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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #3569  by NigelP
 14 Jun 2019, 16:25
Okay,,,,that means my Buckfast third generation must now be locally adapted.
:)
 #3571  by NigelP
 14 Jun 2019, 18:01
;) I neglected to say that by this time they are taking on most of the characteristics of my locally adapted local bees....small colonies, vicious, annual swarmers and poor honey producers and chalk brood returns.
:) :) :geek:
 #3628  by MickBBKA
 17 Jun 2019, 02:46
Ha, I was amazed by the NBU message. Most of my locals are into their 4th supers, 2 are into 5 and 1 is on its 6th, I am out of equipment !
The downside is I only extracted about 2/3 of them before the bad weather hit and I now have quite a lot of completely crystalised supers...……...DOH !
I must say that I have never ever known the OSR to flower so long and its in everything, its a good job I have solar panels because the warming cabinet is gonna be on MAX..! :twisted:

Cheers, Mick.
 #3631  by mikemadf
 17 Jun 2019, 11:06
I am not amazed. After May which was coolish but dry, June has been cold - 14C average peaks and wet .. several days 12C tops.. Bess cannot get out to forage ..
 #3664  by MickBBKA
 19 Jun 2019, 01:02
mikemadf wrote:
17 Jun 2019, 11:06
I am not amazed. After May which was coolish but dry, June has been cold - 14C average peaks and wet .. several days 12C tops.. Bess cannot get out to forage ..
So do you have imported queens or colonies of so called ' locally adapted bees ' ??

Cheers, Mick
 #3670  by mikemadf
 19 Jun 2019, 16:28
"So do you have imported queens or colonies of so called ' locally adapted bees ' ??"

My bees are a composite of Ged Marshall Buckfast, Uk Carniolans and four generations of natural mating..

I think the description is mongrel.. But they are gentle and produce honey in large quantities in a good summer (2 hives gave over 150lbs each in 2018)

If they were "locally adapted bees " they would be aggressive and give little honey and swarm frequently
 #3671  by Patrick
 19 Jun 2019, 16:40
If they were "locally adapted bees " they would be aggressive and give little honey and swarm frequently
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😀 geographical variations can apply...