From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 10:32:38 -0800
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@egroups.com
Subject: Re: Observations.

Hi to David Eyre and all on Biological Beekeeping:

I am sure glad this is a biological beekeeping discussion group. I am also
glad that David (I shall use Dave for Dave Cushman) has replied to me and is
of a Northern climate.

I have been waiting long, for a reply such as his, for discussion to begin,
concerning what is biological bee breeding, in a natural world setting,
without the use of drugs, chemicals, essential oils and acids of any kind.
As David talks about his breeding in his reply, I guess we can now start the
discussion, this being a group of like minded beekeepers

David writes:
> The findings of Dee are diametrically opposite our findings here in
> Canada. Colour has little bearing on winter abilty regarding survival or
> general hive quality in the yards I have contact with.

Reply:
I can see David is keeping a yellow hot-weather type of bee, normally found
in a tropical climate, in a Northern one in Canada. Since this is not a
natural norm and takes much work, I find this interesting, his comments. In
a purely natural setting, I have found that colour has quite a lot of
bearing on winter ability, regarding survival and general hive quality, in
ones beeyards.

David writes:
> Personally I never use dark queens, in practice I have found a
> number of problems with the darker queens that I have produced, from lack
> of mating, to extremely poor breeding patterns.

Reply:
I see from what you have written that you must be keeping your colonies on
enlarged artificial foundation above 5.2mm probably around 5.4mm. Only at
5.4mm or higher would you throw breeding disadvantage towards the black
strains, allowing for extremely poor breeding patterns.
This is contrary to a natural biological system.It would also tend to give
problems towards the enlarged yellow.

Question: I assume you are using a control aid for your bees temperariorly,
until you can get them fully biological/organic, based on what you have said
so far and knowing mites are throughout Canada. How are your bees holding
up?How far have you managed to regress them back to the chemical free side?
What is your field methodology for maintaining a biological beekeeping
operation right now?

I would like to compare what you are looking at for breeding characteristics
to ours, since I have listed to you ours. Could you please list back yours?

Then, we can begin correlation of lists and begin discussion more fully to
others, for maintaining good biological stock without various treatments and
how to regress from usage of same.Hopefullly, others will join in and the
lists and discussion will grow.

Again, David, I look forward to hearing back from you as to what you are
doing, as it takes much effort to keep a yellow bee so far north. I am glad
I caught your attention and you couldnot resist butting in.

I look forward to your reply, as I am sure others will also:

Regards:

Dee A. Lusby,
Tucson, Arizona
USA