If some nearbye has a nasty hive, it spreads its genes around some miles.
Finman,
While I might agree with you up to a point, remember also that the second generation crosses (that, as you so rightly stated, can be vicious) may have been derived from the mating of two very docile gene groupings. So the situation is just as bad where these docile F1 and F2 crosses are concerned.
It would, in my opinion, be far better with 'local' crosses which gave docile offspring every (or most) generation(s), than this incessant importation of bees (from afar) which are clearly(?) going to turn 'nasty' just one or two generations down the line.
My question might be does the mating of two nasty vicious bees always result in nasty bees?
I think not, but of course they will not be as 'predictable' as an imported queen (which then predictably carries on this cycle of 'second generation' nastiness).
Those that do not import continually, every second generation, are able to cull their queens to provide a stable, docile gene line. But, as you clearly stated, that is a very difficult situation for someone with only two colonies (I think that is what I said earlier in the thread), so those that do succeed are those with rather more than just two colonies from which to select.
That means I am all for selection, but not for importation. Subtle difference here as you are a commercial beekeeper and want every stock to achieve mximum crop as well as displaying these other required traits. Another subtle difference is that my preference is possibly sustainable, whereas your preference(?) is predictably not sustainable, after that F2 cross.
RAB
