Which bee

[Markf3625]

Newbee here, after doing all the research about wood poly or plastic hives, I think I'm going to settle for a poly hive, maybe a paradise poly hive, like its constructed, eg plastic runners etc, and the its compatible with wooden box's however can't seem to find much via YouTube on which honey bee to have, kinda swaying towards Italian honey be due to good temperment and less likely to swarm, as a newbee with neighbours to consider, these are important factors to consider, but just watched black mountain honey and he's mentioned F1 or F0 buckfast?

If anyone would like to offer any advice as to which bee to get, given that I'm a beginner in a rural come urban setting, more of large village than a town, I would very gratefully any advice offered.
Kind regards
Mark

 

[Erichalfbee]

Buckfast are gentle and a good beginners bee.
You will find that folk here are quite polarised about what sort of be anybody should be keeping.
Local beekeeping associations like to recommend local bees whatever that means.
I keep all sorts but never had Italians. They like to make more bees than honey and they are greedy feeders.
my suggestion would be to get a GOOD nuc of GOOD Buckfast and When you eventually split them you can try another queen. I have recommendations for those too, both from forum members.

 

[Erichalfbee]

On the other hand if your local beekeeping association has decent gentle bees and they offer nucs to beginners it doesn’t matter what bee they are.
Have you joined one?

 

[Markf3625]

On the other hand if your local beekeeping association has decent gentle bees and they offer nucs to beginners it doesn’t matter what bee they are.
Have you joined one?

Yes applied for an associate membership at Stamford and bourne beekeeping association

Regards
Mark

 

[The Poot]

I echo Dani‘s advice - Buckfast from a recognised source, such as Exmoor Bees.

(I often think the “less swarmy” characteristic should be seen as a negative, given swarming is how bees procreate. It seems to me that the swarming tendency would be characteristic of robust bees. I’m probably on my own with this view!)

Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[enrico]

Start with a gentle bee but over the years, unless you requeen regularly, they will morph into what is the common bee around you ( local bees) .I have always tried to keep my nicest queen's , nice queen's breed nice bees. And I get rid of any bad queen's, bad queen's breed bad bees! Do not believe that some bees don't swarm! That is how they reproduce and you can't stop it, all you can do is try and control it. Remember that next year, you will probably have a swarm so you need the kit to be able to deal with it, i.e., a second hive, and from there you start choosing which queen's you will keep! You may be lucky and have a couple of years with no swarm but, trust me, one day they will and it will be when you least expect it and least want it!
Good luck picking your first bees
E

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Nothing wrong with Italians - although they do have a reputation of having a large winter brood-nest so can be hungry - although a large colony can result in a larger honey crop if the weather is good.
Buckfasts can turn nasty after a couple of queen generations, although that can also happen with other bees too, depending on what boy bees are in the local area for the queens to mate with. If your local association has some decent bees, then I would be inclined to go with them if available. You are more likely to get (local) advice if your association or one of it's experienced beekeepers sells you a colony.