correctly i´m german, but living since 2002 in Brazil. Worked as a beekeeping prof. at agriculture school. My bees were african, but this year i killed them all and i´m switching to pure italian bees (NAVEIRO, from Argentina).
I´m near São Paulo in an agriculture area, but also with a lot of natural forrests and eucaliptos, too.
Welcome, I would love to hear of your experience with African bees and why you killed them rather than just re-queening.
Again, welcome,
Steve
Welcome to Beemaster! Would love to hear some stories and see pictures.
...JP
Welcome to the forum and tell us more about your bees please.
Welcome to the site!
Quote from: asprince on October 30, 2011, 07:52:14 PM
Welcome, I would love to hear of your experience with African bees and why you killed them rather than just re-queening.
Again, welcome,
Steve
Sorry for responding just now, was a little bit occupied :-)
I killed the bees cause in my region the african bee density is to high for requeening. Made a lot of experience, but it is nearly impossible to requeen if there are african hives near the requeening hive.
I killed every day 3 to 7 african princess with their little invading sworms. It is like a horror film, you open a hive and the african bee attacks.
So i decided to kill all my african bees and to buy packet bees (italian). But even this will be difficult, cause from other beekeepers i know it needs 3 years to "clean" your region. With a lot of italian drones the african bees will be change a little bit, and at the end die suffering from hunger, or leave the area.
But it is like war!
Here we have a little forum of beekeepers with european bees. It´s a small group cause officialy it is impossible what we are doing :-) The government tells to public the african bee is the best, produce more honey and never get sick or varroa =:-) Totally crazy, but everybody accept this lie, not everbody, there is a little group of beekeepers who defends this lies ;-)
Thanks and will read/write us!
check out the beemaster facebook site also. i have at least one friend from Brazil from facebook!
welcome to the site.
Welcome to the site! Larry
Will Kathy! Thanks Larry!