Which strain of Queen

[skydragon]

Thanks for the prompt feedback chaps.

You will have to do swarm control no matter what bees you get

totally understood.

I got average yield 130 kg per hive. I was proud. I had mostly Cariolans.

and

I have 3 hives with carniolans in and have had a very good crop off them. From 3 hives I have taken 200lb

Impressive - So the brood Vs honey comments ref carnolians may not be as black and white as some make out.... mayby I'd be best off sticking with carnolians and making the most of their easy going nature and accept the fact that I'd have to re-queen them every other year with fresh queens (and not let them re-queen themselves which might lead to an agressive strain).

 

[VEG]

They do lay a lot of brood but as long as the forage area is good then good crops can be had.

 

[Finman]

.
If the profilic Carniolan or Italian has one box full of brood, it takes 1,5 that the hive is able to forage real honey yield.

The reason is that brood cycle is 3 weeks and it takes 2 weeks that bees are old enough to do foraging. So it takes 6-7 weeks that the hive has a huge gang in foraging age.

We have this ahead if the start is 5 frame nuc at the beginning of summer.
Same happens if you split the colony in spring. It takes long time to be capable to forage surpluss.

 

[skydragon]

I'm in a rural area, with a wild meadow (thistle, hawthorn, bramble, etc) right next to the hives. The hives are in a small apple orchard with 18 fruit trees and within 1km there are farm fields, some of which might be rape (tbc dependant on what Mr famer is sowing). I'm on the edge of a small town which has a few thousand gardens with flowers There are no other beehives in the local area. So I should be ok with a couple of hives?

 

[Finman]

So I should be ok with a couple of hives?

Bees forage efficiently inside 2 km radius. It is a huge area of gardens.

 

[BKF Admin]

Asking what strain of Queen to buy is a bit like saying what make of car should I buy.

Why not breed a queen from your other hive and see how it goes?

 

[skydragon]

Asking what strain of Queen to buy is a bit like saying what make of car should I buy.

Why not breed a queen from your other hive and see how it goes?

Mmmm.... if you told me what your specific requirements were for the usage of your new car, i'd be able to make a fairly good recommendation ... same principle applies.

I would like to eventually try breeding queens, but understand that carnolians are not a good starting point in UK, due to the likelyhood of the result being a very agressive colony. However I've only read this and have no experience to back this up. Problem is, i can't find out the hard way due to hive location

 

[Finman]

due to the likelyhood of the result being a very agressive colony. However I've only read this and have no experience to back this up. Problem is, i can't find out the hard way due to hive location

With my 10 years experience with Carnica they are very pleasant to nurse. They are like kitties.

Once I ordered in Spring a strain from Slovakia which was mad to swarm and too aggressive.

Hybrids between Carniola and Italians were pleasant to handle.

But in every race you will meet bad ass hives. You must just eliminate them from your yard. keep extra queen nucs.

.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Carniolans on the heather had the same forage oppertunities as the rest of the hives,Carniolans did no good at all despite being stronger,all they produced was more bee's,while the rest filled there brood box's with honey,and some supers filled. I have a very good use for carniolan. Good tempered,yes lovely,would prefer they were bad tempered and worked.

 

[Norton]

Hivemaker,
Can you tell us more about your experiences on the heather. A synoptic account of the performance of different bees.
Thanks
Norton.

 

[jezd]

have we got a complete breakdown of the main honey bee types and their traits/colours etc etc, save me googling if someone has a link

 

[Rosti]

But in every race you will meet bad ass hives.
.

Finman, if my command of the 'Finnish' language was as good as yours of 'English' I'd be a happy man. I know exactly what you mean!

 

[Hivemaker.]

All i can tell you is that the buckfast type strains,and local mongrels which are decendants of buckfasts did the best,they were working and filling there box's and needed no feeding,they were also the one's flying when the weather was not so good.Many had little or no brood when brought back from the heather,which made varroa treatment quick,they are now rearing brood with the influx of pollen from the ivy,and the warmer weather down in the valley.The carniolans have never stopped rearing brood the whole time,and need lots of feeding (including while they were at the heather).I hear carniolan are supposed to pack the brood nest with stores, the one's i have don't.

 

[Norton]

Hello,
Interesting indeed and strange in a way- I would have expected the AMM types to have given the best results - maybe they are too hybridised. I too would have expected the carniolians to have shut down brood rearing on the heather. What you are describing seems to fit italian bees more than carnica.
Where were the carniolians from/ That is if you wish to tell us.
Best regards
Norton.

 

[BKF Admin]

have we got a complete breakdown of the main honey bee types and their traits/colours etc etc, save me googling if someone has a link

Just for you Jezd..

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=44

 

[Hivemaker.]

The Carniolans are from Slovenia,i have no AMM, but your queens are doing really well,pleased with them.

 

[jezd]

Just for you Jezd..

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=44

lol, it grew right in front of me......

 

[Finman]

The carniolans have never stopped rearing brood the whole time,and need lots of feeding .

Hivemaker, it depends what kind of strain you have got into your hands and for what that strain have been breeded and selected. If the beekeeper sells nucs, he tryes to keep brooding on all the time.

You have special conditions in England because ivy gives food to bees before winter. So lack of pollen does not inform bees that winter is coming. They need something else.

There are Italians which makes brood the year around as long as they have pollen. There are Italians which react on weather and slow down brooding when weathers are rainy one week.

I had Elqons and they did not care much about weather.

************

Carniolans are popular here in north parts of country. They must react on weather. Black color helps to catch sun heat better than light color.

**********

I have nursed Italians 30 years. First time I got genes that some hives do not stop brooding before winter, when I bought queens which were mated in Italy.

 

[BKF Admin]

What has shocked me is that some members are on 4-5th generation of Buckfast and say that temper is no better or worse than the original import.

I assume that the majority of crosses will be Buckfast x Carni due to the number of Carni drones in the uk.

What do the textbook's say about crossing Buckfast with Carni's?

 

[BKF Admin]

lol, it grew right in front of me......

I am glad Frisbee is not around after that comment

Yes I did it after you posted..