Bob wrote:

> Prolific is a must for those which keep bees for a living ...
Peter wrote:
I cannot understand why!

One of the first beekeeper sayings I ever heard has stood the test of time.

"Fill a box with bees and the bees will fill the box with honey"

There are many ways to keep bees and all beekeeping is local but the above
has stood the test of time.

In time of a strong honey flow you need bees to bring in the crop.

Certain races fly earlier and later than others and are better suited for
different areas of the world but prolific suits most commercial beekeepers.

The reason why the Italian bee is the most used commercial bee in the world.

I have long put up with the Italian bee not being able to handle tracheal
mites *long term*. I have used Italian lines which may only need a treatment
every few years and others which need a more frequent treatment. I test so I
speak with authority on my Italian lines.

No such problem with my Russian & Carniolan bees but the Italian bees out
produce all other lines I have used and certainly the A.mm I started with.

The Italian lines are so prolific varroa can be a problem in the first year
made up *going into late winter* in my area. We have now got some soft
treatments approved in the U.S. for both tracheal & varroa for which
resistance has not risen its ugly head both in Europe & Canada so I am
putting Italians back in the system.

In the August American Bee Journal I have got an article showing the results
of a large number of Australian queens I started on two frames of brood this
spring. Six weeks later the majority of hives were on 10 frames of brood!
Besides prolific the bees are  gentle which you can see by the pictures. We
worked three yards tearing the hive all the way down to count brood (not all
hives but a few in each yard) and only received a couple stings. I mashed a
bee and got stung on the finger and Terry Brown (Browns Bees Australia) got
a lone sting. The weather was perfect but a honey flow was not on.
Those are my views and may not be the same as others but BEE-L would not be
a very interesting list if all our observations were the same.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri

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