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macow

New Bee
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
71
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1
Location
Northamptonshire (South)
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
Ahh!
Hi,
I have the chance of getting hold of a colony of New Zealand bees and have heard both good and bad about them. I would be grateful to hear about any experience of this type of bee. Currently i have only kept the dark British (i know) bees. What do you think? Is it worth going for?
Any advice appreciated.
Marc
 
Hi Macow
I guess that depends on what you are after in a bee, i introduced a NZ queen, have yet to see what her offspring are like, but i was after a docile and very chilled out bee.

I am told they are the best for temperament, and can also bring in the honey.

Bees are like a box of chocolates, you never know what youre gonna get.
 
They were dismal in NE Scotland. In a milder clime they may be okay.

PH
 
Hi
Many Thanks for your replies.
Some food for thought. Still in two minds. I would still like to hear of any more experiences/thoughts.

Many Thanks

Marc
 
brown thorax

i would like them if thay have brown thorax, do thay.
 
brown thorax

the queen must have brown thorax.
 
My NZ queens are ginger looking.... Haven't got any NZ bees yet, but am expecting them to look Italian ... fair coloured bees orange/brown/some yellow... but lighter than the current mongrels
 
The picture is a good post admin... makes more sense to see them!
 
Hi,
I have the chance of getting hold of a colony of New Zealand bees and have heard both good and bad about them.

My first experiences with bees were with NZ bees. Mine were very docile, I worked them in shorts/t-shirt, and they gave me >100kg/hive/year. Some I kept as 2 queen systems and they gave me more.

My concern with people keeping them over here, is
a) it's quite a different climate and people mutter on about italian types eating more over winter, (I don't know if that's true).
b) NZ hasn't had a lot of disease. When I kept bees in NZ there wasn't even varroa there.

So with the disease issue you might find other breeds/strains better, but at least one person I know in London does very well with NZ types.
 
Traits

Are you shore about that.
have you had tham

Admin it looks good

I will big money for tham £100 +

MUST SEE FIRST
 
ive been offered a nuc of new zealand bees £115 for the nuc.
 
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