Buckfast queens

theBeeLord · January 08, 2015, 11:52:55 PM

thanks jvalentour,
i emailed them and asked.
i'm curious to see where their stock of buckfast comes from.

Michael Bush · January 09, 2015, 03:29:45 PM

>how aggressive were they?

Mine were back in 2001 but they would hunt me down days later at my back door, which is not even in the line of site of the hives and well over 100 yards away, and sting me as I walked out the door. If you approached the hive from the BACK, they would come pouring out. If you popped the top, you couldn't see out of your veil for the ones clinging to it and poking their stingers through. You could see the venom dripping off of them and smell the banana smell. To lose them I had to walk through some close cedar trees and then run for the house and then brush off the clingers and then go in the house and have people tell me where the bees were so I could brush them off and step on them...

Vicious.

theBeeLord · January 09, 2015, 03:51:49 PM

yeah - that's kind of what i'm hearing.
the guy here in kentucky says these are his buckfast that have survived - mutt mix with carnolian and itallian. he said they can get a little hot.
don't really want to take those chances. if i had a hive like what you were describing Michael, i'd have to get rid of them.

Michael Bush · January 09, 2015, 04:12:16 PM

>if i had a hive like what you were describing Michael, i'd have to get rid of them.

I requeened them, but I was certainly considering extermination... I just don't know how to give up...

If I had survivors that were "a little hot" I'd probably get rid of the old queen and let them raise a new one and hope she will be better. Usually they are.

CBT · January 09, 2015, 06:42:31 PM

We were called to help out a guy that said the bees ran him in the house a stuck all over the front door. We went at night and sealed them up and took them to a remote area in the woods. They were hot but they work like crazy on honey or you if you stir em up. They calmed down a bit last fall. They may have re queened themselves.

theBeeLord · January 09, 2015, 07:59:04 PM

True - I often hear that "HOT" bees are good workers. Mine are in people's back yards though -- I really can't have that - not without problems.

iddee · January 09, 2015, 08:38:31 PM

CBT, you need to contact Don Hopkins at (336) 376-8250 or [email protected]. The lead state bee inspector.
He will take a few to sample for AHB. Then notify you of the results. All free.

Much better than the fine if you are caught knowingly keeping AHB. It is against the law in NC and they frown upon it quite strongly.

troyin17331 · January 12, 2015, 08:04:36 AM

". They calmed down a bit last fall."

i had a hive do that also started out nice then get cranky then calmed down again. someone told me that bees get that way when they work alfalfa not sure how true it is but thats what i heard

BeeMaster2 · January 12, 2015, 01:36:09 PM

Troy,
I do not recall where I read something similar but in one of the books, it said that certian flowers do cause that problem.
maybe Michael remembers who said that. I am pretty sure it was of the older books from the early 1900's.
Jim

capt44 · January 12, 2015, 02:52:19 PM

I had 2 packages of Bees from Texas (Buckfast) and they were gentle at the start but then a month or so later them gals were mean'ern a wet banty hen on Sunday.
I've had those hives in place now for 4 years.
I requeened them the second year and they have since calmed down a lot.
I now use Italians.

theBeeLord · January 12, 2015, 04:57:46 PM

Exactly what i've been hearing capt44.

from what i understood - it has to do with the genetics passed on via the females and via the males.
since drones have no fathers, they carry 100% of the mother's genes. so when you take a virgin queen and mate her - you end up with more of the characteristics of what was on the drone's side.

Michael Bush · January 13, 2015, 10:01:24 AM

>True - I often hear that "HOT" bees are good workers.

Hot bees are good robbers...

biggraham610 · January 17, 2015, 11:14:42 PM

Quote from: Steel Tiger on January 08, 2015, 10:17:09 PM
Quote from: Alan on January 08, 2015, 10:58:55 AM
so, Steel Tiger - when you say aggressive - how aggressive were they?

Whenever I went into their hive, they were all over me. I mowed near them and they attacked. I got nailed a dozen or so times before I got away.

I'll be keeping them in the woods if they survive the winter and hope the deer don't knock them over.

I ordered one from texas, didnt realize my girls had already started and emergency cell, they mauled her and tossed her quick. Guess they did me a favor....... lol...... funny thing is, whoever mated that virgin musta been a handfull, cause they are my hottest bees now, almost too hot, but they are getting a pass for now. will see what the spring brings. G

BeeMaster2 · January 18, 2015, 04:38:42 AM

Quote from May 2014 "My father in law started with a hive from a swarm that my father hosed down to get rid of it real quick. It swarmed at the beginning of a large family party for my daughter. My dad told him it would be a hot hive and it was always hot and always the best producer for about 20 years."
G,
That hive got a pass for 20 years. Every time I went over to my father-in-law's house he would comment about about that hive and how aggressive it was. For the rest of the 20 hives he had he would not wear any protection but he had to wear it for that hive.
This was long before AHB's made it to the U.S.
Every time I saw that hive it was always the biggest hive in the yard, usually as tall as me.
Jim

biggraham610 · January 18, 2015, 11:50:56 PM

I hear ya Jim, thats why Im waiting to see, it seems to be the strongest or at least 2nd strongest of my remaining hives so far through winter. I will deal with em if they prove to be strong survivors. Just have to tighten up the sleeves a little.

G

BeeMcq · January 24, 2015, 04:09:27 PM

>Why not Buckfast queens from Texas?

Have 3 hives that are Buckfast from TX . Great producers and, winter well but are meaner than mean.
Just walk up to the hive and they will hit me and will even follow me back to the house 500 feet away.
This spring will be splitting those hives 4 ways pinching the queens and re-queening them.