the ones that do well, are horrible. No-one dares to go near them as they are vicious little so and so's