Which Type of Bees to start with.

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quite a few switching to them over here now - ChrisB is one of them - far less risk

I do some packages, but far more nucs. I'm sure if you quiz ChrisB about ongoing plans he would also do far more nucs than packages, both for himself and for sale, I might be wrong but I doubt it.
With our climate most seasons would certainly favour nucs over packages imho, the only real reason to switch to packages is as you state, less risk, and that would only really make them viable over nucs if efb was seriously endemic in your area of operation.
Again, I might be wrong, I suppose some bees build vast populations early, not mine though.
 
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Buckfast from a reliable breeder. I have had most kinds of bees and they are a world apart. You need to go back to a pure queen every 2nd or third generation though - if they keep mating with the local drones they regress.

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There is a pretty good one on the forum around that part of the country too.
 
I do some packages, but far more nucs. I'm sure if you quiz ChrisB about ongoing plans he would also do far more nucs than packages,
Last spoke to Chris before the convention a couple of years ago, his plans were, then to convert completely over to packages, dunno whether he's changed his mind since.
 
quite a few switching to them over here now - ChrisB is one of them - far less risk

Thanks for the plug Emyr.

Yes I don't think I'm the only beekeeper selling locally produced packages. It's great not having to worry about what type of hive the bees are going into. It's a growing trend (for good reason) so don't assume all packages are imported as many aren't.

Wherever you get your nuc/package, get them in May if you can. That way you have every chance of a modest honey yield in year 1 but minimal chance of swarming, all in all the perfect start for a new beekeeper.

Good luck.
 
Last spoke to Chris before the convention a couple of years ago, his plans were, then to convert completely over to packages, dunno whether he's changed his mind since.

Some seasons lend themselves to making packages with bursting colonies needing alleviating of bees for swarm control coming out of the spring flow, its been some time:rolleyes:
its not often seasons and bees play right into our plans, forcing packages when the season hasnt been right is pretty unproductive work imho
 
I'm sure if you quiz ChrisB about ongoing plans he would also do far more nucs than packages

That was true about 3 years ago but now I've totally quit National I don't do any nucs as Langstroth is not at all popular locally. I also use packages for my own expansion as it has a higher acceptance rate for new queens and I hate losing queens after taking the trouble to rear them.
I am lucky enough to have colonies at good strength by end of April, not sure if it's where I live or just prolific Buckfasts, but stealing bees for packages in May also helps to hold them back a bit so they peak later for the main flow.
 
Thanks for putting me right ChrisB, I'm happy to be corrected.
i had big plans myself to switch to mostly packages, but have found with my bees in my area nucs make more sense, I am still on nationals mostly, and amm bees.
 
Do some research before you get too committed in beekeeping.
Join your local association... Google Cornish Beekeeping Association. or West Cornwall Beekeeping Association for secretaries addresses..... there is also BIPCo and WCBBA and even BIBBA.

Think twice before "importing" bees into the area, there are some very committed groups of beekeepers trying to breed Native Cornish Black Bees and would not appreciate anyone disrespectfully rocking up with any non native or imported bees!

The Native black bee will do well in any type of hive, I have one associate that does very well in honey production, using the Apimay.. another using Polly Langstroth, I use standard polly and WRC Nationals + a few WBC's

Just hope you are not another Troll !

Yeghes da
 
Not a troll don't know why you would think so.

Joined CBKA this week and had a good chat with a Local Cornish Black Bee keeper who was very supportive and helpful.

In fact I am very much leaning towards this type of Bee even with my current limited knowledge. Have even had an offer to do me a NUC in Langstroth.
 
Not a troll don't know why you would think so.

Joined CBKA this week and had a good chat with a Local Cornish Black Bee keeper who was very supportive and helpful.

In fact I am very much leaning towards this type of Bee even with my current limited knowledge. Have even had an offer to do me a NUC in Langstroth.

There are no pitchforks yet so I think you are safe.

I am not a fan of packages becuase in my opinion it creates too much work for a newly dumped colony of bees. But then I have just paid a lot of money for an over-wintered nuc.

The chance to disagree is a luxury purely saved for the adults of the human race I guess....

To each their own. :ohthedrama:
 
I am not a fan of packages becuase in my opinion it creates too much work for a newly dumped colony of bees.

True if too late in the season but at swarming time they romp away. A package is about as close to a natural swarm as you can get so I guess it's no surprise they respond so well. I'm talking about my own experience but I know bought packages can be poor, as we've heard from Mike Palmer, but I suspect that's more to do with poor queens or stressed out bees that have been stuck in the post too long.
 
Not a troll don't know why you would think so.

Joined CBKA this week and had a good chat with a Local Cornish Black Bee keeper who was very supportive and helpful.

In fact I am very much leaning towards this type of Bee even with my current limited knowledge. Have even had an offer to do me a NUC in Langstroth.
Hi shazzer
Looks like you have found the best option for you already
A good nucleus of healthy gentle bees from somebody who will give you some help getting started
Welcome to beekeeping :)


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A swarm is obviously the cheapest. Although last year I didn't get one until June :(
 
If you look up the work by Tom Sealey then a Langstroth box is the exact size preferred by wild colonies when they swarm. So if you want to go with Langstroth do ..
For most modern bee strains, and particularly Buckfast, a standard national will not be large enough so you'll need to run double brood or Brood+half.. the alternative is to run 14x12(jumbo national) as most of my association do.
If you can't get a Langstroth Nuc locally and can't source one from somebody on here then a swarm if a very viable option .. although you may get some bad tempered bees as a result - one of the swarms I kept last year was really nice the others are real pigs and I didn't have a spare queen to re-queen them with.
The novice that I'm currently mentoring joined our association with the intention of spending last year just learning and getting hands on experience.. At the point I got 3 swarm calls on the same day and ran out of people to give swarms to and not needing one myself he got dumped in (sort of) at the deep end. He's already asked if he can work with me again this year, so I must be doing something right.
Getting the right support is often the key to sinking or swimming.. welcome to the mad house.
 
Get some nice local mongrels.
I wouldn't advise a swarm as it's pot luck and swarmy bees make swarmy bees.
 
I wouldn't advise a swarm as it's pot luck and swarmy bees make swarmy bees.

All healthy colonies will swarm unless there's some intervention from a beekeeper, but I do tend to agree that getting a swarm is pot luck.

Early swarms might be good, because they should be prime swarms so will be a lot of bees, but there's no knowing the age of the queen. Later swarms are more likely to be casts, so it will take longer for the queen to mate and come into lay. Requeening, using local queens, is an option in both cases.
 

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