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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Gene Ash <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 31 Dec 2018 06:16:40 -0600
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a Pete B snip... 
I don't think anyone doubts that there are distinct subspecies or races of bees nor that they have specific attributes. 

my comments>
Is it still going on??? well certainly but as your prior comments suggested at a rate most folks will never notice and in response to any major alteration in the environment (varroa, tracheal mites... just to name 2 on the current list of maladies).  Of course you could increase the rate of change by not moving bees unfit for the current environment around so much... but you and I know that will never happen (or to somewhat quote Winston Churchill.. the Americans will finally do the right thing after exhausting all other possibilities).  

Many here (including myself) will discount all the promo language about locally adapted stock but most of us who have done this for very long do have experience with stock that does not fit in so well with a local environment or with the beekeepers purpose(s).  

a couple of examples... 
1) Long long ago while working for a commercial beekeeper who had a contract to produce packages that were sold via the farm version of the Sears and Roebuck catalogue we shook bees from the owners and the owners brother in laws bees.  One was your basic commercial Italian stock and the other was almost pure midnight. This was all done in east Texas in the early spring. The package production on the Italian stock went well (although the owner made a key mistake in not having a feeding program early and in quantity) but we could never shake a single package out of the midnight... The midnights were then moved to central Nebraska where they produced a consistent honey crop but as a source of package bees they were a flop.

2) Sue C. tell me the carins are not a good match for this area (I had talked to here about obtaining some II stock) and my experience with some carni cross tells me she is quite likely correct.

3) and for a form of honeybee that fits into a particular environment or niche once only need to travel across the southwester US and consider the africanized bee as a good example of something that is very much adapted to the local area.

Gene in Central Texas... 

 

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