which breed of bees do you prefer

[irekkin]

i'm sure this has been asked many times here but please indulge a newbee. i was curious about other folks favorite breed of honey bee and why. i have no idea what mine are except that i put a russian queen in a queenless hive earlier this spring.

[Michael Bush]

I like them all.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesraces.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#beebreed
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm#easythings

[iddee]

I like mutts. If you buy purebred, within a couple years you have mutts anyway. Might as well start with them.

[rast]

 :-D FREE  :-D
sorry, couldn't help it.

[BeeHopper]

I have no preference for purebreds anymore, especially the Italians because of their nasty instinct for robbing. I like Mutts and Ferals, but I will not rule out trying the Carnis.

[mlewis48]

I like the free ones that I have been getting with swarms that I have been catching. I got some Italians from Gardners that are above and beyond what I expected. I pretty much have most of the breeds and like them all.

[bassman1977]

1.  Feral survivors
2.  Carnolians
3.  Italians.

Those are the only ones I have experience with.

[lenape13]

I started with Italians this year, and I am happy with them so far.  Cut out a feral swarm from an old garage yesterday, we'll see how they do.  They are definitely mixed breeds.

[MustbeeNuts]

This is my second year, trying carni's this year, as well as a cross of Italians/something, and Italians last year, and also Minnsota Hygenics. Being a new beek, I find them all the same so far. I even tried a hive of melafera melafera, mostly a black little bee, they were ok too.

[alfred]

Free Swarms. And whatever it is that is in my #1 and my #3 hive that are both producing like there is no tomorrow. #1 are small and amber yellow striped like my avatar.  #3 are dark some almost all black and bigger and a little more tempermental that #1, but not much.

Been thinking about trying to do splits from them or something to get more.

Alfred

[bailey]

wild caught survivor bees from my area.

some are quite impressive!

bailey

[Brian D. Bray]

The best bee to have is one that is climatically adjusted to your area and hygenic, ferals fit that description nicely but so do a lot of other bees.  The best bees I have are the ones in my bee yard.