2018 Bee poll - which race?

[B+.]

I'm getting a bit fed up with all the bickering about race.

Given a completely free choice, independent of what your neighbour keeps or any other factor, which bee would you prefer to keep?

 

[SDM]

I've selected Buckfast as for now they're the best I've tried in this area, but honestly if there was something that was going to perform better I'd happily change. I have no racial loyalty outside of performance.

 

[Stiffy]

I've selected Buckfast as for now they're the best I've tried in this area, but honestly if there was something that was going to perform better I'd happily change. I have no racial loyalty outside of performance.

if a bee is found that is better, I would change ASAP. For now though I haven’t discovered anything better
S

 

[Anduril]

I've selected Buckfast as for now they're the best I've tried in this area, but honestly if there was something that was going to perform better I'd happily change. I have no racial loyalty outside of performance.

if a bee is found that is better, I would change ASAP. For now though I haven’t discovered anything better
S

 

[For want of a better word]

Buckfast is not a race but a misinformed combination of a mish mash of Danish bred hybrids... unless they are produced to the ORIGINAL Brother Adam specification... which I believe only one breeder in the UK adheres too without needing to import foreign look a likeees for stock!!

And he lives on Exmoor!!

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

Buckfast is not a race

True. I included it because it is a very popular bee.

 

[yeogi75]

here we go again, I wish Asian hornets gathered honey, might swop to them just to piss everyone off.

 

[yeogi75]

my farther kept amm from Dave Cushman when he died I took over his bees by which time they were savage had to keep requeening to calm them down my self I have moved to carnies just to get a better bee to handle, although the amm are slightly better with some fresh queens from whales .

 

[For want of a better word]

my farther kept amm from Dave Cushman when he died I took over his bees by which time they were savage had to keep requeening to calm them down my self I have moved to carnies just to get a better bee to handle, although the amm are slightly better with some fresh queens from whales .

I have to admit that IF I still lived in Wallington / Dorking I would probably be keeping " Pure Carniolians" as they produced well and were easy to handle, the Danish Buck fasts were a bit of a lottery.

Would be interesting to see what the regional variation of preferences are??

Yeghes da

 

[Noddy]

I'm changing all mine to Carnies, nearly done. Has been too much of a hit and miss affair with fastbucks.

 

[Beefriendly]

Has been too much of a hit and miss affair with fastbucks.

You need to find a reliable Buckfast breeder, preferably one that doesn't advertise in the glossies. My main supplier has consistently provided outstanding queens. It's when I've bought from the "stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap route" that I've had quite variable offerings, some even being a bit feisty!

 

[DanBee]

a misinformed combination of mish mash

Oh, the irony

 

[Beefriendly]

I'm very interested in the 10% other ....what other bee type are they using?
There are 3 so far...perhaps they could explain?

 

[Anduril]

I'm very interested in the 10% other ....what other bee type are they using?
There are 3 so far...perhaps they could explain?

Could be mongrel!

 

[Beefriendly]

Could be mongrel!

Good call.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I haven't voted because I haven't the faintest idea what bees I have. They are bees, they gather things and give me honey; occasionally they sting me. I don't think they care either.

 

[B+.]

Would be interesting to see what the regional variation of preferences are??

That should be possible.
I was thinking more of an annual survey to see if preferences changed over time.

 

[SDM]

I haven't voted because I haven't the faintest idea what bees I have. They are bees, they gather things and give me honey; occasionally they sting me. I don't think they care either.

The question was wasn't what do you keep, but what would you choose to keep if selecting a race of bee purely on it's merits.

 

[Finman]

.
There are Elgon bees and Russian bees too. They may be rare cases. And in USA there are many others.

Russian bees have been tried in Europe, but it seems that nothing has been achieved.

And mite resistant Kefuss bees in France? How are they doing now? How popular they are?

 

[TooBee...]

The question was wasn't what do you keep, but what would you choose to keep if selecting a race of bee purely on it's merits.

Yes, otherwise I would have had to have selected Other for Heinz 57

Or Other could be A. m. scutellata ... you do know I'm