The Dark Bee in Scotland – Past, Present and Future.
Dr John Durkacz 15 March 2010
Although keeping bees for 30 years he still learning about the Dark bee. The honey bee as we know has been pushed up from the African and European continents with the changing temperatures and vegetation, a map showed the different types of bees in countries near us. Scotland with the Western countries in the continent showed to have the last of the dark bees Apis Mellifera Mellifera (AMM). The bees have favoured the colder wetter climates and adapts to the colder climates in Germany, Poland and Ukraine. In the past much movement of bees has brought a different strain of bee into United Kingdom and Italian (A.m.ligustica), Carnioian bees (A.m.carnica) adapted well to the climate here. Scotland has one of the biggest populations left in Europe of the dark bee.
Interest over time was lost and when John became a beekeeper in the highlands he was the only one there through there was hives, bee bouls and bee houses in the hills.
Along the west coast of Scotland in old monasteries and Fife and Angus evidence of old style beekeeping in Skeps in Bee Bouls – holes built into walls to shelter the straw skep. Beekeeping was devastated with the 'Isle of Wright' disease 80% stocks were lost in the early 1900's. Efforts were made after the losses to re-educate beekeepers, more were joining the associations and mass restocking of bees. Hives were replacing the skeps and management of bees improved, as the bees were not killed every autumn for the honey. Stable period time followed in the 1920's and prolific bees good time followed for a time, beekeeping became a rural pursuit. Farmers had run small commercial apiaries to make ready money.
John and Morna Stockley did a scientific survey studying the dark bee in Scotland in 1992/3. They measured the shape and structure of the dark bee's wings, a random survey was done. They found the dark bees are better able to cope with the weather and carrying loads, they survive well on their own. Charts were showed of the measurements of the dark bees from a wide ranging survey around Scotland. They positively identified the dark bee. The dark bees produced very white capings and will winter well on Heather honey. Survivability was proved year in year out and they product reasonable surpluses even in bad years. This study was done some time ago and it is quite a different mater now in Scotland as bees have been brought in from Slovienia and crossed with the dark bees.
At the moment we are not going to get any government backing in the dark bee breeding program. We have a big problem in the Dunblane and Stirling Association getting bees out to the beginners this year, 40 are wanting bees. Not enough bees to go around to all. We have to check for diseases and look for good behaviour patterns and teach the interested ones as well. John announced a Queen Rearing weekend at the end of May. Terry Clare and members from BIBBA coming up for the weekend, hoping to hold it in Fife. Better if we can rear our own queens and not use too many bees. Use a Jenna Cage and do basic grafting in a shed quickly and you can be successful. John had a headpiece with 2 ½ magnify lense with lights he had made helped him to see the egg clearly. He used a book on queen rearing to keep him on track and he found it surprisingly easy.
In Orkney 80 colonies of dark bees but in most of Scotland other bees have been brought in and the true strain is lost. West Scotland mating station on MOD land has been started with about 35 colonies. The Isle of Colonsay has a beekeeper trying to awaken the Scottish Government to the importance of conserving our native black bee, he has around 50 stocks of pure blacks. Many beekeepers chose the best 10% and breed from them, we loose the genetic diversity. The 25 commercial beekeepers in Scotland need early and vigorous bees, their drones mate with our queens and we loose valuable genetic material.
The queen rearing is not as difficult as he first through and keep selecting the more docile bees and breed from them.
Dr John Durkacz 15 March 2010
Although keeping bees for 30 years he still learning about the Dark bee. The honey bee as we know has been pushed up from the African and European continents with the changing temperatures and vegetation, a map showed the different types of bees in countries near us. Scotland with the Western countries in the continent showed to have the last of the dark bees Apis Mellifera Mellifera (AMM). The bees have favoured the colder wetter climates and adapts to the colder climates in Germany, Poland and Ukraine. In the past much movement of bees has brought a different strain of bee into United Kingdom and Italian (A.m.ligustica), Carnioian bees (A.m.carnica) adapted well to the climate here. Scotland has one of the biggest populations left in Europe of the dark bee.
Interest over time was lost and when John became a beekeeper in the highlands he was the only one there through there was hives, bee bouls and bee houses in the hills.
Along the west coast of Scotland in old monasteries and Fife and Angus evidence of old style beekeeping in Skeps in Bee Bouls – holes built into walls to shelter the straw skep. Beekeeping was devastated with the 'Isle of Wright' disease 80% stocks were lost in the early 1900's. Efforts were made after the losses to re-educate beekeepers, more were joining the associations and mass restocking of bees. Hives were replacing the skeps and management of bees improved, as the bees were not killed every autumn for the honey. Stable period time followed in the 1920's and prolific bees good time followed for a time, beekeeping became a rural pursuit. Farmers had run small commercial apiaries to make ready money.
John and Morna Stockley did a scientific survey studying the dark bee in Scotland in 1992/3. They measured the shape and structure of the dark bee's wings, a random survey was done. They found the dark bees are better able to cope with the weather and carrying loads, they survive well on their own. Charts were showed of the measurements of the dark bees from a wide ranging survey around Scotland. They positively identified the dark bee. The dark bees produced very white capings and will winter well on Heather honey. Survivability was proved year in year out and they product reasonable surpluses even in bad years. This study was done some time ago and it is quite a different mater now in Scotland as bees have been brought in from Slovienia and crossed with the dark bees.
At the moment we are not going to get any government backing in the dark bee breeding program. We have a big problem in the Dunblane and Stirling Association getting bees out to the beginners this year, 40 are wanting bees. Not enough bees to go around to all. We have to check for diseases and look for good behaviour patterns and teach the interested ones as well. John announced a Queen Rearing weekend at the end of May. Terry Clare and members from BIBBA coming up for the weekend, hoping to hold it in Fife. Better if we can rear our own queens and not use too many bees. Use a Jenna Cage and do basic grafting in a shed quickly and you can be successful. John had a headpiece with 2 ½ magnify lense with lights he had made helped him to see the egg clearly. He used a book on queen rearing to keep him on track and he found it surprisingly easy.
In Orkney 80 colonies of dark bees but in most of Scotland other bees have been brought in and the true strain is lost. West Scotland mating station on MOD land has been started with about 35 colonies. The Isle of Colonsay has a beekeeper trying to awaken the Scottish Government to the importance of conserving our native black bee, he has around 50 stocks of pure blacks. Many beekeepers chose the best 10% and breed from them, we loose the genetic diversity. The 25 commercial beekeepers in Scotland need early and vigorous bees, their drones mate with our queens and we loose valuable genetic material.
The queen rearing is not as difficult as he first through and keep selecting the more docile bees and breed from them.
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Notes: East of Scotland Beekeepers
