Yes indeed. Exactly what the unfortunate Italian beeks in Calabria are going through. They have a bee export trade from other parts of the country to protect, and they are doing it with zeal.Originally Posted by mbc
Have caught a drift that the UK position may be becoming more pragmatic however, and that infested status might not be long in being declared after an initial incursion, depending on what they find.
However........
The thread IS a virus thread....so apologies to all for jumping in.
Last edited by Calluna4u; 06-02-2016 at 10:33 PM.
Lol. I don't think I've ever read a thread on this forum which has strictly stayed on course, and if it drifts to any purpose Gavin usually does an excellent job of putting posts where they're supposed to be or in a new thread.
We've touched on this subject of strains of virus many times during discussions on varroa resistant bees. Across the bay from me on the lleyn peninsula many beekeepers have been treatment free (or using a very light touch)for nearly a decade and their bees survive despite having varroa, however it's not magic and queens from there don't do better than the run of the mill when parachuted into another area.
A quick question to all saying this report is grounds for an import ban. What disease is it you fear the spread of from imports to the UK ?
E bola, zika, bird flu, and any deadly to my bees strain of virus.
Ok, anyone with a disease that importing bees could carry .
I'm simply interested to know what disease we will import from the countries we allow.
Yes I should have left it
Apologies all round and in particular to C4u whose £88 packages of Italian bees represent incredible value
By driving those back personally from Italy he is providing an essential service to Britain's farmers and beekeepers
Those are not available yet so please don't keep calling just send a PM and you will be advised
Sometimes altruism can be misinterpreted by the cynical amateur like myself
Bee movements are good they introduce new genetics so the further the better
I can't see why people who import bees shouldn't expect to still be popular and I know you are
I have rejoined the Scottish Beekeeping Association so I should be better informed in future
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DWV spread 'manmade'
Ok so we don't have to stick to the viruses theme then. I think the bigger picture is something that should be considered. My personal belief is that we should have a self sufficient and sustainable supply of bees here in Scotland and to me that implies no imports. I say Scotland as I'm Scottish and we're a Scottish forum. How the rest (dare I say rump?!) of the UK operates is up to them
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I'm thinking of taking a more positive view going forward
If you cant beat them join them
It's very exciting to know that I can buy imported queens and bees from now on
All with a clear conscience
The local gene pool could do with a shake up
I've left it a bit late in life to have a beekeeping epiphany
But who knows I might be the New Brother Adam of the North
Crikey just checked out the Queen prices on a top website £40
I might be cheaper to go and get my own at source
Where is Caucasia anyway ?
Home range the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Historically these were a much imported bee, even into Scotland but more so into northern England. They were bred here for many years by Mountain Gray apiaries, which I think were in Yorkshire around Hull someplace (might be wrong in that).
Not greatly used since the 1980s.....and mostly used up to the 60's.
In extreme cases they made so much propolis that the frames looked like they had been dipped in toffee.
Gray, very gentle, but slow in spring, and as they were unsuited to OSR, were gradually superceded by a liking for carnica. Not great winterers, seemed to have a serious nosema susceptibility and acarine could be a problem. No experience of them in the post varroa era.
Still see Caucasian echos in the local bees, the most obvious being intensely melanisitic characteristics in some of the the drones. Jet black with even the wings being tinted dark. Have not seen that character in any other race.
Most interesting variant involving it I ever saw was out near Crieff where some of our young queens outmated, and in the NEXT generation we threw up both Caucasian traits AND Cordovan colouration in the same hives, I think it was 5 of them in one group. Drones were weird too, green, yellow, salmon, and chestnut eyes all in one apiary close to the historic library at Innerpeffray.
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