New BIBBA website

[Jon]

I remember the thread in your link. I even posted in it which shows its age as I stopped posting on BKF years ago.

[mbc]

As far as I know there are no commercial breeders of AMM bees anywhere

http://www.beekeeping.com/fert/fert_us.htm#reines

[The Drone Ranger]

http://www.beekeeping.com/fert/fert_us.htm#reines

Hi mbc
problem solved
Instrumentally inseminated 183 euro

I would still be inclined to wing scan the bees they produce though
The Caucasians might look similar and so would crosses

[The Drone Ranger]

I remember the thread in your link. I even posted in it which shows its age as I stopped posting on BKF years ago.

It does show the difficulty of buying in good stock though
You are lucky to have such good bees to start with Jon
But it does take some serious effort to maintain
That's why you are NI beekeeper of the year

[Jon]

LOL.
The background bee population in NI is very poor.
It is different down south as there are areas with virtually 100% native stock.
It is a well known fact that bees cannot recognise either the colour red or wiggly line borders drawn on the island of Ireland so the problem is easily fixed.

[The Drone Ranger]

mbc has shown you the way forward Jon
you need Artificial Inseminating kit
You get lots and lots of apideas for 180 Euros

Heres a really good queen breeding operation describing how they do it
http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/apimondia_1.html
heres the drone side of things
http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/apimondia_2.html
which race is best? read on
http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/apimondia_3.html

[mbc]

Hi mbc
problem solved
Instrumentally inseminated 183 euro

I would still be inclined to wing scan the bees they produce though
The Caucasians might look similar and so would crosses

@DR, the Giles Fert advert is one of many easily found on the internet, I was just trying to illustrate that there is a commercial market here and abroad for amm.
If you google for UK queen suppliers there are quite a few offering amm, South Downs, Bickerstaffes, fragile planet, to name but a few. I wouldnt bet my house on any of those being good examples of amm (unless Rosie knows different about the fp amm) but they advertise them to satisfy demand - though they are mostly listed as out of stock.
The majority of queens raised on a semi commercial scale in Britain get swallowed up by local demand long before the need for internet advertising to market them. As soon as a queen breeder gets a good name and is recommended within the local associations demand will outstrip supply unless the breeder gives up the day job to concentrate on queen rearing, and thats another step up in investment, risk and uncertain demand which is enough to deter all but the most unhinged optimistic fools..

[gavin]

mbc has shown you the way forward Jon
you need Artificial Inseminating kit

Don't get carried away DR. II might be a useful extra but there are so many other things to get right first. Good numbers of stocks to maintain a breeding pool, means of identifying and selecting the better stocks for your situation. Unless you are tapping into someone else's breeding work.

Jon identifies hybridised colonies and either requeens them or uses them to make bees and (transplanted) drones. Sounds like a good strategy to me.

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[The Drone Ranger]

I'm afraid I still am unconvinced by the aguments
BIBBA's three priciples are contradictory
The availability of AMM is patchy
And if breeders select from existing stocks they are creating a replacement not preserving AMM
I'm inclined to the view that there is no real argument for AMM over common hybrid bees
The thing that seems to attract people to AMM is the nostalgia principle where everything gone by was better than now
My new beeyear resolution is to put any native bee considerations behind me and move on unencumbered

[madasafish]

I'm afraid I still am unconvinced by the aguments
BIBBA's three priciples are contradictory
The availability of AMM is patchy
And if breeders select from existing stocks they are creating a replacement not preserving AMM
I'm inclined to the view that there is no real argument for AMM over common hybrid bees
The thing that seems to attract people to AMM is the nostalgia principle where everything gone by was better than now
My new beeyear resolution is to put any native bee considerations behind me and move on unencumbered

When I started beekeeping nearly 4 years ago I read the AMM debate avidly. I thought that having native bees was ideal.

BIBBA had none.
No-one had any.


The BBKA went on about opposing queen imports.

IF they were serious, they (BIBBA) would have a setup where they sold AMM queens to all and sundry in mass.

If the BBKA were serious in their opposition to queen imports they would encourage local queen breeders to gear up to supply the market.

Four years later, NOTHING has changed.

Conclusion: neither are serious. It's words only.

I decided 4 years ago it was likely that was the case: I am convinced now by the evidence not only of lack of progress but the lack of any serious attempt to start progress.

Sorry: it's all BS in my view. Fine words, no actions.