Apis mellifera mellifera(AMM) honey bees

[Eric McArthur]

Hi
Is it possible to breed pure race (genotype) Apis mellifera, mellifera (AMM) honey bees commercially in MAINLAND Scotland"?

Eric

[gavin]

You can find several people who do ....

http://www.sbai.org.uk/Breeding/

G.

[Eric McArthur]

Hi Gavin
Many thanks for the link. I am on a keen learning curve here and I am sure other non- AMM beekeepers, if they are honest will be also. I have studied the cubital index /discoidal shift diagrams and I am not surprised at the scale of divergence from the classic 1.8 cubital index considering the incursion of exotic bees from various different sources into Scotland over the years. What is the accepted range of disparity between values which is the cut – off for an area designated as an isolated pure race breeding area?
I note that the cubital range on the Roseneath Peninsula is some 1.3 to 2.1, with a concentration of results around the 1.6 to 1.8 index. Jims discoidal average is around (-)3.5
Margie’s readings range from 1 to 2.2 as you already know with a cluster of values around the 1.4 to 1.5 index. Margie’s discoidal average is around (-) 5.5.
I was extremely impressed with Margie’s entrepreneurial Sortie to get her disease free breeding material she will go far! I am in awe!
From the information to hand – it would seem that a “pure race” breeding program is still some way off! Or???
Regards
Eric

[Jon]

Eric
Check out this thread
there are lots of examples of AMM type scattergrams

[Jimbo]

Hi Eric,

I will be discussing the Rosneath results in April at the Glasgow Beekeepers as part of my talk. I should warn you that using software like Drawwing is not the whole answer. You need to look at other Morphometric charateristics of Amm. A lot of people get hung up with the Cubital Index and Discodal shift results only but it is still a good tool that beekeepers can easily use to see the amount of hybridisation in their colonies and use it to select Amm when breeding. The Rosneath results you have quoted are last years results and by selective breeding the results have improved again this year with some colonies giving a result up to 95% for Amm

[gavin]

Guys

Almost worth coming through to Glasgow for that talk methinks! Nice to see your lecturing career burgeoning Jimbo.

I propose moving this thread to 'Native bees' but I'll leave it here awhile yet to get everyone used to the idea. Just being tidy.

G.