Listen with Martha

[For want of a better word]

If AMM are adapted, it is to the Maritime temperate climate as experienced in tree hollows.
This very very different to that experienced in wooden or even polystyrene hives.
The differences in man made environments e.g. wood vs polystyrene might dominate the subspecies adaptations.

I can see your argument.... but bees do fly, and although just an observation, the Cornish variant of Amm seem to be flying in conditions that have the Mediterranean sub species hive-bound, are frugal with their stores and do produce just as much honey as the yellow hybrids bees that are bred and sold in Cornwall.... no matter if in Polly WBC or WRC Cedar ( my own observations)
I have tried imported Buckfast bees in the past, and although they did produce loads of brood early in the season, and were onto the OSR in a flash, they got to their stores before I did and despite being fed copious ammounts of invert they then perished in the Winter.

However as I like a bit of variety and have just secured a new securely fenced apiary site for next season, near the Cornish Cheese Factory, so may be going to visit a beekeeper on Exmoor who I am told has a nice line in home bred Buckfast type bees!!

Yeghes da

 

[Into the lions den]

the Mediterranean sub species hive-bound, are frugal with their stores and do produce just as much honey as the yellow hybrids bees that are bred and sold in Cornwall.... no matter if in Polly WBC or WRC Cedar ( my own observations)
I have tried imported Buckfast bees in the past, and although they did produce loads of brood early in the season, and were onto the OSR in a flash, they got to their stores before I did and despite being fed copious ammounts of invert they then perished in the Winter.

There you go again...just as I said in the other thread.....completely sidestepping the actual genetic origin of the vast majority of these accursed Italian imports. They are NOT Italian bees. They are northern bees raised there for earliness, and no matter how often you say the opposite, they are tough and resilient and yet are calm and make a good crop.

You maybe need a better supplier.

Constantly bashing them as soft Med. type stock that dies is both false and completely alien information to the feedback I get...normally along with a pre order for next year.

That you don't want them is entirely your choice. but whatever the presentational issues involved.....the bees we have from B+ are very good, as are those from sources in several locations.

 

[Beefriendly]

I can see your argument.... but bees do fly, and although just an observation, the Cornish variant of Amm seem to be flying in conditions that have the Mediterranean sub species hive-bound, are frugal with their stores and do produce just as much honey as the yellow hybrids bees that are bred and sold in Cornwall.... no matter if in Polly WBC or WRC Cedar ( my own observations)
I have tried imported Buckfast bees in the past, and although they did produce loads of brood early in the season, and were onto the OSR in a flash, they got to their stores before I did and despite being fed copious ammounts of invert they then perished in the Winter.

This post is so full of nonsense it's unbelievable. You are constantly producing misleading false misinformation.
Basically you tell barefaced lies if it furthers your cause.

Of course the other explanation is that you are just a totally crap beekeeper.

 

[stevebrowning]

There you go again...just as I said in the other thread.....completely sidestepping the actual genetic origin of the vast majority of these accursed Italian imports. They are NOT Italian bees. They are northern bees raised there for earliness, and no matter how often you say the opposite, they are tough and resilient and yet are calm and make a good crop.

You maybe need a better supplier.

Constantly bashing them as soft Med. type stock that dies is both false and completely alien information to the feedback I get...normally along with a pre order for next year.

That you don't want them is entirely your choice. but whatever the presentational issues involved.....the bees we have from B+ are very good, as are those from sources in several locations.

I've had some of these bees off Murray early this season, they're nice and calm, produced well at the borage and haven't needed to be fed yet, would definitely buy more when the need arises

 

[For want of a better word]

Usual carp beeing trotted out by the same old crowd as soon as anyone dares to mention out beloved native bees.

Then the following knocking of the posters beekeeping abilities from someone who obviously reads a lot!

ADMIN need to do some culling !

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

Usual carp beeing trotted out by the same old crowd as soon as anyone dares to mention out beloved native bees.

Then the following knocking of the posters beekeeping abilities from someone who obviously reads a lot!

ADMIN need to do some culling !

You could always silence the crowd by sending some of your superbees up to Murray to test. I'm sure he'd give them as fair a test as he did mine.

 

[B+.]

That you don't want them is entirely your choice. but whatever the presentational issues involved.....the bees we have from B+ are very good, as are those from sources in several locations.

Now, are you quite sure about that Murray? They are F1 carnica you know? After all, foreign bees are too soft for our climate

 

[Beefriendly]

Then the following knocking of the posters beekeeping abilities from someone who obviously reads a lot!

Spot on old boy....if you can't (by your own admission) keep Buckfast bees through a mild Cornish winter I most certainly question your credentials as a beekeeper in any capacity.
The rest of the carp you write simply adds more veracity.

 

[Ian123]

I think buckfasts are natives in that neck of the woods

 

[B+.]

I think buckfasts are natives in that neck of the woods

The thing I find curious is Br Adams assertion that Amm had died out due to IoW disease. How far did he look? I mean, Cornwall isn't a million miles from Devon so, if they were there at that time, surely he'd have known?

 

[Quis Custodiet]

This post is full of nonsense generalisation.

May I assume you meant;"This post is full of nonsensical generalisation(s)"? Otherwise the typing error obscures the meaning and makes an accurate response impossible.
Kindly elaborate on your allegation and support it by quoting relevant facts.

 

[mbc]

May I assume you meant;"This post is full of nonsensical generalisation(s)"? Otherwise the typing error obscures the meaning and makes an accurate response impossible.
Kindly elaborate on your allegation and support it by quoting relevant facts.

English is my second language but it reads fine to me, my apols if the meaning is obscure, I wasnt going to elaborate but in the spirit of pig wrestling I'll give it a go.

AMM bees are superb survivors, docile and prolific they are not, neither are they good honey producers and I speak from experience. If some people wish to keep them, that is their prerogative and good luck to them. All AMM bees, have varying degrees of impurity and it is this which accounts for the improvements that we sometimes see.

The bits in orange are the nonsensical generalisations imho.

"Superb survivors" IOW disease kind of points to this being nonsense.
"Docile and prolific they are not" people who actually keep them might argue with this, I had towers I needed steps to get to the top of this summer with nests stretching through national double brood, prolific in most beekeepers eyes, and I worked my bees in shorts and flip flops during the heat of June, docile they were.
"varying degrees of impurity and it is this which accounts for the improvements" pure supposition, hybrid vigour is a known phenomenon but so is gradual improvement through line breeding, your assertions in the post are pure trolling and now I feel dirty, good job

 

[SDM]

Spot on old boy....if you can't (by your own admission) keep Buckfast bees through a mild Cornish winter I most certainly question your credentials as a beekeeper in any capacity.
The rest of the carp you write simply adds more veracity.

Probably the most temperate climate in the UK.
And he's the only one who can't get them through winter

 

[For want of a better word]

The thing I find curious is Br Adams assertion that Amm had died out due to IoW disease. How far did he look? I mean, Cornwall isn't a million miles from Devon so, if they were there at that time, surely he'd have known?

The Tamar Bridge was not open until 1960ish and the Plymothians has signs on the A38 saying "There be Dragons" so I expect BA would not have traveled into Cornwall!

Chons da

 

[B+.]

The Tamar Bridge was not open until 1960ish and the Plymothians has signs on the A38 saying "There be Dragons" so I expect BA would not have traveled into Cornwall!

Chons da

The man travelled all over the world looking for bees, but didn't travel to Cornwall which is on his doorstep, just because there was a river in his way? Seriously? That's your answer?

 

[foghornleghorn]

English is my second language but it reads fine to me, my apols if the meaning is obscure, I wasnt going to elaborate but in the spirit of pig wrestling I'll give it a go.



The bits in orange are the nonsensical generalisations imho.

"Superb survivors" IOW disease kind of points to this being nonsense.
"Docile and prolific they are not" people who actually keep them might argue with this, I had towers I needed steps to get to the top of this summer with nests stretching through national double brood, prolific in most beekeepers eyes, and I worked my bees in shorts and flip flops during the heat of June, docile they were.
"varying degrees of impurity and it is this which accounts for the improvements" pure supposition, hybrid vigour is a known phenomenon but so is gradual improvement through line breeding, your assertions in the post are pure trolling and now I feel dirty, good job

Really all amm needs is a polish up, greater consistency in swarming tendency and prolificy. Havent ever seen my buckfasts do anything that my amms wouldnt have done yieldwise but it's the greater consistency that gives them an advantage

 

[For want of a better word]

The man travelled all over the world looking for bees, but didn't travel to Cornwall which is on his doorstep, just because there was a river in his way? Seriously? That's your answer?

Perhaps someone saw the intent of humour... possibly a tad too dry for some!

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

Perhaps someone saw the intent of humour... possibly a tad too dry for some!

Yeghes da

I was asking a serious question: How could Br Adam not be aware of an Amm population right on his doorstep? If such a population existed surely he, if anyone, would be aware of it. If such a population did not exist, where did it come from?

The only possibilities I can imagine are:
1. It existed and Br Adam wasn't aware of (unlikely).
2. It existed and he was aware of it (In which case, why did he cover up its existence?)
3. It did not exist so, if it exists now, where did it come from?

All of the above are important questions about beekeeping in that area. I will NOT be fobbed off with misdirection and "humour".

 

[Finman]

Perhaps someone saw the intent of humour... possibly a tad too dry for some!

Yeghes da

A good joke is repeated once. If same joke comes every week, something wrong in the teller.

I think that beekeeping jokes are lack of humour.

 

[Finman]

3. It did not exist so, if it exists now, where did it come from?

".

IT adapted locally under pressure of demands.