Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: buzzbee on February 08, 2015, 02:21:23 PM

Title: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: buzzbee on February 08, 2015, 02:21:23 PM
Just a little  conversation piece for the up and coming beekeepers. I thought about this when I was looking at Mann Lakes web page and saw they offered Italians or carnolian packages.
I have kept primarily mutts and Italians with a small venture into the Russian bee. I can say that the Russians had an attitude at times I didn't care for. Whether it was that particular queen or what I don't know as I didn't opt for a second one.
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: jayj200 on February 08, 2015, 02:46:28 PM
Little bees
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: GLOCK on February 08, 2015, 05:12:52 PM
American mutts i make all my bee's .
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: divemaster1963 on February 08, 2015, 06:27:30 PM
This time of year. Hungry bees and allot of ladies that are ready to get out of the house.

John
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: rwlaw on February 08, 2015, 07:59:56 PM
Michigan Mutts.
Tried a Italian nuc, they were a mite factory. Tried a carniolan queen and I could have sold propolis by the pound at the end of the season.
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: schawee on February 08, 2015, 08:32:36 PM
Cajun mutts  I raise my own

Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: CapnChkn on February 08, 2015, 09:35:36 PM
Whatever joins the tribe.  I'm seeking out of the way places to catch long term ferals.  Can't say I'm successful, at getting a landrace.
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: biggraham610 on February 08, 2015, 10:15:16 PM
Started with Italians, added VSH, since have open bred multiple times, so, I got Mutts, some nice some not so much so, but all workable. Was thinking of trying a russian or carni queen just to add something different. Might do it. See how I come out of winter. G
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: Apis629 on February 08, 2015, 10:22:15 PM
I always find myself trending back to mutts. I've had cordovan, Italian, Carniolan and Russian in my apiary at any one time, but they're all mutts now. As long as they don't have africanized traits, I'm generally pretty agreeable to maintaining stocks of whatever is available.
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: divemaster1963 on February 08, 2015, 10:51:28 PM
Quote from: schawee on February 08, 2015, 08:32:36 PM
Cajun mutts  I raise my own
Not the kind that turn red with heat tho?

John
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: JackM on February 12, 2015, 09:34:00 AM
Busy bees of course  :rolleyes:

Well I started with Italians.  They did not do well in our high humidity winters.  All mutts now, the only way to go.  I firmly believe they genetically adapt to their micro environment.  My mutts will bring in pollen when temps are in low 40's if it isn't raining, the Italians wouldn't leave the  hive until 50ish
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: jayj200 on February 12, 2015, 09:39:56 AM
It seams AHB's
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: 10framer on February 14, 2015, 09:39:10 AM
mutts, i cull hot queens and poor producers and that's about it. i started with italians but i guess this is the start of my 4th year back in and pretty much all my hives have a mix of what look like italian, carni, and cordovan workers.  i have a big feral population around and a couple of backyard beekeepers within a few miles of me. 
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: Barry on February 14, 2015, 01:23:36 PM
Russian Hybrids....whatever that means lol
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: hjon71 on February 14, 2015, 06:22:52 PM
Mine are bound to be mutts. I only know they were started from Italians many  years ago.
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: GSF on February 16, 2015, 06:36:50 AM
"What kind of bees do you keep?"

What ever stays in the box..,lol
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: JanO on February 18, 2015, 01:33:18 PM
All of mine are Washington Mutts.  I don't buy bees, I save them from being destroyed by spray can happy property owners. 
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: sc-bee on February 19, 2015, 11:35:38 PM
The kind that hurt when they sting..... especially in a soft spot  :oops:
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: awajikiwi on February 21, 2015, 12:06:03 PM
japanese honey bee
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: Maggiesdad on February 21, 2015, 12:45:46 PM
Quote from: awajikiwi on February 21, 2015, 12:06:03 PM
japanese honey bee

Grettings awajikiwi!

Welcome to Beemaster, and come introduce yourself in the New Member Section! http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?board=29.0
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: GSF on February 25, 2015, 09:36:49 PM
ditto on the welcome
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: Better.to.Bee.than.not on February 26, 2015, 02:15:14 PM
Mutts? I am very selective on the bees I allow to grant me honey. I only raise Apis dorsata and apis mellifera mellifera, with strict instructions not to mate or inseminate with inferior genetics from other species. In fact, I have a genetics tester at the entrance that tests every bee that comes or goes into the hive and those without perfect genetic sequencing is swatted aside be a mechanical arm if it tries to enter...this prevents robbing as well which is a bonus.

:wink:

heh no seriously, mine are surely all mutts by now also, but I introduced a lot of italian and russian genes into the pools, thats for sure. I know at the minimal they are multi year winter and mite survival stock though and that is all I really care about really.
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: CapnChkn on February 26, 2015, 11:38:05 PM
Durn.

I was going to ask where you found Dorsata...
Title: Re: What kind of bees do you keep?
Post by: OldMech on February 27, 2015, 01:44:28 AM
I can buy the dark bees that the breeder calls Carniolan, and the packages with golden bees that they call Italian, the MN Hygienic, the VSH Gold, and even Old SOl, and what I usually end up with is the American Tiger queen with beautiful stripes.. so... Mutts here too!