Chris:

> Peter, Would you like to tell us more about your breeding programme?

I will try to keep this short!
The most important aspects for me are the assessment of characteristics, 
detailed recording, and the ability to analyse those assessments in order to 
identify breeders.
I use an Excel spreadsheet program to do the recording:
http://www.stratfordbeekeepers.homecall.co.uk/BIG%20Stud%20Book%20V3.4%20blank.xls
Detailed instructions for its use and notes on assessment are here:
http://www.stratfordbeekeepers.homecall.co.uk/BIG%20Stud%20Book%20V3.4%20Instructions.doc
I have so far recorded nearly 3400 colony assessments for 692 queens.

> What strain do you have?

Working towards A.m.m. - our native honeybee.

> How do you know?

Assessment of characteristics and use of wing morphometry.
(Full details of methodology are on sheet one here: 
http://www.stratfordbeekeepers.homecall.co.uk/MorphPlotV2.2.XLS)

> Are yours pure bred or mongrels?

There are very few pure-bred A.m.m. (or any other race) here in the 
Midlands.  We are on a journey - but we have almost eliminated yellow and 
stripey bees (pyjama jobs!) from our stock and with them went the bad 
temper.

> For what characteristics do you select?

Primarily 'nativeness', temper and disease resistance (especially chalk 
brood).

> What proportion of queens do you de-select?

This year we re-queened around 40 of our 150 colonies.  Not because the 
queens were bad - but because we believed that we had better.

 Does good temper link with any other characteristic?

In our area we find that hybrids always produce the worst temper - probably 
because there is an unholy mix of ligustica, carnica and A.m.m. in the area. 
The really bad tempered bees are nearly always striped a sort of 
orange/yellow and black.  As our bees have become more native so the temper 
has improved dramatically.  When I started beekeeping I would not have 
walked into many apiaries without at least a veil - now I am surprised, and 
disappointed, if I get stung when working.

Best wishes

Peter

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