In article <[log in to unmask]>, Tom Speight
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>In message <[log in to unmask]>, Automatic digest
>processor <[log in to unmask]> writes
>>The advice on requeening in the UK
>>is usually to rear queens yourself if at all possible.
>Chris, I agree entirely with this. What is your local reaction to the
>news that MAFF intend to allow the import of package bees from NZ.?
>The concern in Cumbria is that it will bring in more trouble with
>Kashmir bee Virus, which we undersatnd is one of the diseases infecting
>bees there.
>Does anyone (in Germany perhaps, where they already import them) know of
>the effect of this virus in conjuction with varroa?
>NZ is fortunate in not having the mite -probably dur to their RIGIDLY
>ENFORCED importation regulatons.
>--
>Tom S
 
Dear Tom,
 
Whilst in an ideal world it would be great for us to have a good supply
of queens bred from our own strains available at the right time of year
(May) it is alas not practicable to do so without using the climatic
benefits of areas better placed than ours.
 
Much talk goes on in the UK about the benefits of local strains for
local conditions and about the negative aspects of other types.
Particular distaste is often expressed for imported strains of whatever
origin happens to be under discussion at the time, in this case New
Zealand.
 
I'm afraid I take a different viewpoint, which is politically incorrect
here in Britain at the moment, the reasons for which are several.
 
Firstly, Buckfast is revered (I know! Not by everyone.) in Britain.
Their bee is a cocktail of foreign genetic material assembled over many
years of selected imports. This would never have happened without
imports. ( We don't use them, but I know several people who do, and some
swear by them and others curse them.)
 
The native bee much sought after is not really so at all. After the Isle
of Wight disease early this century the country was restocked with
foreign bees. Much good and bad genetic material was brought in and a
sort of convergent natural selection took place which eventually has
produced, in certain areas, something approaching the old native bee.
 
Local strains are often not all that well adapted to modern farming
tendencies, or perhaps to the heavily migratory beekeeping we do. The
advent in the early 80's of winter rape here in Eastern scotland is a
case in point. Older local strains are not adapted to the early build up
required to exploit this source. If you want to get a good crop off it
you have to go with a bee quicker off the mark in spring. Our local bees
here also tend to be mid to late season swarmers, and generally of
lowish vigour, yet we are dependant on heather for our commercial
viability and must make efforts to adjust their natural cycle to
maximise the number of powerful colonies we can get up to the moors.
 
Secondly, why is there a problem with the package bees you mention? New
Zealand queens have been coming into the UK for many many years, and
certain breeders/importers like Peter Kemble have brought them in and
resold them all over the UK. They have been tried in our area but proved
to be a bit soft. Despite the large numbers which have come in I have
heard no stories of decimation by KBV. Several people who have had them
have reported that, once assimilated into their strain, a bit of this
blood helped with vigour.
 
I am also wary of the doomsday messages which circulate about imported
bees and what they may bring in with them. Many of the people simply
accept scare stories as put by parties for various reasons ranging from
genuine concern to outright scaremongering. Often the person has a
motive for promoting this kind of line. Let's be cautious, yes, and take
sensible precautions against disasters, but let's not go down the 'ban
everything' route.
 
KBV is widespread, and apart from in the scare stories aimed at keeping
NZ bees out, I have never heard of it being other than a secondary pest.
I also am not aware of whether there has even been any serious research
done to ascertain if it is present in Britain. One thing is certain, the
anti importation lobby will come up with some other disease or pest
after this one is found here to cite as grounds for banning imports, and
so on through whatever ailment they can find, however minor. I
understand the concern of people regarding viruses, especially in
conjunction with varroa, and many of these are serious, but I believe
that KBV is no more serious a threat than many of the viruses already
here.
 
The most successful strain of bee we have ever used was the New World
Carniolan. This was bred by Sue Cobey in California but aimed to a more
northern clientele. In our area it proved industrious, frugal with
stores, gentle, a good heather bee, and was as winter hardy as anything
else we have ever had. Our borders closed to these bees in the late 80's
and we have been unable to import them ever since. This has hampered our
enterprise as annual spring requeening eliminates all but a little of
the arduous hours of swarm control effort otherwise required, and thus
curtails our potential crop. We have now located a breeder of this
strain in an area where it is legal to import from and now have a
licence to do so.
 
Bees suited to your environment being bred in other climates in order to
get an early start is not at all unusual. Carniolans are bred in Hawaii
and throughout the southern USA. Buckfasts are bred in Texas. There are
many other examples of this and the main reason is to provide early
queens and packages for northern areas. Even in Europe it goes on, for
example the Danes send their selected queens from the previous year to
Greece where they have an isolated breeding station. They then get new
seasons mated laying queens, bred from their own bees, sent back to them
in May. I would love to be able to do this to but unfortunately (from my
point of view) UK laws forbid it as we are still outside the infested
area for varroa, although it has now been found a mere 20 miles away.
Where these southern bred bees do not work for you, and many will not,
it is often that you have chosen the wrong strain or that the quality
was poor, but it does not mean that all imported bees are bad.
 
I will not be importing NZ bees. They do not work well in our area, but
several people in the south report that they are excellent for them. I
believe that they should be allowed to get on with it as NZ bees are
amongst the healthiest in the world, and we in the UK are no disease
free paradise awaiting invasion by a host of nasty exotic ailments. Most
of these things are here now. And life goes on despite them. And will
continue to do so.
 
Kind regards to all
 
--
Murray McGregor
[log in to unmask]