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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 17 Oct 2002 09:10:39 -0400
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Re:
Racial differences among bees.

I think the term race should be dropped altogether, but especially with
bees. There are certain types, with characteristics, but actually, great
differences occur between hives, so I would hesitate to attribute
characteristics to "type" rather than individual colony.

Unless you have a lot of experience with one type and can compare this with
equal experience with another, I would avoid such generalizations. There are
very few pure types any more, and there are a lot of hybrids with distinct
characteristics, like the "Russians" or the "African Bees".

If you study biology, you know that terms like species, sub-species,
variety, type, are debated endlessly. With molecular biology looking for
genetic differences between these categories, the water seems muddier than
ever.

pb

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