>I am not concerned whether the bees were native to the area, only that
>they are 'suitable'... Dee used the word acclimatised

I think the correct word is acclimated. Personally, I think this idea is
tossed about loosely without clear proof. Do we know how long it would take
for honeybees to become acclimated? I would think at least several thousand
years. Then you have to contend with the constant influx (at least in the
US) of bees from the South. So even if someone is trying to get acclimated
bees in their little neck of the woods by inbreeding, they are bound to
out-cross with their neighbor's bees.

>If the bees cannot cope with the crop that they gather, they must be
>supported either by artificial feeding or by artificial management

All our interventions are artificial. The idea that some honey is healthier
for bees goes way back. To leave the better quality (for bees) honey and
harvest the other is not artificial management but taking care of your bees.
The bees have no way of sorting honey by grade, even if they had a way of
knowing which honey was more healthful. Too much has been made of feeding in
the discussion of the past few weeks. There are plenty of beekeepers who
never have to feed their bees, except to stave off starvation due to a crop
failure.

pb

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