Buckfast or Carnica ... Which to choose?

[Grif]

I have a couple of colonies headed by Buckfast queens, but might try purchasing some Carnica queens to put into some new hives. I am hoping for some nice docile bees. I am in two minds. Part of me wants to see for myself the differences between these two strains, but the other part says it would be best to stick to Buckfast in all colonies. I am unsure what the consequences might be in future years when the genetics will get all mixed between the two types.

 

[For want of a better word]

None of the above


Yeghes da

 

[For want of a better word]

Sorry ... a tad harsh.
perhaps consider a locally bred native type bee that will do everything you want.

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

.
Try Carnica. Then you see what they are.

 

[Finman]

Sorry ... a tad harsh.
perhaps consider a locally bred native type bee that will do everything you want.

Yeghes da

Awfull idea.

 

[For want of a better word]

Awfull idea

Yes totally agree with you Carnica and the other hybridised type bee are an awful idea.... PERHAPS not in your neck of the woods?

What is wrong with a nice Italian, or even our native Amm?

I can see this thread going down the piscatorial route!

Yeghes da

 

[snelgrove]

Both excellent strains when pure, try ed all through the years, trouble is unless your on planet zorg there gonaa cross. And then they turn nasty, my experience. Breed from your best colonies that's what I do

 

[REDWOOD]

If you are happy with your buckies why introduce something else that might alter the whole placidness of your apiary.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Sorry ... a tad harsh.
perhaps consider a locally bred native type bee

Yeghes da

i wish could, In the London Suburbs I must be every race ,sub race and cross race of Bee trying to pass their DNA on to my Virgin queens with consequential changes in temper and yield. Nothing breeds consistant,

 

[peteinwilts]

I can see this thread going down the piscatorial route!

fishing..

I have had Carnis and Bucks. Unless you change them regularly, their princesses will still end up in the Heinz variety melting pot.

In my experience (others will have other thoughts)

Carnis - cuddly lovely looking and generally well behaved bees. Will swarm in all directions as soon as your back is turned.

Buckfast - girls that like to work for a living and are it in most weathers. can be short tempered.

lots of other reasons to keep one or the other...

 

[madasafish]

I made a note in 2014 when setting out my plans for queen rearing:

"QUEEN PLAN 2014

OBJECTIVE:
to remove all Carniolan stock by requeening with Buckfast..

PREAMBLE

Too many swarmy or old queens so I need to replace the following Queens"



Say no more..

 

[Thymallus]

I made a note in 2014 when setting out my plans for queen rearing:

"QUEEN PLAN 2014

OBJECTIVE:
to remove all Carniolan stock by requeening with Buckfast..

PREAMBLE

Too many swarmy or old queens so I need to replace the following Queens"



Say no more..

Discussed going for some Carnies as a change this year with a couple of fellow Buckfast enthusiasts. In the end we decided to abandon the idea because of the swarmy characteristics and the thought of all the extra work. Now if anyone knows of any non swarmy varieties of carnica that are available......I understand there is some work being done in New Zealand, breeding stock only from Carniolan queens that haven't swarmed by their third year. Currently not for sale.

 

[B+.]

I am hoping for some nice docile bees.

Then learn to breed them.

 

[Finman]

.
If you want to try Carnis, you need not breed them.

What ever bees you have, you have not much possibilities to breed them, if you have under 10 hives.

Swarming is a bad feature in Carnis. But it is not worse than in AMM.

there are many strains inside races. There are no quarantee what queens are when you buy them.

When you buy one queen, it does not need much philosophy.

 

[For want of a better word]

Then learn to breed them.

Start with something local... ask other beekeepers in your area before doing what a book written three decade ago dictates!

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

I resisted the urge to express my own personal preference since that was what everyone else was doing. At the end of the day, if you want a characteristic, you start with something that already has it and breed from it in a controlled way. The enemy is inbreeding since you are starting with a small population.

 

[Grif]

Hmmm. My current buckfast lot have been quite aggressive recently, so I might replace them with Carnica.
Still contemplating

 

[Finman]

The enemy is inbreeding since you are starting with a small population.

But there are other beekeepers and native ferals in chimneys.

 

[Thymallus]

Hmmm. My current buckfast lot have been quite aggressive recently,

Yes but what generation are they from the original pure buckfast? Anything beyond this is not a true Buckfast Bee.
Worth noting that that lots of bees have been tetchier than usual this spring. Possible weather related.

 

[Finman]

Yes but what generation are they from the original pure buckfast? Anything beyond this is not a true Buckfast Bee.
Worth noting that that lots of bees have been tetchier than usual this spring. Possible weather related.

It is same what generation it is. If it is agressive, change it.
If the colony is aggressive for weather, change it.