Poll on queens and suppliers

[magnet-man]

These are the requirements for voting. You do not have to vote to view the results.

1. To vote you must have purchased queens or packages that were raised in Texas. That means you could have purchase your bees in Pennsylvania but the bees were shipped up from Texas. You must know whom the bees were sourced from.
Note: Taylor Made Queens from B Weaver are from Austria and are not included in this poll.
2. Your purchase must have been made during 2005 or 2006.

This poll is to get feed back on defensiveness. There are other desirable and undesirable traits such as mite resistance but that is for another poll.

Defensiveness: Any one of these and you should answer defensive.
1. I would not have these bees in my backyard.
2. When I open the hive 10 or more bees are usually butting my veil.
3. When I open the hive 10 or more bees will usually follow me at least 100 feet or around corners.
4. Guard bees routinely sting if you walk within 30 feet of a hive and the hive has not been disturbed for 48 hours.


What if I purchase 5 packages or queens and only 3 are hot, how do I vote? Since this poll is to give feedback to users and especially to newbies that might be purchasing for the first time, I would suggest answering Yes. You can also select both defensive and not defensive.

I have used trade names of races wherever possible and the actual bees that a supplier sells if known, otherwise I listed all possible races with in reason.
SMR/VSH means Suppressed Mite Reproduction/ Varroa Sensitive Hygiene

Everyone has their own definition of what would be defensive. I selected 10 bees as defensive. Some might say less and some might say more. Some number needs to be set so everyone is using the same definition. Someone in Mexico might consider being head butted by up to 30 bees as non-defensive. In Europe they might consider being head butted by 2 bees as defensive. It is not a perfect poll but it is a start.

Please be sure to follow the definitions listed above for your answer. If you disagree, please consider posting a second poll after 30 days.

[size="1"][ July 08, 2006, 10:03 PM: Message edited by: magnet-man ][/size]

[tecumseh]

seems like a fairly well thought out poll structure magnet man. don't really know how robust the poll will prove to be, but it does seem to point towards where the 'hot bees' may have their origin. my best guess is that much like quality folks know what a 'hot' hive is, but defining a 'hot hive is a real challange.

[TwT]

Fanciest poll I have seen yet, looks like you covered all the bases, good job, I still can't vote because I have never bought from texas but do like to see the results, nice job again!!!!

[size="1"][ July 09, 2006, 09:53 AM: Message edited by: TwT ][/size]

[Sundance]

Good job on constructing the poll,
having put together a couple I know
how frustrating it can be as it
becomes more complex.

I think the sampling here will be
too small to have any statistical
value though. It is a question that
needs to be addressed.

The poll, by inference, points to
breeders in AHB areas as being vectors
to spread AHB genetics. Which is a
logical, and likely, conclusion.

I only buy queens from northern stock.

[size="1"][ July 09, 2006, 10:00 AM: Message edited by: Sundance ][/size]

[magnet-man]

I agree that the sampling will be too small for statistical value. This is really a follow up to the “Who got hot hives from Texas” poll. Twenty-six people responded to that poll so maybe they will participate in this poll. My definition of hot has a lower threshold. I am concerned that if someone does not agree with this definition, they are not going to vote. I tried to increase the number of respondents by including 2005. Only time will tell what sort of participation there will be.