On 10/14/07, Steve Rose <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> According to Beowulf  Cooper and Wedmore (although I have not come across
> the point in the only Wedmore book I have) AMM adult workers typically live
> for 2 or 3
> weeks longer than Italians.  This, in effect, about doubles their
> foraging life.  ............... All  this results in a greater proportion
> of
> the nectar collected being converted to surplus honey.



I have been reading this line about Amm bees with interest for the past few
weeks and was not going to comment as we have all heard these stories of
super Amm bees for years, I as a UK beekeeper have yet to find a Amm type of
bee that has does not have at least three of the following traits:
aggressiveness, high propensity to swarm, collects excessive propolis, slow
build up and small honey crops.

I have experienced Amm or near Amm bees from County Durham, New Forest,
Shropshire Cornwall and Kent. None of these have proved suitable for even my
small scale beekeeping (around 100 colonies)

The story that Amm has a longer life than other sub species has no
scientific evidence behind it, just the word of a enthusiastic amateur Mr B
Cooper.

Even back in 1940'sR.O.B. Manley proclaimed the Italian as the only bee
suitable for commercial beekeeping

The only areas that Amm beats pure import Italians is how they winter in the
UK, but this  is not a problem with the first cross. And areas such as
Scotland where the main flow is Heather, then Amm is the bee that can cope
with the conditions

The Italian bee and hybrids produce bees and as Bob says bees make honey.

Regards Phil

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