keeping differnt spices of bees close togeather

[nagabee]

hi , would like to ask if its ok to keep two different spics of bees in different hives but close to each other say 2-3 feet apart. for instance apis mellifera and apis cerana. any thoughts on this?

 

[For want of a better word]

I have Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera mellifera in colonies next to each other in the same apiary, to access performance.

The pure Cornish native bees seem to be now outperforming the NZ Italians in honey collection.... mainly due to a dismally wet summer here in Cornwall.
The NZI got away well but have now fallen well behind... in fact I am already feeding some colonies.
So to answer your question... try it!!

Good luck

Yeghes da

 

[nagabee]

thanks will think more on it,

 

[Madge]

hi , would like to ask if its ok to keep two different spics of bees in different hives but close to each other say 2-3 feet apart. for instance apis mellifera and apis cerana. any thoughts on this?

I have Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera mellifera in colonies next to each other in the same apiary, to access performance. ...

I don't know what the answer to Nagabee's question is, but I do think there's a huge difference between keeping cerana and mellifera in neighbouring colonies to what you're doing, Icanhopit, of keeping two mellifera subspecies close together as neighbours.

 

[Anduril]

hi , would like to ask if its ok to keep two different spics of bees in different hives but close to each other say 2-3 feet apart. for instance apis mellifera and apis cerana. any thoughts on this?

This may be of interest. http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/r...rs/informationportal/file/1175?tmpl=component
Two different management techniques required. Apis mellifera will need more attention especially with pests and diseases.

 

[Madge]

That's an interesting article, Anduril.

If I were a beekeeper anywhere in Asia, Nagabee, I'd probably root for cerana.

 

[beebot]

I have Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera mellifera in colonies next to each other in the same apiary, to access performance.

How many of each?

 

[For want of a better word]

I have Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera mellifera in colonies next to each other in the same apiary, to access performance.

How many of each?

Two strong colonies of each... have had to keep on top of swarming and superceedure, but all four queens are now going into winter with 2 year old queens.
I have used a double colour marking system as did not have the numbered olipath discs to mark the queens.

Yeghes da

 

[nagabee]

cerana colonies tends to be smaller and the honey is less compered to mellirara

 

[MuswellMetro]

the reduction in Apis ceranae colonies was found to be because the Apis ceranae drones mate with the Apis mellifera virgin queens and vice a versa


however the resultant , eggs fertilized by other species drones are sterile so the colony fails

so dont do it

 

[nagabee]

thanks MuswellMetro, this is interesting never would have thought of it.

 

[Madge]

the reduction in Apis ceranae colonies was found to be because the Apis ceranae drones mate with the Apis mellifera virgin queens and vice a versa


however the resultant , eggs fertilized by other species drones are sterile so the colony fails

so dont do it

Interesting. I was wondering whether there might be a danger for cerana particularly as I was aware of the problems caused to scutellata in South Africa when some nitwit took colonies of capensis over the mountains into scutellata territory in, I think, the late '80s. In this case capensis behave like cuckoos and the end result is disaster for scutellata - and they're two mellifera subspecies, so I'm not surprised about the problems between cerana and mellifera.

Nagabee, opt for a little less honey and keep cerana! You'll have less varroa problems too. Well, that's what I would do ...
Kitta

 

[nagabee]

thanks Kitta, some food for thoughts have to rethink about keeping AM

the one main thing that stuck out with apis cerna while reading on it, is that they tend to abscond , the whole colony moves out