What Bees to Keep?

[Monsieur Abeille]

Hi, I'm picking peoples brains at the moment on several topics in beekeeping, this is because I want to be 100% sure about what I'm doing, and theres no better people to ask than your good selves...... I'm looking at bees with a good temperment, any recomendations would be much appreciated...... Still waiting for an offer from somebody locally to show me around a hive and give me abit of hands on experience.....

If in Lincoln and looking for nice bees I'd recommend going to see Neil and Derek Pont at Doddington (farm is immediately on the right when entering the village).

 

[Steve Dyer]

Steve, you make good suggestions but I have to make a comment on the above statement.

I heard it said over 30 years ago; "My bees came from the Sandifords, they are agressive but they give me the most honey...". Take it form me the combination of aggression and honey yield is a myth!
Docility is a trait that is readily selected for provided the beekeeper runs more than a couple of hives..

I think there is a correlation between productivity and aggression - indeed I am about to be visited by a newbee who has the hive from hell, but has kept it and put in in the middle of the local farm because it's making oodles of honey while his docile ones are chilling out and doing nothing.

HOWEVER... Please don't think I am recommending keeping nasty bees! I am a devout coward and I agree that the downsides of Atilla bees way exceed any benefits - I was just saying there are two sides to the story if you are a masochist

Steve

 

[Crg]

Hmm I must be lucky. My 1st generation Carnie queens are just as placid and docile as their mother. Maybe because my apiary was flooded with Carnie drones when they mated?

Probably depends more on what people about 1/2 mile away are keeping.

It's good that your queens turned out well, but I hope you know where to get a queen from docile stock if things go nasty in the next generation.

If you're leaving the mating to chance that it's better to have a number of queens in mating nucs and only use them once you know they're reasonably docile.

That way you can cull any overly defensive ones when there's only a few hundred bees, rather than finding out the temperament in a full colony.

 

[kazmcc]

Oh boy. Now I'm scared lol.

 

[Crg]

I think there is a correlation between productivity and aggression

The only correlation is the process (hybridisation) that influences productivity can in certain combinations also give very defensive bees.

You can get hybrid vigour with other combinations without the increased defensiveness.

I don't understand why anyone would want to keep defensive bees thinking they'll be more productive. I've extracted about ~130kgs of honey off my most productive colony of docile* bees so far this year. The rest aren't too far behind.

*People's opinion of what docile is varies. Mine is, shorts, t-shirt, no smoke, no stings.

 

[Crg]

Oh boy. Now I'm scared lol.

Just be cautious till you see what her offspring are like, and plan ahead incase you do need to requeen

 

[picton farm]

TONY BLOKE: I've helped a Beekeeper with really aggressive bees, it ain't fun.


You wouldn't be referring to my fluffy little darlings would you?

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

If in Lincoln and looking for nice bees I'd recommend going to see Neil and Derek Pont at Doddington (farm is immediately on the right when entering the village).

Should also add I know a couple of others who keep well behaved bees and often have nucs for sale local to Lincoln - PM me if you need details

 

[Raceyboy]

Been on a taster course this afternoon, as recommended by the forum, had a fantastic day, really enjoyed it, many thanks

 

[madasafish]

Hmm I must be lucky.

You may be, or perhaps just wait for your second generation!

The difference may be that the queen is a direct import from a 'good' export breeder, or your queen could be one of the first generation produced from one of those imported queens. One cannot always tell. That is one problem of using specific breeding lines.

RAB

Next year will tell. And as they are carnies, they WILL swarm. I'll report next year..

 

[tonybloke]

TONY BLOKE: I've helped a Beekeeper with really aggressive bees, it ain't fun.


You wouldn't be referring to my fluffy little darlings would you?

LOL !! hello Jen!

 

[BBG]

I don't understand why anyone would want to keep defensive bees thinking they'll be more productive. I've extracted about ~130kgs of honey off my most productive colony of docile* bees so far this year. The rest aren't too far behind.

*People's opinion of what docile is varies. Mine is, shorts, t-shirt, no smoke, no stings.

CRG You have my undivided attention! The only other person who claimed such productivity was an uncle who was stone deaf, kept 28 colonies and each year produced TWO tons of honey from OSR. This was put in 28lb tins that Gales or some such supplied and they took it away.

Then he produced honey during the rest of the season but not so spectacularly.

More info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chris B]

CRG You have my undivided attention! The only other person who claimed such productivity was an uncle who was stone deaf, kept 28 colonies and each year produced TWO tons of honey from OSR. This was put in 28lb tins that Gales or some such supplied and they took it away.

Then he produced honey during the rest of the season but not so spectacularly.

More info would be greatly appreciated.

Colony yields of 150lb of spring honey are a rarity but certainly not unheard of. What is impressive is repeating this performance each year for a large number of colonies. In my experience it's more to do with a productive apiary than productive bees.

 

[oliver90owner]

it's more to do with a productive apiary than productive bees.



It does help that the bees are ready (already built up into a strong foraging force) for the flow and healthy. The strain will help to a degree.

RAB

 

[Crg]

More info would be greatly appreciated.

Source queens from a good breeder, use a larger sized hive*, and live in London (or Auckland, NZ)
Those are the two places I have the most experience in keeping bees and I've got similar yields in both.

Also as Chris B says, the apiary makes quite a difference.

I have three apiaries all in the same area, all have the same genetic stock, and there is another beekeeper's apiary very near me with the same stock.

Three of those apiaries do significantly better (best colonies 100kg+), but one of my apiaries only produces about 60kgs per colony.

The poorly performing apiary gets off to a slower start in spring. I think it's too exposed early in the year (but there isn't much I can do about that unfortunately).

*MD and Jumbo Langstroth in the UK, Langstroth (double brood) in NZ.