Some people scoff at the notion of "locally adapted bees" but, to me, this describes bees that are allowed to get on with "evolution". If the genetics of our bees were not continually compromised by imported genes, then the "nativeness" of our bees would be expressed again. They were, after all, the genes that evolved and survived before mass importation became the norm, whether that was in the 1850s, 1920s or anytime ever since. Any "less fit" genes would be weeded out by natural selection, and we would probably end up with something very akin to the original "native bee", whatever that was. (I very much doubt that the "British" native bee was ever one and the same thing across the country - it is likely that "locally adapted" races of the British bee existed to cope with the range of climatic conditions.)
So, despite all our meddling, (and still failing to grasp the inherent dangers of moving - any kind of - genetic material around the world), our bees still have up to 45% native genetics. I think that's amazing, and indicates the hardiness of the native genetics. The great pity is that we beekeepers - who, since the arrival varroa, are apparently responsible for the survival of the honey bee - continue to bastardise our bees.
