BIBBA Record Card Chris Slade's Record Card	Recording System, for Bee Behaviour Parameters

The Micheál Mac Giolla Coda notebook system

Background

At the start of 1991 it was decided to raise many more queens from stocks which had been identified as docile and whose biometric assessment proved that they were of pure Dark European (Apis mellifera mellifera) origin. It would of course be pointless in trying to raise queens from mongrel stock. These queens were used to replace the queens of the most aggressive colonies as well as queens of colonies which showed evidence of mongrelisation. e.g those colonies whose bees had a proportion of yellow bands on their abdomens. Many samples have been taken for biometric analysis so as to ascertain their purity of race. We have become quite ruthless in killing queens with undesirable characteristics as we now know that there is no point in retaining them to produce drones which might mate with the virgins of our docile strains and thus cause further mongrelisation with consequent aggressiveness.

At the same time a simple points rating system was devised to record more consistently the behaviour characteristics of each colony at each examination. At first it was considered that the BIBBA hive record cards would be ideally suited for the purpose, but over the years I have grown accustomed to recording the results of each examination in a notebook, using the system so well explained by Ted Hooper in Chapter Five of his book "Guide to Bees and Honey". This simple system of recording has revolutionised my beekeeping and has added immensely to the pleasure which I have derived from it in recent years. Not only does it provide me with an intimate knowledge of each colony of bees, but I can also trace the pedigree of a particular queen for a number of generations. So I decided to add five more columns in my notebook to the existing five which I have been filling in at each examination for Hooper's famous "Five Questions". Thus an entry in my notebook for 9th May 1991 might now read as follows:-

1. Has the colony sufficient room?
   ( ANSWER:- Super needed at next visit )
   
   

2. Is the queen present and laying the expected quantity of eggs?
   ( ANSWER:- Clipped and marked 1990 queen - 1989 queen not seen ).
   
   

3. Is the colony developing as fast as others? Any queencells?
   ( ANSWER:- 7 frames with brood. No queencells present ).
   
   
4. Are there any signs of disease or abnormality?
   ( ANSWER:- Chalkbrood present ).
   
   
5. Are there sufficient stores to last until next inspection?
   ( ANSWER:- Feed a half-gallon of syrup ).
   
   

The headings and recordings for the five additional columns A, B, C, D, E,
may be interpreted as follows:-

A = Docility (non jumping, non-stinging, non-following).

B = Steadiness on the comb (absence of running).

C = Brood Pattern (compactness of brood, absence of empty cells).

D = Pollen Storage (pollen packed over, around, and under the broodnest).

E = Comb Building (speed in occupying supers, drawing foundation, honey storage, and quality of comb capping).

A rating of 0 to 5 is given to each of these characters:-

O = Unsatisfactory.

1 = Satisfactory.

2 = Good.

3 = Very Good.

4 = Excellent.

5 = Outstanding.

At the end of the season or after a few examinations a very clear picture of the colony will emerge, as regards vigour in development, swarming propensity, health and a number of vital characters of behaviour, nest building, and comb building.

Even though seasonal honey yields are also recorded, these are not taken into account in rating colonies for selection at present.

The main object of this exercise is, to be in a position to readily identify those colonies with which we are most likely, through the process of selection, to progressively improve our local strain, and by culling colonies which are severely lacking in the characteristics we wish to propagate, to eventually stabilise desirable genetic material within the Dark Bees of our locality.

The ultimate aim is a monostrain or "Pure Race Area" in the surrounding countryside comprising an area of about twenty miles square which includes parts of SW. Tipp., SE. Limerick, NE. Cork, and NW. Waterford. Within this area there are at least 40 to 50 beekeepers who own 600 or more stocks. A breeding group has already been set up composed of a hard core of five beekeepers who are all members of BIBBA, and they will endeavour to manage the project in the initial stages. Other beekeepers in the locality have promised support and it is hoped that many more will join our breeding group, and that the vast majority of beekeepers in this area will co-operate with us in our efforts at local bee improvement. Many of them are not affiliated to any Beekeepers Association, many of them are "let alone beekeepers", who may have never seen the insides of their brood chambers. The least we may hope for is that they will welcome our offer to carry out at least one inspection of their colonies during the coming year so that we may have some idea of the incidence or extent of disease in the locality.

So far, we know very little about bee breeding, but we are willing to learn a lot. We will work closely along BIBBA guidelines and we are willing to share information and experience with similar groups, which are being set up in various parts of Ireland and other European countries. We would also hope to publish periodic reports on the development and progress of our group in future articles.

Link to Glossary

After the addition of the columns 'A' to 'E' (at the inception of GBBG) the columns show as follows and can be laid out as two facing pages in a type of hard cover notebook that is readily available from stationers.

Glossary for Tables

Jacob Khan Version... 1999, This Text... 01 March 2004, Upgraded... 10 May 2005, Revised... 17 June 2005,