LYMM has become a hive of activity for re-introducing the original 20 million year old honey bee to the UK.
Historically bees have been imported into the UK from all over the world, bringing with them many diseases and breeding naturally with the local Apis.Mellifera.mellifera (Amm) bee. Consequently, all the bees in the UK contain mixed DNA with the locally evolved Amm Bee being less able to survive the winter.
Now two local beekeepers, Mathew Taylor and Frank Hilton, are trying to reverse this negative trend, by setting up the Lymm Dark Bee Project.
They are in contact with a further 10 beekeepers within five miles as the bee flies from Lymm centre, all have expressed interest. Therefore they will have about 50 colonies from which to select the ones with the most Dark Bee DNA and can, therefore do a quicker job than working alone. If they can voluntarily limit the importation of Bees into the area whilst selecting from the best local stock and distributing (free of charge) mated Dark Queens to all the individual members to allow superseding their worst colonies, it is hoped that they can breed back into the local stock a Bee with a large percentage of its original ancestors characteristics and DNA.
Breeding the Dark Bee has had its first success in the efforts of a beekeeper who has obtained an exclusion zone in the Scottish islands of Collonsay and Oronsay, in that no bees other than Apis.Mellifera.mellifera are allowed to be imported into these islands from the 1st January 2014.
The Lymm Dark Bee project aspires to achieve the same type of order along with a substantial part of the North of England. At the same time they are hoping to eradicate the varroa mite, some diseases and improve local honey production. The objects of the project have attracted the attention of Arley Hall, where Frank is developing an apiary, whose policy backed by the National Trust of promoting local produce production, are sponsoring the project.
Beekeepers within five miles as the bee flies from the centre of Lymm are invited to join in this exciting project.
For further information or to get involved contact Frank on 01925 551839 or email [email protected]
Picture shows Frank Hilton and Matthew Taylor with one of their bee hives.
