My friend was low intervention bee keeping for several years before I started
so she's not new to it. I don't know what she means either. I wondered whether
anyone was producing genetically modified strains, but it looks more likely
that these do have stings but are considered very gentle. I will ask. I just
wanted to put it to the group in case anyone had heard of such a thing. I
wouldn't want a strain of bee which didn't defend itself but it's a big world.
Will
________________________________
From: oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf
of Oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 24 September 2020 22:31
To: oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [oxnatbees] Re: Stingless Buckfast Bees?
Following my reflexive rant, I can think of one case where your friend should
consider getting Buckfasts. That's if they live in or near Hook Norton, where
Viktor & Lucy (Honeybeesuppliers.co.uk<http://Honeybeesuppliers.co.uk>) raise
hundreds of colonies of Buckfasts - they are breeders, and introducing another
race to the area would impact their income. In that case I would approach them
and ask for some of their bees so they can control the genetics of the area.
Paul
On Thu, 24 Sep 2020 at 22:15, Oxnatbees
<oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Short answer:
(1) Buckfasts are gentle but NOT stingless
(2) They won't stay pure so their temper will change when they supersede /
swarm, probably after a year
(3) You have to remember that the seller is trying to make money and no doubt
not mentioned these facts.
Longer answer:
(1) Our first bees were Buckfasts. We got plenty of stings in our first two
years, due to our inept handling of them, for example adding miticides to the
hives provoked defensive behaviour. By year two they were no doubt hybridised
with other bees round here but even our first operation with them, a brutal
"chop and crop" to fit their frames into our TBH resulted in many stings. If
you provoke them they WILL react.
On the other hand after we caught a local swarm and put them in the 2nd hive we
could see the two breeds side by side and it was apparent the Buckfasts were
perhaps a little TOO gentle. Wasps raided them, even though they were a huge
colony, and they didn't seem to defend well. The local ones crowded their
entrance with guards which put off the wasps. The local bees were tougher and
flew in slightly chillier weather, and light drizzle. The Buckfasts seemed dopy
by comparison.
Although we initially found the locals more defensive, we now have 4 hives of
them in the back garden and they are extraordinarily calm. The way you treat
the bees has more impact than their race.
(2) Buckfasts are notorious for nasty crosses. An aspect here is
neighbourliness - your friend will not just get grumpy bees but will be
creating them for all the other beekeepers within miles. Near me is a large bee
farmer (George Fenemore) who uses local bees across an area about 4x4 miles. He
has had up to 100 hives. He told me he can tell when a new beekeeper starts in
the area because his hives on that edge of his farmland get nasty for a year or
two.
Remember the breeder is aiming to make money by selling bees. Caveat Emptor.
(3) I have never heard of Buckfasts being advertised as "stingless" by
responsible breeders and if the seller really says that in an advert it is a
red flag - they are lying, or ignorant. What I HAVE come across is people who
know nothing about breeding who think they know everything reckon they can make
some quick cash raising and selling queens. Real Buckfasts are a very carefully
controlled mix of races and there is a (very small) pool of breeders who
monitor each others' purity carefully.
There are real stingless bees but they are completely different species to
honeybees and found in places like tropical forests.
(4) Where Buckfasts excel is they are very prolific. Whatever I think of the
problems of crosses, I cannot deny they are a good tool for a migratory
beekeeper who needs lots of bees all the time, but I don't think they are good
for a normal amateur with a few static hives,especially if they have a normal
sized garden.
Can you point us at the advert claiming these are stingless Buckfasts?
Paul
On Thu, 24 Sep 2020 at 21:28, Will H
<whanrott@xxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:whanrott@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
A friend has said that she's buying a Nucleus of 'stingless Buckfast bees'. I
haven't heard of such a thing. Can anyone shed any light on what she's talking
about?
Thanks
Will
