Superbees ??

[Somerford]

interesting stuff....I knew the basics but needed filling in on some detail as I packed up beekeeping in the early 00's due to travel commitments and have only just restarted. This 'Superbee' thing seems to have arisen since then and I wondered how it came about.

If there are good bees out there, who supplies the best in the forum's opinion ? Has anyone tried queens from multiple suppliers to test out as a comparison in a similar location ?

What about all this importation of bees - good or bad for bee health/genetics/disease ??

 

[Hombre]

What about all this importation of bees - good or bad for bee health/genetics/disease ??

Hi Somerford, you certainly know how to ask questions. For this one, you had better drag up a chair a few beers and your reading glasses. There are more than a few opinions out there, coming to a thread near us very soon I don't doubt.
It's a very passionate topic for many.

 

[BKF Admin]

I am about to write up a statement regards the advertising of imported queens/bees on the forum,it may upset some but I think it's in the forums best interests longterm.

Admin.


That should get the ball rolling

 

[peteinwilts]

The quest for the Superbee has been occuring for decades and led to the accidental release of the 'africanised bee' in the 50's by warwick kerr in south america.

Messing with genetics and cross breeding can be a very good or a very bad thing. Much of our food has been 'created' by interbreeding and messing with genetics, but in delivering meat and grain, it has also led to species that cannot survive without our help.

Although originally training as a Marine Biologist, a part of the goal was to create the perfect food fish. This is the same goal that led to the Triploid which is currently decimating invertibrates and natural marine life off the East coast of America.

Interbreeding has made it possible to create forests of grain which has perpitrated into the loss of the hedgerows, insects, birds etc

I don't comfortably fit into wanting to create a superbee. It is quite normal that to make something better, something else suffers...

I have no doubt that AFB, EFB and maybe varroa has been spread by the goal of making better bees by spreading subspecies around the world. We have made a crap scenario for ourselves and are now trying to fix it by doing the same...

I am not into beekeeping for a profit. I am just happy to see healthy bees doing what they do best. The honey is a bonus, not a necessity.

....I was probably a hippy in a former life!

 

[Somerford]

...in a former life ?? LOL <kidding>


alot of what you just wrote makes sense !

 

[David P]

Just to be a tad pedantic for a moment it was stated earlier that a queen could not mate with her own drones and this was then refuted.

A queen can mate with her mothers drones but not with her own since she needs to come into lay before she has her own drones.

Drones have no dad or son but do have granddad and grandson.

 

[JCBrum]

With reference to posts #16 and #20, with knowledge of the local vernacular ...... "muppet" is not derogatory, it merely signifies mild friendly admonishment.

It is important to understand it is local, colloquial, " Hairy Builder" speak.

'nuff said.

 

[Crg]

F1 super bees, half come from europe mainly southern and the better or should i say better known to me come from new zealand

As a New Zealander this is news to me. Which F1 Superbees come from New Zealand? Who sells them?

 

[Crg]

crg an apology for calling you a muppet

Apology accepted. Though to be completely honest I don't take offense easily.

What I'm more concerned about however, is how inaccurate a lot of what you write is

 

[oliver90owner]

What I'm more concerned about however, is how inaccurate a lot of what you write is

If you are referring to HP's spelling and grammar, you are so correct!!!

Pete knows it too.

I rarely take offense - I take the gate instead. It's easier.

Regards, RAB

 

[hedgerow pete]

crg without this becoming a slanging match i will try to explain to you what a F1 is.

please open your copy of the book" breeding the honey bee by brotherr adam" start at page 23 where is says medels laws of heredity and then turn over the page to 24 and you will see a large full page set up of the F series of breeding, any person that starts with two seperate bees from and this is the important bit a known and stable breed, when these two breeds are mated you will have a F1 hybrid this bee coming from known stock and having a exact breed crossing will produce a given known stock to which you can sell, these bees which are at the centre of this disscussan not you or your bees or lack of knowelgde or pedigree bee queen rearing, as for being inaccurate , i have infront of me 24 books on bee keeping, a second compter containing roughly 25gb of bee knowelgde and i back it up with 25 years of knowelgde gained in europe africa and the middle east, i am also able to fill correctly my personal detail at the side of this reply stating number of hives area location, i also have dyslexia and several other literature based academic, handy caps all of which i am well aware of and have many appoligies for them so no more will be forth coming, please try to keep your replys to the question of the thread

love pete

 

[JCBrum]

Well said Pete

 

[victor meldrew]

What I'm more concerned about however, is how inaccurate a lot of what you write is

If you are referring to HP's spelling and grammar, you are so correct!!!

Pete knows it too.

I rarely take offense - I take the gate instead. It's easier.

Regards, RAB

Dont the both of you mean OFFENCE .

John Wilkinson

 

[BKF Admin]

I would love to join in but my spelling is often a little suspect as well.

You may of noticed

 

[Onge]

Who cares about spelling, as long as you can get your meaning across

 

[JCBrum]

Accurate spelling is sometimes (infrequently) essential to convey precise meaning.

In this case (offence) it simply depends whether classic British English spelling is employed, or the ubiquitous American English as employed in the cyber domain. The reader is able to make a good understanding on this occasion but not always.

 

[victor meldrew]

May the Lord preserve us from "realize', 'color' 'favorites', wadevah! crap .
John Wilkinson

 

[oliver90owner]

I knew that but was copying. I meant to embolden the word.

I do make mistakes but the dictionary next to the 'puter is often faster than copying into a write email and spell check.

I was going to put 'grammer' but thought better of it.

I couldn't care less about the spelling and grammar in PHs posts. It is the content which is important. We all know what he means most of the time. AND he more than makes up for it with his videos!

The ones that naff me off are the continual 'text-speak' merchants. Common abreviations and acronyms are acceptable.

Always I want to get my posts on just before JCBrum, so often in a bit of a rush!

Regards, RAB

 

[JCBrum]

ha ha

 

[GingerNut]

I knew that but was copying. I meant to embolden the word.

Hi RAB,

Now why do you do that instead of hitting the quote button like this?

It's so much easier for others to read

Yours Roy