Your thoughts on this breeder.

[Curly green finger's]

Funny that, I've got his queen's and have had a nuc, and I have more nucs coming in the spring.
I thought you new that Philip?

Cardigan Bay honey .. I hope Mr Morgan doesn't mind me posting a link..

I've reared daughters from his first queen I had.
They got mated both here and on the Clun hills.

 

[Apple]

If you want black near native bees - you should look towards West Wales ... one of our forum members sells wonderful, gentle, small black bees that are hardy (let's face it in West Wales they have to be) and productive - for what you are saving in tobacco you could have quite a few ... you are not that far from the Welsh borders and they should do well in your location - already acclimatised.

Buy local... why import anyway?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Buy local... why import anyway?

Import from wales??

 

[Curly green finger's]

If you want black near native bees - you should look towards West Wales ... one of our forum members sells wonderful, gentle, small black bees that are hardy (let's face it in West Wales they have to be) and productive - for what you are saving in tobacco you could have quite a few ... you are not that far from the Welsh borders and they should do well in your location - already acclimatised.

Talk again good night!

 

[pargyle]

Buy local... why import anyway?

Unfortunately, there are few reliable queen rearers down here in my neck of the woods ... a couple claim to be 'breeders' and then you find that they buy in early queens from abroad and peddle them as locals. I've bought a few and reared quite a few - none of them have come from 'abroad' and I would not wish to bring queens or bees in that are not really native to our collective islands.

 

[Apple]

To those who import bees ......



Nadelik Lowen

 

[GloryBee]

Can someone please explain how bees from a country with average winter temps below zero would struggle to survive in the relatively mild U.K.?
How you feel about imports is up to you, but lets stick to reality.

 

[Apple]

Can someone please explain how bees from a country with average winter temps below zero would struggle to survive in the relatively mild U.K.?
How you feel about imports is up to you, but lets stick to reality.

But they do not survive... so have to be requeened and boosted with packages every year????
Bees bred for the UK climate in the UK have a lot of the Old English native black bee in their genetic mix Shirley?
Nadelik Lowen

 

[Antipodes]

If you watch nothing else in this series of talks everyone should watch the talk on getting bees through winter ... so much good advice.

https://zoom.us/rec/play/hwknxE_SB8...feb782322bcc2231f53ce52f57e3&_x_zm_rhtaid=913
The only thing I disagree with is Roger's dismissive comments on insulation .. he's one of the old school who does not believe in what he terms 'mollycoddling' and his view is that if you have to insulate hives to keep your bees alive then you have the wrong bees ... his comparisons with the nest of a feral colony suggests that they don't insulate ... and yet he keeps bees in thin walled boxes without top insulation although in a hollow tree they have probably the best insulation around and above them. The argument therefore does not hold water..

Virtually everything else is bang on the money and a masterclass in getting bees ready for winter.

Hi Pargyle,
I wonder, does he have any problems or any issue with his bees because he houses them in thin walled hives and with less insulation?

 

[madasafish]

Hi Pargyle,
I wonder, does he have any problems or any issue with his bees because he houses them in thin walled hives and with less insulation?

I watched that . The most appalling mould on the side walls through condensation.. and that is in Sussex. I run wooden hives with insulated hive covers - in a much colder and windier microclimate - with no mould.

 

[Murox]

I watched that . The most appalling mould on the side walls through condensation.. and that is in Sussex. I run wooden hives with insulated hive covers - in a much colder and windier microclimate - with no mould.

Mould thrives in damp, dark places which provide a perfect environment for mould to grow on walls etc.

 

[GloryBee]

But they do not survive... so have to be requeened and boosted with packages every year????
Bees bred for the UK climate in the UK have a lot of the Old English native black bee in their genetic mix Shirley?
Nadelik Lowen

Not at all necessarily, any bee from a harsher climate, or in fact from a warmer one but bred for harsher will find the U.K. winter, especially in the extremely mikd area you keep bees a doddle.
Wasnt it Ralph Buchler in his national honey show lectures who made the point that theres no reason why bees from elsewhere cannot be better adapted to a location than those that evolved there ?
I suppose he's wrong too?
My personal experience of packages from Murray is very different too. They not only survived, they thrived giving over 60lb average from the heather that year( still my best). They were also the core of my queen rearing for the next 5 years never taking losses above 4% and never not trebbling national honey averages.
Granted they were hungry buggers originally but 2nd and 3rd generation ...

 

[Antipodes]

I watched that . The most appalling mould on the side walls through condensation.. and that is in Sussex. I run wooden hives with insulated hive covers - in a much colder and windier microclimate - with no mould.

Mould thrives in damp, dark places which provide a perfect environment for mould to grow on walls etc.

I'm not sure what the problem for the bees is with the mould? It's a problem for humans, but what I'm not sure about is what the problem is for the bees? I have had insulated lids and wooden walls with mould. I've had uninsulated lids and wooden walls with no mould. I see it as a result of too much space for the number of bees.

 

[Apple]

Not at all necessarily, any bee from a harsher climate, or in fact from a warmer one but bred for harsher will find the U.K. winter, especially in the extremely mikd area you keep bees a doddle.
Wasnt it Ralph Buchler in his national honey show lectures who made the point that theres no reason why bees from elsewhere cannot be better adapted to a location than those that evolved there ?
I suppose he's wrong too?
My personal experience of packages from Murray is very different too. They not only survived, they thrived giving over 60lb average from the heather that year( still my best). They were also the core of my queen rearing for the next 5 years never taking losses above 4% and never not trebbling national honey averages.
Granted they were hungry buggers originally but 2nd and 3rd generation ...

Adaptation... indeed look how the Africanised bees have colonised parts of the United states.
Thereagain how DNA analyses of the European Foul brood has shown how specific sub types of the killer disease have been spread across our tiny island. thought to be from imported packages!

Up side is that anyone with a little skill can breed better bees from their own stocks which would take the heat of this unnecessary mass importation every year.
Nadelik Lowen

 

[GloryBee]

Adaptation... indeed look how the Africanised bees have colonised parts of the United states.
Thereagain how DNA analyses of the European Foul brood has shown how specific sub types of the killer disease have been spread across our tiny island. thought to be from imported packages!

Up side is that anyone with a little skill can breed better bees from their own stocks which would take the heat of this unnecessary mass importation every year.
Nadelik Lowen

More invent a truth ? Just how many strains of EFB do they think there are in northern italy?
Surely this is simple to prove , no need for "thought" just compare strains with N.Italy

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

If you watch nothing else in this series of talks everyone should watch the talk on getting bees through winter ... so much good advice.

https://zoom.us/rec/play/hwknxE_SB8...feb782322bcc2231f53ce52f57e3&_x_zm_rhtaid=913
The only thing I disagree with is Roger's dismissive comments on insulation .. he's one of the old school who does not believe in what he terms 'mollycoddling' and his view is that if you have to insulate hives to keep your bees alive then you have the wrong bees ... his comparisons with the nest of a feral colony suggests that they don't insulate ... and yet he keeps bees in thin walled boxes without top insulation although in a hollow tree they have probably the best insulation around and above them. The argument therefore does not hold water..

Virtually everything else is bang on the money and a masterclass in getting bees ready for winter.

I've listened to his talk (don't like to waste a recommendation) and as soon as it finished, I wanted to get your take on this - but I see you've already addressed it!

Here's what came up in the questions after the talk:
Q: Colonies in trees are well-insulated without ventilation - so why do we do the opposite?
RP: (much hesitation) I do understand the question - I really don't know the answer.

I don't think he really has a 'view' or considered position on this; more a case of, 'I've always done it this way, and it works for me.'

[It wasn't you, Philip, who asked the question by any chance?]

 

[Apple]

More invent a truth ? Just how many strains of EFB do they think there are in northern italy?
Surely this is simple to prove , no need for "thought" just compare strains with N.Italy

My word that IS antagonistic.....

Chill out man! stop taking every post on this Beekeeping Forum to heart...

I was referring to the recently published document... that I am just too busy to look for at the moment.... that described EFB strains in the UK.
Never mentioned Northern Italy, Wompoopoo land or anywhere else!

Someone will have a link to the UK EFB survey... by DEFRA/NBU??? if you have not read it... Shirley?

Nadelik Lowen

 

[GloryBee]

My word that IS antagonistic.....

Chill out man! stop taking every post on this Beekeeping Forum to heart...

I was referring to the recently published document... that I am just too busy to look for at the moment.... that described EFB strains in the UK.
Never mentioned Northern Italy, Wompoopoo land or anywhere else!

Someone will have a link to the UK EFB survey... by DEFRA/NBU??? if you have not read it... Shirley?

Nadelik Lowen

You said the strains were brought in by packages . Take a look at where our packages come from 2019
6% chzech republic,
less than 1% Germany
93% Italy

The actual comments on distribution of strains were.

"For the last three years, the NBU has
obtained the ST from nearly every
outbreak of EFB in England and Wales,
helping to track and trace infections. Some
infections have come from national trade
in honey bees, others from international
honey bee movements."

Unsurprisingly, no mention of packages and highly unlikely there would be as they are free of brood when shipped and certified free from such before shipping . Nor any suggestion that any possible international strains were brought in by legitimate means under TRACES. Far more likely such would arrive by less well regulated means.
Like i said earlier can we stick to reality PLEASE. Certainly i( and no doubt others) find your constant falsehoods designed to promote your bees, to be rather tiresome.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Like i said earlier can we stick to reality PLEASE. Certainly i( and no doubt others) find your constant falsehoods designed to promote your bees, to be rather tiresome.

Strange, you've only been a member of the forum a few months and to be honest, there's hardly been a mention of Apple's particular bees in that time.

 

[GloryBee]

And in that time ive been far more occupied with the many years of historical posts than i have with the few of interest that come up in the off season.
Glad you agree that he in his many identities has consistently done this though.