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UK bred Caucasian queens?

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Suzi

New Bee
Joined
May 26, 2019
Messages
23
Reaction score
23
Location
Durham
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
Hello there, long time lurker, first time poster here.

Does anyone breed Caucasians or Amm in the UK on here? I'm considering requeening in the spring.

I have 3 very prolific (too prolific for my needs) and very swarmy (annoying) mongrel colonies, which stress me out with their constant need to swarm and supersede :cautious:
 
Welcome to the fray.

I've never seen Caucasians sold in the UK, in fact I don't think I've ever noticed them for import either, doesn't appear to be a popular choice and some of its characteristics don't seem very desirable.

As for AMM I've purchased from Jonathan Getty: Buy a Native Black Queen
Iv'e seen Curly Green Fingers on here recommend Bees and Queens | Cardigan Bay Honey - Welsh Honey and Beeswax Products as well.


However, if you want bees with low swarming tendency I would not recommend A.M.M.
 
Welcome to the fray.

I've never seen Caucasians sold in the UK, in fact I don't think I've ever noticed them for import either, doesn't appear to be a popular choice and some of its characteristics don't seem very desirable.

As for AMM I've purchased from Jonathan Getty: Buy a Native Black Queen
Iv'e seen Curly Green Fingers on here recommend Bees and Queens | Cardigan Bay Honey - Welsh Honey and Beeswax Products as well.

However, if you want bees with low swarming tendency I would not recommend A.M.M.

I've had queens from Jon Getty - nice AMM stock as a result. Not swarmed this year and two very big colonies so perhaps it's the luck of the draw ? I've had a queen from Cardigan Bay Honey this year - again lovely bees and she's laying like a train ! Both recommended by me as well.
 
I've had queens from Jon Getty - nice AMM stock as a result. Not swarmed this year and two very big colonies so perhaps it's the luck of the draw ? I've had a queen from Cardigan Bay Honey this year - again lovely bees and she's laying like a train ! Both recommended by me as well.

I haven't tried Jon's yet but will be next year, my amms from cardigan bay are very prolific and I've had no probs with swarming.
Eg.. mated queen from cardigan Bay bought and introduced on the 20th ofJune, I made a 6 frame nuc consisting of 4 frames of capped brood two of stores now the new queen has 4/5 frames of solid brood. if this weather stays good they will be in a single nats brood box shortly.

Nice and gentle girls.
I've reared queen's from his stock this year from a previous nuc I bought and the daughters are much the same.

All I can say is you need to give them space and keep an eye on them I've demared some this year.
 
Last edited:
I have to say that generally I have found Buckfast bees:
non swarmy
good tempered
not over prolific.
edit : and readily available from good suppliers.
Mine - now much mongrelised - take brood breaks in bad summer weather so keeping colony sizes down in prolonged bad weather..
 
Thank you everyone.

I must say that I'm hearing different reviews of Buckfast from different people, saying that 1st gen they are lovely but as soon as they outbreed they become the bees from hell! And AMM I had always been told were not swarmy at all.

I suggested Caucasians because they are said to be gentle on the comb, not as prolific as other strains and whilst they produce less honey, are less likely to want to swarm. My hives are on someone else's land and well out of sight so I can't monitor them constantly - the once a week inspection is all I can do without becoming a nuisance myself.

My own mongrels are calm enough, except of course under normal stress situations, i.e. queenlessness and bad beekeeping behaviour (rolling and squishing etc), but their tendency to be overly prolific has (IMO) led to a CBPV situation because I wasn't quick enough in keeping the space issue under control. I've worked hard to manage that out of the colonies and they are almost free of it; just the odd shaky bee here and there.

I'll check out those suppliers in the spring. I've only ever had my own queens or ones that came with a nuc; do the suppliers post the queens out? how do they stop them from being killed in transit? I'm in Durham, NE England so a fair distance away from Cardigan! I'm on the BBKA page and several others where Jon Getty is also a member so I can ask him directly, and I'll check out his webpage.

Thank you all again,
Suzi
 
Thank you everyone.

I must say that I'm hearing different reviews of Buckfast from different people, saying that 1st gen they are lovely but as soon as they outbreed they become the bees from hell! And AMM I had always been told were not swarmy at all.

I suggested Caucasians because they are said to be gentle on the comb, not as prolific as other strains and whilst they produce less honey, are less likely to want to swarm. My hives are on someone else's land and well out of sight so I can't monitor them constantly - the once a week inspection is all I can do without becoming a nuisance myself.

My own mongrels are calm enough, except of course under normal stress situations, i.e. queenlessness and bad beekeeping behaviour (rolling and squishing etc), but their tendency to be overly prolific has (IMO) led to a CBPV situation because I wasn't quick enough in keeping the space issue under control. I've worked hard to manage that out of the colonies and they are almost free of it; just the odd shaky bee here and there.

I'll check out those suppliers in the spring. I've only ever had my own queens or ones that came with a nuc; do the suppliers post the queens out? how do they stop them from being killed in transit? I'm in Durham, NE England so a fair distance away from Cardigan! I'm on the BBKA page and several others where Jon Getty is also a member so I can ask him directly, and I'll check out his webpage.

Thank you all again,
Suzi
You'll have to be quick with Jon Getty if you want a queen reasonably early. Most are booking now for a late May/early june delivery
 
Queens travel quite easily in the post. There are stories on here of them being in transit for a long time and surviving.
I’ve had one from Germany but with true German efficiency she arrived two days after posting.
Agree with Emyr. If you want that Irish queen reserve her now. I’ve got my order in already.
 

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