--- allen dick <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> This sounds like a pretty big operation and must be
> quite time-consuming,
> and I -- and others -- am having some difficulty
> understanding exactly what
> you are doing to arrive at your conclusions...
Hi Allen,
The problem in keeping locally adapted ferals, is I
can't get on the phone and order more queens if I
should need one, or risk undoing all my efforts. So,
what I am attempting to do is to be 'self sufficient'
and derive a system as best I am able for collecting
ferals and effectively assessing them for possible
integrating into my stock. I well understand the fact
that all ferals are not created equal, and not all
ferals are ferals, so it becomes necessary to develop
effective methods to weed out the duds and that with
too much domestic influence if I am to have any chance
at succeeding by doing this.
Where I get my ferals, is I work closely with a local
pest control company that is very 'pro honeybee' and
they insist that all honeybee calls be handled by a
beekeeper for proper removal. I will also set out
about 20 or more traps. Some traps are given to
friends for placement in distant locations and others
are placed in specific areas where good ferals have
been obtained in the past. I record where I obtain
each feral for possible future placement of swarm
traps or mating nucs.
I don't know that I should get into much detail on how
I arrive at decisions on where I locate my traps, or
what specific traits I may be after as it relates to
trap placement/micro environments as I am still
developing strategies. But I will say that it is
based on 1. bee habitat observations made while doing
other bee removals 2. locations where ferals of small
cell size have been caught during and after the varroa
years (these areas I call 'small cell pockets') 3.
locations where honeybees have recovered the earliest
from the varroa collapses of the mid 90's. And 4.
just this year, I am noticing that secondary qualities
I am highly interested might be 'micro environment
specific', and showing up in environments I have
always thought of as poor bee habitat. So I will be
experimenting with a trap placement strategy next
season to see if it repeats.
I'm looking at 'bee habitat' as much more complex than
I have ever imagined, with many environmental factors
inter playing in ways I have never expect. But if
looking at it from a feral honeybee perspective, it
becomes much clearer what bee habitat really is. But
I have also seen that bees are not always bound by the
habitat. What I thought of in the past as poor bee
habitat can become not so bad when these secondary
qualities develop.
In order to effectively assess ferals, it is necessary
never to use treatments or feed and also to basically
'treat them like crap' they are on their own. Bees
that are obviously domestic get culled from the start,
and I will also look at cell size, bee size and
location caught. These then get placed in my ridge
apiary which is my poorest location for bees after the
tree bloom ends. This poor habitat makes it very easy
to distinguish the best performers. Bad performers
get culled in July, August and September as I assess
them. This year for example I started with about 10
swarms/cutouts and culled them down to 5 which will be
wintered in singles, and the bad culled again in
spring.
I will use the bees, brood and stores from the culled
performers to strengthen any late comers I caught that
show particular promise, so I can reduce the risk of
loosing them. I will also split exceptional stand out
stock to reduce the risk here also. Then these bees
get wintered in singles so I can further assess
wintering abilities and spring development.
Just learning and adjusting as I go. As far as I know
there are no books on how to develop ferals for
beekeeping, so I'm changing my techniqe as I learn
more on what is working and dumping what isnt working.
Best Wishes,
Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA
Small Cell Beekeeping
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries'
http://www.biologicalbeekeeping.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/
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