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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 26 Jan 1999 11:29:23 GMT+0200
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Hi All
 
I have read with interest the quotes of gentle happy buckfasts, and
uggly mean buckfasts. It seems the common thread is that the original
queens produce good gentle colonies, but if they requeen they produce
ugly bees. There is a very simple and easy explanation to this:
 
The buckfast contains certain 'african' elements, mainly mountain
bees, which can be ratty at times. African queens and african bees
are superior genetically in that they grow faster and have better
flight muscles due to better enzyme systems - ie if there are african
drones around they will get the queens first. If a cell swarms, the
african lines from which queens are reared will hatch first.
 
It is just the same old africanized bee story.
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
15 Park Road
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
6139 South Africa
 
Time = Honey

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