Dear Joe

Our Islands' native variety of bee mates with around 20 drones, often
less in poor weather, not that it matters too much unless it gets below
about 5. The variety of characters works to the bees' advantage and also
to ours since we get a good mix of genes and the consequent characters,
such as hygiene. What one drone cannot pass on, another might well. see
http://www.bbhoney.co.uk/

To your earlier request for new queens in spring, one of my friends and
working partners is producing queens for sale both from Buckfast and
locally selected stock. I have loaned him one of my breeders and my
central apiary to mate the locally selected bees in. We are getting
closer to varroa tolerance as we select, breed and replace each year and
the signs are very encouraging. I will post some pictures of tray debris
showing the remains of chewed out pupae (antennae, legs, eyes and so on)
from the most hygienic stock. You will appreciate I am recommending for
this part of the world, selected local sources of queens rather than
from another part of the world.

james kilty
http://www.honeymountain.co.uk

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