questionable teaching or not?

[Robinredcar]

I keep whatever turns up, so mongrels basically. I'm not that fussy Even my first ever colony came from a swarm lost by one of the local BKAs introductory course tutors (He had an out apiary about 30m from my house.)

James

I think alot of mongrels are closer to native bees so would probably be more Likley to do well on stores over winter than forign subspecies or buckfast, same as vice versa if amm where taken to a country where other subspecies evolved. I started off with 2 swarms, I recently got a near native nuc from a really good local bee keeper and I must admit they are so much better behaved than my mongrels and he was kind enough to look after my badly behaved colonies.
I'm keen on native bees if I'm honest, I think the melenia of evolution to our climate makes them the sensible choice.
Haha good score on the BKAs swarm

 

[JamezF]

I think alot of mongrels are closer to native bees

Hard to say (in my case). One or two of my colonies have a proportion of quite dark bees, but most aren't. I guess that's no real indication of what, if any, Amm genes they might have though. Some of my colonies are swarms that I've collected that are probably from someone else's hives and therefore may have imported queens, whilst some others are swarms from (what I'm fairly sure are) feral colonies and could be absolutely anything. I have one colony in a bait hive that I was intending to check earlier this week for the first time, but abandoned after I was mugged by another colony that has gone hyper-defensive. It will be interesting to see what they're like. If I can screw my courage to the sticking-post then I'll have another go at the defensive colony this weekend, but perhaps I'll do that swarm first before I'm covered in alarm pheromones.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm keen on native bees if I'm honest

Can you put your location in your profile, please.
Somewhere in the Home Counties?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Can you put your location in your profile, please.
Somewhere in the Home Counties?

With a name like that I guess he’s in Redcar

 

[Robinredcar]

Hard to say (in my case). One or two of my colonies have a proportion of quite dark bees, but most aren't. I guess that's no real indication of what, if any, Amm genes they might have though. Some of my colonies are swarms that I've collected that are probably from someone else's hives and therefore may have imported queens, whilst some others are swarms from (what I'm fairly sure are) feral colonies and could be absolutely anything. I have one colony in a bait hive that I was intending to check earlier this week for the first time, but abandoned after I was mugged by another colony that has gone hyper-defensive. It will be interesting to see what they're like. If I can screw my courage to the sticking-post then I'll have another go at the defensive colony this weekend, but perhaps I'll do that swarm first before I'm covered in alarm pheromones.

James

Oh I agree, my first colony was a swarm it had a very dark queen but her offspring where a mix and match of lots of colours so I'd guess they had abit of everything in them but my point was they where not pure anything and most likley had attributes of of everything and closer to native than say a buckfast or legustica.
Horrible when they are bad tempered, I was really lucky an experienced local bee keeper helped me out with mine as one of them was getting quite nasty to the point opening them up they just pinged me constantly.
The guy kindly requeened mine and seems to have cured their behaviour.

 

[Robinredcar]

Can you put your location in your profile, please.
Somewhere in the Home Counties?

All done :-D

 

[Robinredcar]

With a name like that I guess he’s in Redcar

I just love red cars they are my favourite

 

[Erichalfbee]

With a name like that I guess he’s in Redcar

Heavens yes. There's a racecourse there.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No I stated I don't know it was a guess

like most of what you state as 'fact'

 

[Robinredcar]

Heavens yes. There's a racecourse there.

There is, ive lived hear since I was 14 and never actually been to a race !

 

[user 20297]

With a name like that I guess he’s in Redcar

....or he drives a red, three-wheeler.

 

[Robinredcar]

like most of what you state as 'fact'

Hear we go, is it like the fact no one keeps bees on single brood boxs because your grandad said?

 

[Robinredcar]

....or he drives a red, three-wheeler.

I make an exception to 3 wheelers, i prefer the yellow ones

 

[pargyle]

like most of what you state as 'fact'

Hear we go, is it like the fact no one keeps bees on single brood boxs because your grandad said?

OK... Give it a rest you two ...it's not going anywhere.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I did entreat yesterday. That’s two of us asking nicely.

 

[Moobee]

Wild?! I've got some that are absolutely livid!

James

Ha ha ha! I miss Not The Nine O’Clock News!

 

[Ian123]

Hear we go, is it like the fact no one keeps bees on single brood boxs because your grandad said?

Come on according to you grandad did keep bees on single boxes so we should continue….I really don’t understand the fascination with boxes…..it’s a bloody box use as many or few as the bees require

 

[user 20297]

A friend has purchased some woodland in an adjacent county and as he wanted to keep some bees, signed up for a taster day and then joined his local BKA.
During a recent inspection at the teaching apiary, he was told that they were going to cull a queen and replace her because she was 'too prolific' (filled one std national brood box!). Even as a new bee he found this strange. He has also formed an opinion that this BKA frown upon members (and other beekeepers) who's aim is to produce honey.

I have my opinions, what are your thoughts?

Some people like to keep big hens, some like small ones, some of us prefer smaller dogs as pets. If a beekeeper prefers a more compact colony, why shouldn't they select in favour of that trait?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Heavens yes. There's a racecourse there.

There also used to be a steel works but I guess that probably closed down by now?

 

[user 20297]

There also used to be a steel works but I guess that probably closed down by now?

......maybe it was too prolific?