Burning questions need HELP please

[Calluna4u]

Not going to get 'into it' regarding the hybridisation/temperament stuff, but over many thousands of crossings my experience does NOT back up the aggression theory.

However.....even in Italy what they see as ligustica bees even have some sub families in most hives that show no yellow. The bees LOOK exactly like the bees that came in this year as packages. They were Italian or Italian Buckfast. PM me with the source and I might be able to shed more definitive light on it. They are a tad yellower than the Piemonte Buckfasts.

Cut comb does indeed fetch double the price........but that fails to take into account some pretty significant downsides to producing it. We cut in excess of 20,000 pieces last year (I would be on strange drugs if I thought we would get that this year) and do have it all costed out. The profitability is not greatly different from extracted honey at half the price...IF labour is costed in. Biggies are 1. reduced production 2. Annual frame clean and rewax 3. High labour costs (its slow to do properly) 4. Limited market and shelf life (only ling and borage excepted if very pure).

Item 1. was a subject of research we did quite some years ago now, and shallow frames of thin foundation at the heather had a yield of only about c40% of the optimum, which was deep frames of drawn comb, and only c60% of that on shallow frames of drawn comb. Starter strips were far worse than that and sections were the worst of all. I have put up the figures before on various forums but I do not think I have done on here.

I only really do the comb under pressure from our main client. Probably not a thing I would prefer to do. Even at double the rate. That is not reflected in extra profit. However...it IS a lovely gourmet product when correctly done, and if pride in what you produce is a big factor for you then there is nothing better.

[nemphlar]

I replaced a queen today with lots of banding in the off spring, they were terrors, for whatever reason the heavily banded crosses in Clyde valley area have always been aggressive? Although I've had to cull all sorts over the years

[gwizzie]

Not going to get 'into it' regarding the hybridisation/temperament stuff, but over many thousands of crossings my experience does NOT back up the aggression theory.

However.....even in Italy what they see as ligustica bees even have some sub families in most hives that show no yellow. The bees LOOK exactly like the bees that came in this year as packages. They were Italian or Italian Buckfast. PM me with the source and I might be able to shed more definitive light on it. They are a tad yellower than the Piemonte Buckfasts.

Cut comb does indeed fetch double the price........but that fails to take into account some pretty significant downsides to producing it. We cut in excess of 20,000 pieces last year (I would be on strange drugs if I thought we would get that this year) and do have it all costed out. The profitability is not greatly different from extracted honey at half the price...IF labour is costed in. Biggies are 1. reduced production 2. Annual frame clean and rewax 3. High labour costs (its slow to do properly) 4. Limited market and shelf life (only ling and borage excepted if very pure).

Item 1. was a subject of research we did quite some years ago now, and shallow frames of thin foundation at the heather had a yield of only about c40% of the optimum, which was deep frames of drawn comb, and only c60% of that on shallow frames of drawn comb. Starter strips were far worse than that and sections were the worst of all. I have put up the figures before on various forums but I do not think I have done on here.

I only really do the comb under pressure from our main client. Probably not a thing I would prefer to do. Even at double the rate. That is not reflected in extra profit. However...it IS a lovely gourmet product when correctly done, and if pride in what you produce is a big factor for you then there is nothing better.

Hi C4U, thanks for the replay and comments. I have sent you a PM await reply