should you mix bee types

[idg]

Can you mix bee types. My colony has become somewhat fragmented (due to AS and swarms). On my inspections on Saturday, there was very little sign of any queens. I am going to leave another week or so to give any virgin queens a chance to mate and start laying. My bees are quite dark, but I am unsure of their type.
I have just taken delivery of a new Nuc, which has a Buckfast queen. The bees are far more yellow than mine.
My question is, if the need arises, can I pinch a frame of eggs off the new Nuc (yellow bees) and add it to my darker bees?

 

[davnig]

yes

 

[Apple]

Many posts on here stating that the L type bee crossed with the endemic M type bee gives an aggressive colony.

However as I have never purchased any L type bees or hybrids of such I am not in any place to make any rash statements.

My sister who lives in North Devon in an area with lots of bee keepers and even bee farmers seems to get constant aggressive colonies, but down here in the more isolated area of Devon, with very few bee keepers, I never get an aggressive colony.

However if it came to a vote I would say NO !... do not mix!

James

 

[davnig]

Many posts on here stating that the L type bee crossed with the endemic M type bee gives an aggressive colony.

However as I have never purchased any L type bees or hybrids of such I am not in any place to make any rash statements.

However if it came to a vote I would say NO !... do not mix!

James

He's not talking about Queens mating across types as far as I can see but about introducing eggs to raise a new queen- that won't cause the type of next generation nasty hybrids you are referring to, just a new queen

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

He's not talking about Queens mating across types as far as I can see but about introducing eggs to raise a new queen- that won't cause the type of next generation nasty hybrids you are referring to, just a new queen

 

[Apple]

BUT, what type of bee did queen mate with? and will the brood be true? and then again if the introduced eggs go on to produce a virgin that mates with all and goodness knows what drones, what will those bee be like in temperament?
However the drones she will produce should breed true,
Never could get my head around all the bee genetics, which makes me wonder how a hybridised type of bee can continue in it's line,
or not?

Please do not take that too seriously!

46 6 year olds do make life worthwhile, so much more entertaining than bee keeping.

James

 

[Walrus]

Yes!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dn170221]

I think boosting one colony with a frame of brood from another is common practice in the commercial beekeeping world!

 

[oliver90owner]

I think boosting one colony with a frame of brood from another is common practice in the commercial beekeeping world!

It is common practice for hobbyist beekeepers too!

Not so easy for one hive owners, mind. Why do you think s many advise keeping at least two colonies?

 

[idg]

My thinking was more to pinch a frame of eggs off the yellow bees, place in the darker bees, and let them create a queen? So the yellow eqq will become a queen of the darker bees.
Will this wipe out my dark bee strain? I would obviously have no control of who she mates with.

 

[davnig]

My thinking was more to pinch a frame of eggs off the yellow bees, place in the darker bees, and let them create a queen? So the yellow eqq will become a queen of the darker bees.
Will this wipe out my dark bee strain? I would obviously have no control of who she mates with.

Well, you will lose al the genetics from your original dark strain of bees - all new bees from new queen will be a mix of the yellow bee genetics and whoever she mates with.

So basically, yes it will.