abstract of thesis Catherine Eleanor Thompson:
While declines in managed honeybee colonies are well documented, little is known about the health and status of feral honeybee populations. To date no studies have considered the wider pathogen burden in feral colonies, whether they represent a genetically distinct population, a remnant native population or a unique source of genetic resistance.
A branch of the Eastbourne Beekeepers’ Association keen to develop a local strain of honeybee well adapted to the South Downs climate, with particular focus on improved health and docility. Contact; Simon Tuck
mellifera) and covers their characteristics, supersedure, management, breeding, selection and mating behaviour, including an explanation of apiary vicinity mating and the formation of drone assemblies.
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Honeybees defend their colonies aggressively against intruders and release a potent alarm pheromone to recruit nestmates into defensive tasks. The effect of floral odours on this behaviour has never been studied, despite the relevance of these olfactory cues for the biology of bees. Here we use a novel assay to…
With an open mating system I find you can manage with just four colonies to breed successfully.
We found clear evidence for an extensive diversity in
male mating success at the colony level. Some colonies
had significantly more matings (about an order of
magnitude) than other drone producing colonies in the
same year.
The rich variety of native honeybee subspecies and ecotypes in Europe offers a good genetic resource for selection towards Varroa resistance.