I've got a question or three, looking towards next year.
What would be the advantages of buying a native queen, or two, in an area full of mongrels where their descendants will probably mate with carniolan or buckfast drones? Would I need to keep buying in? Does anybody know if the native black's, or any type of bee's, genes are dominant?
I've realised this is probably in the wrong thread, sorry.
Last edited by Bumble; 13-08-2014 at 12:00 AM. Reason: added last sentence
Think of the satisfaction you would get as your native-type drones serviced those carnie and buckfast Qs.Originally Posted by Bumble
Bumble,
Also off the topic, but - my aim is (as far as is practical) to keep bees adapted to our local environment and to maintain good behaviour and productivity - buying good local queens helps (it brings in local genetic diversity) - as does requeening with the best bees from within my own hives.
The thread answers to my question on late swarming have been interesting to me - looking forward to more.
Alan.
Feckless Drone,
What a great reply - it says so much, so concisely.
Alan.
Yeah ... but never mind. Maybe whoever has the appropriate powers could cut these posts out and stick 'em in the 'AMM thread' ? 'Cause (imo) this is a very valid concern.
I think one of Jon's answers a while back provides a good solution. Which was (in my words):
to buy an AMM queen in year one, and let her offspring mate with whatever drones are around. Queens from those matings will then provide your AMM drones for year two.
Then, in year two, if grafts (or whatever method you engage in) are taken from a second AMM queen of an unrelated genetic line, then those virgins will go on to mate with the drones from the first AMM queen - and after that, you're up and running ...
Ok - so there's still undoubtedly going to be some genetic 'contamination' from other breeds, so a fresh AMM queen from a controlled mating setup may well be required from time to time - but that's only one new queen per apiary, and maybe only needed every five or six years or so.
Sounds like a bl##dy good plan to me (which is why I'm currently engaged in doing precisely that myself, right now).
LJ
But won't the AMM be outnumbered by all the rest?
Think that would be the case in most areas because drones are regularily tracked 15 miles or more from their home hive.
Any queen you buy will eventually disappear and a daughter mated by local drones takes over.
Might as well be AMM though if you can get one
In many areas that's the case but if you have a queen rearing group and you get most local beekeepers on board you should get good results.
A drone can fly 15 miles but that is not a regular occurrence. I imagine most head to a local congregation area within a mile or two.
A lot of my queens mate over the apiary itself so I assume they are mating with the drones from within my own apiaries. I have seen this happen at 4 different apiary sites.
Hi Jon
I have 34 hives on the smallholding at the moment so probably have a fair proportion of the very local drone pool
Drones have great wing power and make hops between hives I think they are always welcome so they get around
Could AVM be either to do with location or might it be a trait in some bees
I guess you might have more ideas on that than me
Queens leaving mating nucs take their flights earlier and might have less wing power so mate closer to home ?
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