In praise of my AMM black queen

[mbc]

The queen bees from GBBG are imported illegally in to the UK - without any veterinary checks or paperwork. But I guess that is OK for the AMM fraternity. Not really an import is it? Just some queens crossing a line on a map.
Clearly a case of do as I say and not as I do.

Same goes for queen bees imported from well known Danish supplier of "Buckfast" queens. The health certificates appear to be homemade and do not bear any resemblance to the official certificates required for intra-community trade . If anyone wishes to see a copy send a PM.

And the bee health inspection service of Cyprus is A1 tickety boo top notch I suppose, and the health certificates printed on really nice paper

 

[Norton]

Yes they are. Special paper so cannot be copied.

I am an EU registered queen breeder and exporter. Monthly inspections by the vets and samples taken for examination.

 

[mbc]

Yes they are. Special paper so cannot be copied.

I am an EU registered queen breeder and exporter. Monthly inspections by the vets and samples taken for examination.

And this makes your queens more suitable than those from galtee in the British Isles?
Though the R of I does import loads of buckfarts from the continent so remains a risk for shb getting in through the back door.

 

[Norton]

I not able to tell you if our queens are more suited to the UK than the RoI ones. The point is that the RoI are imported without the required paperwork and veterinary checks - ILLEGALLY. Whilst ours are always accompanied by veterinary certificates.

What I can tell you is that some colonies with our queens have produced around 200lbs of surplus honey this year in the UK. Any done better?

If and when the SHB manages to invade the UK I would expect Buckfast bees, because of their genetic make up, to fair a lot better than mellifera and carnica.

It is in everyone's interest, including mine, that the beekeeping sector in the UK is as healthy as possible, hence the concern about unchecked imports.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But it doesn't matter Norton - as far as they're concerned they are hadling the holy grail so intenational boundaries don't matter - unless the AMMS are from any other part of the EC that is

Looks like I've got some paperwork to do tomorrow

 

[Stiffy]

I believe that the Galtee black bee queens have also been exported to Greece to produce open mated queens for a breeder. A UK importer was then bringing them back and selling as AMM. I wonder if they had to produce the correct paper work before sending send to Greece or indeed back to the UK?
S

 

[Teemore]

What I can tell you is that some colonies with our queens have produced around 200lbs of surplus honey this year in the UK. Any done better?

Yes.

I agree with you about unchecked imports but would comment that you have made some rather sweeping statements about queens imported from ROI. Some may lack traceability but not all.

 

[Norton]

Sweeping and true, unless there are statistics to prove otherwise. From the information on beebase, the last official movement of bees from Ireland to the UK was in 2011 and that was 15 nucs.

I believe that GBBG themselves do not export queen bees. But obviously from posting on forums and information obtained from other sources, there is an illegal flow of bees from the RoI into the UK. Do beekeepers want these unchecked bees in apiaries around them? Do they know the history of these bees? I don't think so. If next week SHB is detected in RoI how are they going to track down the imported queens?

This surely endangers every beekeeper in the UK especially in light of the developing situation in Italy.

The exports from Batsis in Greece are always covered by the necessary paperwork.

Another problem is truckloads of colonies moved from Germany to Italy and southern France for the winter and then moved back to Germany in the spring - no checks and no inspections.

The recipe for the perfect storm with SHB - time will tell.

 

[Swarm]

Now before the righteous get going saying their strain of bees are better than the next or that I am an AMM fanatic, let me get one thing clear, I don’t care if your bees are half bred with wasps, nor am I here to argue that AMM bees are the best thing since sliced pan. This bitching does not interest me so please don’t post such rubbish in replies hereto.

Sounds like the righteous ignored you

 

[mbc]

Sweeping and true, unless there are statistics to prove otherwise. From the information on beebase, the last official movement of bees from Ireland to the UK was in 2011 and that was 15 nucs.

I believe that GBBG themselves do not export queen bees. But obviously from posting on forums and information obtained from other sources, there is an illegal flow of bees from the RoI into the UK.

I imagine the only illegal flow are swarms inadvertently crossing the border and the odd rebel Irishman naughtilly crossing with a van full of bees without tamper proof signed and dotted paperwork. I am certainly unaware of any such wicked naughtiness going on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

careful - withyour tongue that far in your cheek you might choke

 

[mbc]

careful - withyour tongue that far in your cheek you might choke

No tongue in cheek at all, the only queens I know about that have come from the emerald isle are in one's and two's from Norn Iron, part of the UK last time I checked, in sharp contrast to the number of Cypriot queens I know about, hundreds within a days cycle ride of you and I jbm(auto correct wanted jbm to read "bum"!)

 

[Apple]

If and when the SHB manages to invade the UK I would expect Buckfast bees, because of their genetic make up, to fair a lot better than mellifera and carnica.

Is this fact because the Buckfast hybrid has 10000 years of evolving along side the Small Hive Beetle and shows an inclination towards cleanliness???

Seems to be that the ORIGINAL Buckfast hybrid as produced by the most venerable monk, was 50% Apis melliffera mellifera, 25% Apis mellifera ligusta, 15% Apis mellifera carnica, with a remaining 10% of the other 20 or so sub types of Apis mellifera known at that time.

You can mix up the numbers to please yourself and chosen team bee[/I]!

The exact recipe it seems has now been lost in the mists of time.

My sister who keeps these mixed race hybridised Ferrari type bees says the back crosses are hell to deal with, and so she will continue to import queens, and requeen annually for as long as she is allowed to.
She does not get any more honey as I do with my Amm type bees, although we all know of a beekeeper who produces 4 tons of honey every year, without fail, from a mere 40 colonies of hybrids, and turns every drop into the most delicious mead!


James

 

[Finno]

I happen to live close to the NI border (UK border) and swarms and foragers from the RoI show a blatant disgregard for import regulations!.

 

[Swarm]

 

[Norton]

Yes the border was always a problematic area!