In message <[log in to unmask]>, Dee Lusby 
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>What says they are slower building up? They seem to build up fast to me 
>when kept on a natural beekeeping system relative to their homeland 
>race/strain sizing. And they work many plants other races do not seem 
>to......at least IMPOV.


Sorry, but I have had these bees from various breeders including a 
considerable number direct from the Caucasus mountains.

They ARE a relatively slow spring bee whereas a carnica is much faster.

The roll out slowly and get little or no surplus from spring sources, 
but get into their stride by mid season, and are good clover bees.

Yes, they winter small and pack the nest area, and almost completely 
close off the entrance and all gaps with propolis, sometimes like big 
gobs of chewing gum attached to the bottom corners of the frames in the 
lowest box.

Have had them direct from Georgia (the country, not the state), France, 
and in the more distant past from Georgia (the state) and Alabama. The 
French ones were modest tempered and quite good bees. The Georgian ones 
were of mixed temperament (some outright tetchy}. The USA ones were for 
the most part of little value in my environment. Slow spring build up 
which misses the rapeseed (canola) is a serious issue here.

Like someone else posted, once the New World Carniolan came into my unit 
the wish for Caucasians vanished. I have experimented with them since 
but not found anything of sufficient merit to include in my programme.

FWIW, the purest Caucasians frequently show a trait of extreme 
melanistic drones. They are intense black, so much so that even the 
wings carry some colouration. From past experience, if you see that in 
any of your bees you have some Caucasian blood in there somewhere.
-- 
Murray McGregor

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