Bob and all:
Well Bob, you said " I would be interested in you
describing your bees and their good & hopefully describe
any undesirable traits."
Reply:
Well, this certainly will be different responding to you
Bob, as you are testing established lines, and we are
finishing a program we started with a shakedown of our
whole outfit in the spring of 1997, when we where told to
prove and show our methods worked. This year should be our
last round of expansion back with splits/divides, and then
it will be two more years to finish, polishing off, working
specifically on the bees the last two.
However, to describe our bees, some of the traits which you
see as bad.....we see only as good and necessary, so I
guess each beekeeper has to decide what is best to ones own
area and management style. But herein is a problem, for if
the management style doesn't fit the locally adapted flora
and/or latitude then problems could arise.
But to describe our bees to you, two main parameters would
need to be looked at. 1) that which is across the board
stock, and 2) that which is looked for exceptionally, for
usage as breeder stock and making the mix.......and these
are two different categories. But then this you should
already be aware of being commercial.
For the first, would be similar to stock you have been
given to test by others, while the second would be special
stock reserved back for making the combination, and/or
maintaining it, and hence the two different categories.
But you said to describe our bees for the good, but since
this is normally done after making the mix then the bad is
normally already gone, to get to where we want to
be...except that what we see as good, you may not, i.e.
like shutting down brooding during honey flows, and
throwing all the force for foraging stores needed by the
colonies,with of course,surplus for us. Also propolizing we
see as good, while others see as bad.
But in describing our bees,production is always in the
front, especially with us being in a known desert area.
Right now for example we are in over 130 days of drought
with no rain and no spring build up started because of it.
This takes bees that can hold and then when rain does come,
build up FAST and get stores and hopefully surplus for us.
Another good is that they have been acclimitized by us to
accomodate our area and have never really been used
elsewhere........hence I don't know how they might work in
your area for instance. For what is good here might be
opposite in your opinion.
But the bees are screened for about 18
traits/characteristics we here look for,say vs,only about
10 traits/charactreristics we don't like. This is something
we have always done.
The thelytoky trait is a great positive and backup system
known in many races strains (i.e. carnolian, caucasian,
italian, amm)and needed for natural beekeeping due to
extreme conditions the bees commercially are many times
subjected to, but you should be aware of these extreme
conditions with bees commercially. besides already knowing
we have had this trait for years with our bees and that
they were compared to cape bees years ago by sampling so
that they couldn't be called same when we had a working
relationship with USDA back in the 1980s.
Also the secondary swarming is a very good trait for large
commercial operations as least IMPOV especially when large
numbers of queens are being switched, but you too should be
aware of this with mass requeening programs and or large
migratory movement of large numbers of colonies and the
holding yards they are kept in, for you can end up with
clusters all over the place hanging in yards being worked,
and I have seen this in the past in other states or even
here over in Yuma where much pollenation goes on. It is
also needed during exceptional times of stress.
But you are certainly accurate to state that the negative
traits can be overcome by management practices, but I would
add here.....to fit ones's area.
Also I would like to say that for our main stock we prefer
a hybrid type, more similar to small dark earlier Italians
by about 50% and the rest small blackish. All uniform in
color and size also and this means a lot believe me. Then
for our selections for breeding when done,it is to the dark
side specificly small black, with selection finished in the
early fall after the main flow is done, for usage,for
performance has to count for production being in desert
environment.
So what is bad? well of course no surplus, too yellow, and
aggressive have always been absorbed throughout the active
year by spreading to the 4 winds by us. There are others
but those are the main ones. Of course some of the good we
see you would feel opposite here also.
Will stop for now..sure you will have comments.
Respectfully submitted,
Dee A. Lusby
Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper
Moyza, Arizona
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organicbeekeepers/
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