Greetings,
 
     This is the first time I have "sounded off" on the BEE-L.
 
I have enjoyed the discussions in this group for almost a week.
 
 
 
     I keep Buckfast bees exclusively.  I enjoy their gentleness
 
and attractive appearance.  They are good producers in Maryland.
 
However, keeping only one type of bee limits my ability to
 
experiment.  I have three things of interest to share, and one
 
compound question about AHB.
 
 
 
1)  I placed two Drone cell embossed foundations in a deep which
 
was filled with eight Duragilt foundations.  The Drone foundation
 
was against the walls, the eight Duragilt in the center.  The bees
 
drew out the Drone cells before drawing out the Duragilt?  This
 
behavior seems atypical since bees prefer to start in the center.
 
I also read (I believe in the new "Hive and the Honeybee") that bees
 
don't like to draw out Drone foundation.
 
     Note:  I keep my hives fairly clean of burr comb and the drone
 
population is fairly insignificant except in one hive where the
 
queen crossed honey and laid in the test drone sheets (I had
 
"thousands" of drones before I figured out what she had done).
 
 
 
2)  I placed two Drone cell embossed foundations in a Ross Round
 
box.  The rest was filled with very thin white foundation, worker
 
cell size.  The bees drew out the Drone rounds before the worker
 
size foundation. Without regard to placement.
 
 
 
3)  The Drone cell sized comb looked better than the standard
 
cell size.  People asked me if I was growing "Super Bees"
 
to get such large honey comb.  I think this could be a very
 
marketable way of displaying honeycomb.  I think that the unique
 
appeal of Drone comb to the bee and the consumer should be looked
 
at further.
 
 
 
Further observation (although probably unrelated):  The colony
 
where the queen crossed the honey to lay has a verroa mite
 
infestation.
 
 
 
Question:  Are the Weaver Apiaries in TX (where the Buckfasts are
 
sold) at danger of spreading queens carrying the AHB strain?  Will
 
my Buckfast queens breed true if I flood the area with Drones from
 
my Buckfast hives?  What is the easiest/best way to raise queens?
 
 
 
Many thanks in advance for your advice/help.
 
 
 
:-B
 
______________________________________________"_"_'_""_'_____________
 
Russell Doyen    voice (410) 573-7325     [log in to unmask]
 
Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute (IITRI)
 
Interests:  Programming, Beekeeping, SCUBA Diving, Cooking, Hunting,
 
Lurking on the Internet, Cartoon Collecting, Sailing, Married.
 
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Opinions expressed are mine (I think) and don't reflect views of my
 
employer.  [All the usual disclaimers apply]
 
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