In article <005801c29b1e$108d1200$3cd286d9@phil>, Phil Moore
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>I was wondering if you have
>had the problems of aggression commented on by Ruttner when he crossed Amm
>with Am carnica? He seemed to believe that they were virtually impossible to
>keep anywhere the public has access.

Short answer is NO. However, CERTAIN types of carnica seem to throw the
problem up a bit more often.

Using Sue Cobeys  New World carniolans we never had a problem (although
our main experience with that is back in the 1980's due to UK import
bans after varroa was found in California). Absolutely never. Brilliant
bees.

Using carnica from Europe is a bit less reliable, although to be fair I
am talking about bees from the native range of carnica (allegedly pure)
where there could be fairly marked variation anyway, and cannot comment
on the qualities of, for example, the highly bred German versions. I
would expect them to show few problems and may indeed experiment this
year coming.

To get this in proportion, there will have been no more than four or
five seriously aggressive colonies, over the last few years, out of
several hundred a year. Not all of these will have been crosses either,
some will have been relatively pure A.m.m..

The only current legal source for carniolan queens in the UK is Kona in
Hawaii, but these are open mated and the progeny tend toward yellow due
to the prevalence of Italian drones. Select only dark virgins from these
and you go some way towards getting a good strain, and of course the
drones of the original mother are all of the proper strain.

> Also do you have a reliable source for
>Carnica Queens?

Subject to the above, you only have Kona, and to bring them from there
you will need an import license from DEFRA. However you CAN bring in
queens from EU countries, subject to health certification, and there are
a wide range of good breeders out there (but usually quite expensive).

>
>regards Phil Moore
>Shropshire UK

--
Murray McGregor