Just a little conversation piece for the up and coming beekeepers. I thought about this when I was looking at Mann Lakes web page and saw they offered Italians or carnolian packages.
I have kept primarily mutts and Italians with a small venture into the Russian bee. I can say that the Russians had an attitude at times I didn't care for. Whether it was that particular queen or what I don't know as I didn't opt for a second one.
Little bees
American mutts i make all my bee's .
This time of year. Hungry bees and allot of ladies that are ready to get out of the house.
John
Michigan Mutts.
Tried a Italian nuc, they were a mite factory. Tried a carniolan queen and I could have sold propolis by the pound at the end of the season.
Cajun mutts I raise my own
Whatever joins the tribe. I'm seeking out of the way places to catch long term ferals. Can't say I'm successful, at getting a landrace.
Started with Italians, added VSH, since have open bred multiple times, so, I got Mutts, some nice some not so much so, but all workable. Was thinking of trying a russian or carni queen just to add something different. Might do it. See how I come out of winter. G
I always find myself trending back to mutts. I've had cordovan, Italian, Carniolan and Russian in my apiary at any one time, but they're all mutts now. As long as they don't have africanized traits, I'm generally pretty agreeable to maintaining stocks of whatever is available.
Quote from: schawee on February 08, 2015, 08:32:36 PM
Cajun mutts I raise my own
Not the kind that turn red with heat tho?
John
Busy bees of course :rolleyes:
Well I started with Italians. They did not do well in our high humidity winters. All mutts now, the only way to go. I firmly believe they genetically adapt to their micro environment. My mutts will bring in pollen when temps are in low 40's if it isn't raining, the Italians wouldn't leave the hive until 50ish
It seams AHB's
mutts, i cull hot queens and poor producers and that's about it. i started with italians but i guess this is the start of my 4th year back in and pretty much all my hives have a mix of what look like italian, carni, and cordovan workers. i have a big feral population around and a couple of backyard beekeepers within a few miles of me.
Russian Hybrids....whatever that means lol
Mine are bound to be mutts. I only know they were started from Italians many years ago.
"What kind of bees do you keep?"
What ever stays in the box..,lol
All of mine are Washington Mutts. I don't buy bees, I save them from being destroyed by spray can happy property owners.
The kind that hurt when they sting..... especially in a soft spot :oops:
japanese honey bee
Quote from: awajikiwi on February 21, 2015, 12:06:03 PM
japanese honey bee
Grettings awajikiwi!
Welcome to Beemaster, and come introduce yourself in the New Member Section! http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?board=29.0
ditto on the welcome
Mutts? I am very selective on the bees I allow to grant me honey. I only raise Apis dorsata and apis mellifera mellifera, with strict instructions not to mate or inseminate with inferior genetics from other species. In fact, I have a genetics tester at the entrance that tests every bee that comes or goes into the hive and those without perfect genetic sequencing is swatted aside be a mechanical arm if it tries to enter...this prevents robbing as well which is a bonus.
:wink:
heh no seriously, mine are surely all mutts by now also, but I introduced a lot of italian and russian genes into the pools, thats for sure. I know at the minimal they are multi year winter and mite survival stock though and that is all I really care about really.
Durn.
I was going to ask where you found Dorsata...
I can buy the dark bees that the breeder calls Carniolan, and the packages with golden bees that they call Italian, the MN Hygienic, the VSH Gold, and even Old SOl, and what I usually end up with is the American Tiger queen with beautiful stripes.. so... Mutts here too!