Buckfast or Carnica ... Which to choose?

[REDWOOD]

Careful where you go with that one

 

[B+.]

Do you favor one color over the other?

Since Buckfasts are a hybrid, the colour may suggest their genetic heritage. If you look at the ones Keld Brandstrup produces (http://www.buckfast.dk/en/bq-flash.html) they seem to have Carniolan and Italian in them (although its difficult to judge from colour alone)

 

[Michael Palmer]

Since Buckfasts are a hybrid, the colour may suggest their genetic heritage.

Yep, I understand that. I was just wondering if HM had a preference. In my stock I like the dark stripers, but don't reject the yellow stripers.

I love red-heads too, but wouldn't reject a blonde. They have more fun.

 

[B+.]

I love red-heads too, but wouldn't reject a blonde. They have more fun.

Michael....be glad for what you can get, my friend!

 

[Finman]

I love red-heads too, but wouldn't reject a blonde. They have more fun.

Loved to hair dye. ....

 

[B+.]

In my stock I like the dark stripers, but don't reject the yellow stripers.

In BeeBreed, I have access to the breeding values for each characteristic. Do you have the same thing with Buckfasts? What do you look for in a breeder queen?

 

[Michael Palmer]

What do you look for in a breeder queen?

The usual. Gentle, productive, no brood diseases, solid brood pattern, winter well....color means little to me.

 

[Nige.Coll]

I've based my choice on the best all round performance and the easiest method of breeding.
Low damage from sprays
Not found in a tree much
Good built up
Dont go insane if mated with local drones
Nice to handle
Honey crop
Colour is irrelevant
I like the bees I have chosen I dont really give a monkeys if anyone else does.

 

[B+.]

The usual. Gentle, productive, no brood diseases, solid brood pattern, winter well....color means little to me.

I see. I wondered if you considered these characteristics in her siblings too?

 

[B+.]

I like the bees I have chosen I dont really give a monkeys if anyone else does.

Thats fair enough.
I was curious to learn if other people had a similar approach for selecting breeders

 

[Finman]

Thats fair enough.
I was curious to learn if other people had a similar approach for selecting breeders

Don't repeat a good joke.

.

 

[B+.]

Don't repeat a good joke.

I'm not sure what you mean Finman. From what I can see, most people use fairly subjective criteria based on observations/experience. I'm looking for a bit of objectivity. The breeding values in BeeBreed are the closest thing I have found so far. A few of these are subjective too but, at least, the reliability is improved by using data from many observers in many locations. If anyone knows of anything better, I'd like to hear about it.

 

[Finman]

I'm not sure what you mean Finman. From what I can see, most people use fairly subjective criteria based on observations/experience. I'm looking for a bit of objectivity. The breeding values in BeeBreed are the closest thing I have found so far. A few of these are subjective too but, at least, the reliability is improved by using data from many observers in many locations. If anyone knows of anything better, I'd like to hear about it.

Nigel meant his description as a joke.

Most beekeepers do not mind about their queen breeding. They take queens from swarming cells and from emergency cells. As I have said, it is impossible to breed own stock in 10 hive yard. 90% of beekeepers have under 10 hives in Britain.

Beeks think that they should have mature drones in their hives even if they have laying queen in hives. UK has so much hives that every virgin will be mated if weathers allow it.

We were talking about one Carniolan queen. Is it worth to buy. But it seems to be impossible without breeding program and without native black bee.

 

[Finman]

.
Interesting feature is the gathered amount of pollen. carniolan is good in that. With extra pollen it is possible to get early build up. Without pollen... No build up.

This spring has been bad in Finland. Rains more than foraging days. Other hives have been clearly better to catch pollen in few sunny days.

Dark color is an advantage to fly in sun shining when temps are low.

 

[Nige.Coll]

Any post after 11 pm cannot be taken seriously.
I have bred all my own queens so far with a good rate of success.

 

[Excession]

Bear in mind there are a lot of beekeepers out there doing A/B breeding.
And trying to saturate the area with drones from only their best colonies...
Not just for themselves - but for everyone relying on mating flights instead mail order.
Keep nice bees, breed from the best, don't import... Simples.

 

[B+.]

I like the dark stripers, but don't reject the yellow stripers.

I love red-heads too, but wouldn't reject a blonde. They have more fun.

The first time I read this, I thought you said "strippers"

 

[Finman]

Bear in mind there are a lot of beekeepers out there doing A/B breeding.
And trying to saturate the area with drones from only their best colonies...
Not just for themselves - but for everyone relying on mating flights instead mail order..

That demands vivid imagination

 

[Thymallus]

And trying to saturate the area with drones from only their best colonies...
Not just for themselves - but for everyone relying on mating flights instead mail order.

In my experience there are far more people who are not doing this, just keeping bees with no aim of stock improvement. The "leave alone's" are particularly guilty of this.
So most drones are from unmanaged stocks and I don't think drone flooding works on the small scale that most of us amateurs work at.

 

[Finman]

.
Drone rearing means good mite rearing too.