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Date: | Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:11:28 -0000 |
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Gavin
The vast majority of imports are of a continental race of B. terrestris (how
stupid is that?!) and they are much brighter than our own race of B.
terrestris (more like B. lucorum and more likely to be confused with that
species as workers). I suspect that the imported bees don't survive well in
the UK.
Hi Gavin
Yes, I said terrestris, but of course they cannot be reliably distinguished
from lucorum in the field - although, like you, I believe that lucorum has a
brighter, clear yellow band than terrestris (rather like comparing ivy
pollen with that from willow) and a white tail rather than the buff of
terrestris. Our queens here do vary - so we may be seeing terrestris and
lucorum, or just a mix of native and imported terrestris. Whatever, we are
having a wonderful week of warm sunshine and light winds, the garden hums
gently, winter losses appear to be well down on last year (so far) and
everything is right with the world - well, except for the government, the
stock market, interest rates for savers, the housing market crash, rocketing
prices, the unemployment figures...
Best wishes
Peter Edwards
beekeepers at stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/
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