Keld Brandstrup

[wightbees]

Umm has no one tried what is called ( moon light mating)
I was going to before sh*t hit the fan and may well do later this year. From what I have read, it would suit the hobby keeper. . It's not actually night time mating but more of when the last drones enter the hive. You wait extra half hour say and then you start your mating nucs .
Some where I have all the Info that I will try and find .

 

[B+.]

Native bees really do need improving and working with them would be a great start IMO.

It costs 6 euros to send a mating nuc (ewk) to the island mating station on Vlieland. Thats about £5. Why wouldn't you do that if it meant you had the best possible mates for your queens?
It seems to me that this is one of those areas where we will never all agree on. I have a very strong motivation for not wanting the local mongrel bees. They killed my son.

 

[nantmoel]

It costs 6 euros to send a mating nuc (ewk) to the island mating station on Vlieland. Thats about £5. Why wouldn't you do that if it meant you had the best possible mates for your queens?
It seems to me that this is one of those areas where we will never all agree on. I have a very strong motivation for not wanting the local mongrel bees. They killed my son.

Wow only 6 euros, its a crying shame there is nothing like this in the UK.

 

[Beefriendly]

.
Native bees really do need improving and working with them would be a great start IMO.

I wouldn't disagree with that, they need (in my area) some major improvement!
The sticking point is control of drones....You would need to employ the same methods that are already used by major breeders, Isolated mating sites, II etc.
I can't emphasise enough that with no drone control you are tossing coins.

Brother Adam reckoned when he had a trait in a bee he felt desirable it took about 10 generations to entrench that trait into that line. It was 100's of stock to assess the progeny of these controlled matings and obviously a lot of culling. How many of us amateurs have access to that number of hives to even contemplate starting a serious breeding program? Some may consider it's lazy to buy in good quality queens, but having done so the difference it has made to my beekeeping has been enormous, not only in working with gentle stock but honey yields have amazed me.
Short cut? guilty as charged.

 

[B+.]

Wow only 6 euros, its a crying shame there is nothing like this in the UK.

In Germany, the acknowledged expert in II is Frau Christa Winkler. She tours the country inseminating queens for a small fee. This makes interesting reading http://www.theabk.com.au/articles/2016/8/4/queen-insemination-in-germany

 

[nantmoel]

I wouldn't disagree with that, they need (in my area) some major improvement!
The sticking point is control of drones....You would need to employ the same methods that are already used by major breeders, Isolated mating sites, II etc.
I can't emphasise enough that with no drone control you are tossing coins.

Brother Adam reckoned when he had a trait in a bee he felt desirable it took about 10 generations to entrench that trait into that line. It was 100's of stock to assess the progeny of these controlled matings and obviously a lot of culling. How many of us amateurs have access to that number of hives to even contemplate starting a serious breeding program? Some may consider it's lazy to buy in good quality queens, but having done so the difference it has made to my beekeeping has been enormous, not only in working with gentle stock but honey yields have amazed me.
Short cut? guilty as charged.

It always amazes me the way they (The Abbey) just left everything go when Brother Adam retired. It was good that a few individuals kept his breeding stock and kept records of what they have done. When Peter Little (Exmoor Bees) took over the 'Isolated' mating apiary he said it was just left to dwindle away, can you imagine that quality of the drone lines there.

 

[Swarm]

It costs 6 euros to send a mating nuc (ewk) to the island mating station on Vlieland. Thats about £5. Why wouldn't you do that if it meant you had the best possible mates for your queens?
It seems to me that this is one of those areas where we will never all agree on. I have a very strong motivation for not wanting the local mongrel bees. They killed my son.

It was tragic that your son died but blaming a certain bee for a reaction to venom, though understandable, is wrong. Any bee type is capable of stinging and it's a bit like saying we shouldn't keep bees because they kill. I really do not intend to sound cruel or unsympathetic, I sincerely mean that.

If I paid my £5 I would end up with Carnica bees.

Yes Beefriendly, it's difficult and there are ranks of beginners out there, all wanting their bees. It's like a big cauldron with ingredients being added but if enough like minded beekeepers in an area make this decision, we have a better way forward.

 

[beebopper]

but if enough like minded beekeepers in an area make this decision, we have a better way forward.

Trying to get a couple of beekeeper like minded is hard enough - getting enough together who are like minded to get what you want, is pretty much impossible.
Just mention wasps and all hell breaks out.

 

[Beefriendly]

It always amazes me the way they (The Abbey) just left everything go when Brother Adam retired. It was good that a few individuals kept his breeding stock and kept records of what they have done. When Peter Little (Exmoor Bees) took over the 'Isolated' mating apiary he said it was just left to dwindle away, can you imagine that quality of the drone lines there.

Yes, I hear they are now excellent and well chosen. You can't mate your bees with past drones....{caveat}....unless the semen has been stored.

 

[Beefriendly]

Trying to get a couple of beekeeper like minded is hard enough - getting enough together who are like minded to get what you want, is pretty much impossible.
.

I'm afraid this all too true. It takes someone like B+ to show that it can be done by individual beekeepers, but not with open mating's. The time and expertise involved is considerable and far beyond what many can put into their hobby.
Some may look down on those buy quality queens bred by someone who knows what they are doing. But fair play to the breeders, I'm more than happy to support them financially. Simple economics dictates these queens offspring more than recompense for the initial outlay...and dare I say the word profit (whisper it quietly ).

 

[Quis Custodiet]

It always amazes me the way they (The Abbey) just left everything go when Brother Adam retired. It was good that a few individuals kept his breeding stock and kept records of what they have done. When Peter Little (Exmoor Bees) took over the 'Isolated' mating apiary he said it was just left to dwindle away, can you imagine that quality of the drone lines there.

The appalling manner in which Bro. Adam was treated in his final years; by the religious order to which he belonged defies belief, they were supposed to be a Christian community and one might reasonably have expected some evidence of that to manifest itself....futile expectation.
He was the most able bee breeder in the world, honoured by universities abroad but treated as a non-entity by his brethren and his abbot. Peter Donovan seems to have been his only friend as his life drew to a close.

 

[wightbees]

It would seem we really need a better way of doing things here in the UK. After reading your link B+ we really need or heads banging, so much more could be done!

 

[B+.]

It would seem we really need a better way of doing things here in the UK. After reading your link B+ we really need or heads banging, so much more could be done!

Thats exactly what I've been trying to say.
We may live on an island but it doesn't mean we should cut ourselves off from the rest of the world. I've learned a lot from Europe. Some is relevant to beekeeping here. Some is not. Whats wrong with swiping their better ideas? ;-)

 

[wightbees]

There's nothing stopping us apart from one thing, that's agreeing a way forward:-/always seems to be a sticking point?

 

[nantmoel]

The appalling manner in which Bro. Adam was treated in his final years; by the religious order to which he belonged defies belief, they were supposed to be a Christian community and one might reasonably have expected some evidence of that to manifest itself....futile expectation.
He was the most able bee breeder in the world, honoured by universities abroad but treated as a non-entity by his brethren and his abbot. Peter Donovan seems to have been his only friend as his life drew to a close.

I was lucky enough to have met both Peter and Brother Adam, Peter passed away a few years ago.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

I was lucky enough to have met both Peter and Brother Adam, Peter passed away a few years ago.

You were indeed privileged.
Peter Donovan must have had an Irish connection, does anyone know what it was?

 

[For want of a better word]

Some is not. Whats wrong with swiping their better ideas? ;-)

Whatever happened to the move to drive on the right hand side of the road.... one reason put in by the Vote No brigade when we joined the EU in the first place.... and of course moving the Meridian to pass through Paris?

.... better ideas ?

Myttin da

 

[Carsten]

Brother Adam.

Could you please specify? I would love to see your pedigree.

 

[Norton]

 

[Anduril]

Could you please specify? I would love to see your pedigree.

It would be better to private message him.