Distribution map of native and near-native bees

[Stromnessbees]

I wouldn't make it too complicated:

The basic map should be easy enough to set up, and then anybody with dark bees who wants to be on the map sends their details.

I would volunteer to do it but have lots of things on at the moment and shouldn't get involved in anything new just now.

Anybody else interested?

Doris

[Jimbo]

Hi Doris,

The possible way forward with this is for the SBA exec committee to consider this project and through the SBA association secretaries and area reps collect the samples from club apairies and from their members. The bee inspectors may possibly also be recruited to collect samples.The samples could be sent to a central collection point and stored in a freezer until there is time for the analysis. A nice winter project. The SBA could also try to get funding for such a project i.e through the Co op to pay for postage etc. The results could also be sent to BIBBA as part of their Discovery project.

Jimbo

[gavin]

Google Maps doesn't look too difficult. Maybe I could put something on the home page?

But what? Is a map of Amm records enough? How do we define sufficient purity to make it onto the list - morphometry only? Personally I think that eyeballing a colony tells you a lot, and adds something to morphometry data. Could we make a link from a Google Map placemark (made suitably slightly vague) to an image of the plot, or even better of the bees themselves?!

But what would we get from this? A map of dots that just show where the enthusiasts are? That is one reason why Jim's more ambitious plans make sense - gathering a larger sample of data.

What about recording *all* bees known to us - are they Amm, near Amm, mongrel, mostly Buckfast, carnica, caucasica, ligustica, could we all tell the difference? Wouldn't that be more informative? Something for the wider SBA membership too? I've wondered about trying to make a decent guide to the races for publication on the site, as it is hard to find the information anywhere.

An SBA group would be good. Is John D going to propose this?

best wishes

Gavin

[Trog]

What about recording *all* bees known to us - are they Amm, near Amm, mongrel, mostly Buckfast, carnica, caucasica, ligustica, could we all tell the difference? Wouldn't that be more informative? Something for the wider SBA membership too? I've wondered about trying to make a decent guide to the races for publication on the site, as it is hard to find the information anywhere.

Really good idea to have an identification guide ... with photos and points to help identification such as are found in bird guides.

[Jimbo]

Hi Gavin/Doris.

A good starting point for this would be to repeat the Stokley's work that was done in I think the late 80's. John Durkacz has I think all the original data although I don't know if it was plotted on a map. John did send me a set of results from this study to look at taken from a colony in Tongue in the 80's? in Sutherland which was 100% AMM. The question is. Is there still pure AMM in this area and in the other areas that the Stokley's tested.
The method of testing has changed with the advent of computers and scanners so I would first do morphometry to do a quick check and if the results looked promising use the other charateristics to determine if they are pure. The problem with all these projects is getting the beekeepers on board to give you a sample to test.

Jimbo