Content-Transfer-Encoding: |
quoted-printable |
Sender: |
|
Subject: |
|
From: |
|
Date: |
Wed, 28 May 2008 04:04:49 EDT |
Content-Type: |
text/plain; charset="UTF-8" |
MIME-Version: |
1.0 |
Reply-To: |
|
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
In a message dated 28/05/2008 02:16:34 GMT Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
I’m suspecting this aggressiveness is a result of
crosses between domestic strains, as history records much aggressiveness
in bees during the time we were replacing the German Black with the
Italian and later, during the early 1900’s Cyprian bees turned aggressive,
but I’m not sure of any cause to explain it.
Heterosis or hybrid vigour. Old men, now long dead, spoke to me in awe of
the fearsome temper of the 'black Italians' around in the 1920s. First crosses
often make a very cross cross but things calm down when all the bees in the
area are thoroughly mongrelised and normal selection for good temper is
possible.
Then somebody decides the grass is greener with the latest fashionable breed
and introduces it to an area to the general detriment of temper. I was once
persuaded to accept a NZ Italian queen - that stock was very prolific and
docile and handled and bred like flies and I made use of the prolific swarm
cells they produced to re-queen other colonies. It took me about 5 years to get
the temper of my bees back to as good as it had been before.
Chris (UK)
****************************************************
* General Information About BEE-L is available at: *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm *
****************************************************
|
|
|