Your thoughts on this breeder.

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
You should provide the proof to substantiate your claims not sell counterfeit goods.
Well, we are on the same page then.
No Beeno. You have accused Swarm of selling Amm without proof that they are.
I think this nit picking has to stop.
 
No. Do you? I would like to see the proof.
Next year our treasurer is taking samples of our bees hopefully we will end up with some good DNA analysis.

Im hopeful, but I'm in the mind it will take a few more generations yet and a bit more selection.
I've sold nucs this season but I've sold them as local bees some of the queen's were ginger and raised from our Italian mongrel colonys but the of spring are dark.. Obviously the mix of my purer Amms is starting to have an influence over all.

Im also over wintering 6 nice sized Italian mongrels on three boxes.
Super brood super. They do well on this configuration... It was a system grandad use to use.
And I've not had one of these colonys swarm on this box system.
Im waffling here apologies.
 
Last edited:
Next year our treasurer is taking samples of our bees hopefully we will end up with some good DNA analysis.

Im hopeful, but I'm in the mind it will take a few more generations yet and a bit more selection.
I've sold nucs this season but I've sold them as local bees some of the queen's were ginger and raised from our Italian mongrel colonys but the of spring are dark.. Obviously the mix of my purer Amms is starting to have an influence over all.

Im also over wintering 6 nice sized Italian mongrels on three boxes.
Super brood super. They do well on this configuration... It was a system grandad use to use.
And I've not had one of these colonys swarm on this box system.
Im waffling here apologies.
Yes but you waffle so nicely - will be interesting to hear the results of any DNA analysis.
 
Yes but you waffle so nicely - will be interesting to hear the results of any DNA analysis.
Thanks my Scottish friend:).
It will.
The association already have one of my blacker queen's and I'm told that she is showing good native traits.
Obviously not a definitive answer to how pure she is but on there way to being much improved.
I've come to the conclusion.. That my hot toddys aren't hot toddys... There my Shropshire twist on a Irish coffee.
 
I know that a high percentage of my own bees are Cornish Amm... DNA nuclear and mitochondrial has been the proof of that.... via the B4 project.
However these bees do show all the traits associated with Amm.. frugal on stores, adaptation to local forage flows, good temper, honey producers in all conditions, low swarming tendency, good overwintering and flying and forageing in les than clement conditions and varroa resistance..... and morphometry .. wing discoidal shift towards the left, low cubital index...
ginger hairs etc etc
Most above 85% on the DNA scale... many of the other bees tested showing lower DNA but all of the above traits I would class as near native.

What is the problem???
You will be letting me have one of these queen's then? Pretty pls?
 
Sounds like it could be a rather expensive queen to me.. I do like my food though.
Last time I was down your way it cost me an arm and a leg... Over priced and size portions are rubbish.
I did have some nice sea food in Looe
And milliom.
Hale is probably my favourite area and the lizard pininsula.
Went scoberdiving of the lizard, kynance cove the water was green.. A pain to walk to though.
 
Sounds like it could be a rather expensive queen to me.. I do like my food though.
Last time I was down your way it cost me an arm and a leg... Over priced and size portions are rubbish.
I did have some nice sea food in Looe
And milliom.
Hale is probably my favourite area and the lizard pininsula.
Went scoberdiving of the lizard, kynance cove the water was green.. A pain to walk to though.
I dived with sharks off the Longships.... bloody great girtlikkin baskers... vis was 20m
will never forget that!
Had planned to get some warm water diving in this winter... but the Chinese pox has put paid to that!

Nadelik Lowen
 
Thanks for the pen picture.
If you go to the BIBBA website (Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association - aiming to improve and protect the native bee mostly) at - Webinars – BIBBA
you can watch their webinars for free and many of them feature Roger Patterson - seems to me he has some sound advice and it entertaining.
You can also join BIBBA if you're interested in working on reducing imports which, in my humble opinion, only become hybridised / mongrelised in a very short time - my reason for regretting buying so called 'Buckfasts' twice now, but at the time that was all I could get.
The BIBBA website is (again, IMHO) worth a look as is the Dave Cushman website -
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/textlinks.htmlRichard
 
BIBBA has a very interesting webinar schedule lined up for next year, two of them from prominent Irish beekeepers :)

As you've found, Richard, whatever you bring in soon becomes what is around you.
 
BIBBA has a very interesting webinar schedule lined up for next year, two of them from prominent Irish beekeepers :)

As you've found, Richard, whatever you bring in soon becomes what is around you.
You're right. The so called Buckfasts (very different from the ones I bought direct from Brother Adam in about 1982) I had to begin the year with have served a purpose in increasing from the original nuc to four hives but I'm really pleased to say that we have a mated AMM queen coming in from Jonathan Getty in N.I. next year as well as one from Ceri Morgan (aka mbc) so I'm really excited about that. Just can't wait for the next season to begin when we can breed our own quality queens and requeen all the hives asap. I just hope the Buckfast drones haven't done too much local harm in the meantime.
 
You're right. The so called Buckfasts (very different from the ones I bought direct from Brother Adam in about 1982) I had to begin the year with have served a purpose in increasing from the original nuc to four hives but I'm really pleased to say that we have a mated AMM queen coming in from Jonathan Getty in N.I. next year as well as one from Ceri Morgan (aka mbc) so I'm really excited about that. Just can't wait for the next season to begin when we can breed our own quality queens and requeen all the hives asap. I just hope the Buckfast drones haven't done too much local harm in the meantime.
With just four colonies it is a very long shot to get the Amm bee of your dreams.... unless you invest some time and cash in Instrumental Insemination... mark the drones you want sperm from!

The beekeeper in the next village or even next apiary hidden over the hedge may import something you wish he or she had not... and often they do not understand or even care about your passion for the LOCAL native bees.....

Forget N Ireland... just get some of Ceri's and work from there!
 
I'm really pleased to say that we have a mated AMM queen coming in from Jonathan Getty in N.I. next year as well as one from Ceri Morgan (aka mbc) so I'm really excited about that.
You will be very happy with your choice, both Jon and Ceri sell beautiful queens. I'm guessing the background population in your region are black bees, with native traits (in other words high % Amm with a dash of this and that) You are helping things in your direction by adding some diversity with your new queens.
Exciting times for you :)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top