Buckfast

[thesurveyor]

Does anyone here still keep buckfast? I have a beekeeper friend that loved them, but he has not found any local for some time. He has Russians and Italians now. He loved them.

[George Fergusson]

I was given a Weaver Buckfast queen last spring. They still call them Buckfast, but I don't know how close they are to real Buckfast Abby queens any more. I undertand that no new stock has been imported in some years. They seem to be fine bees so far- they built up well last year and survived the winter in fine shape. Ask me again next fall.

There was another thread about Buckfast queens a few months ago. If you search for it, you'll surely find it.

[Michael Palmer]

You can buy Buckfast queens in Ontario.

[Brent Bean]

I started beekeeping with R. Weaver Buckfast they were good bees until they superceded the queen then they got aggressive I have read this is not uncommon for hybrids. If you want good queens try Parvis borthers.

[beegee]

One of the guys in my former bee club had Buckfasts. They were so mean you couldn't get within 100 yards of them. That sorta scared me off them. I have since read that the so-called Buckfast bee that is commonly sold here is not the same as Brother Adam's bees. I guess the stock has gotten interbred so much that there is not much left that resembles the Monk's product. If I knew where to get some "pure" strain, gentle and productive Buckfasts, I'd be tempted to try them.

[beegee]

I emailed Buckfast Abbey. Here's their reply:

Every year we have an unknown quantity of random tested mated queens. This next season price will be £ 28.50, this include first class postage and travelling cage. With every queen we send 10-15 nurse bees. The queen bee can live about 5 days.
These Buckfast queens are available from June till mid July, depending on availability according to seasonal weather variation. If you like, send us your details so we can put your name on our list.
Best Regards.

Dhafer Behnam
Apiaries manager

[Michael Palmer]

>I emailed Buckfast Abbey.

I wonder what they would have to say concerning Buckfast bees sole in North America. Just how "Buckfast" are the queens raised in Ontario.

[Phil Minnesota]

I got 4- 3lbs Packages last year from Texas.

1 built up fast enough in 7 weeks to swarm out of a double brood box. Boxed the swarm and left the original hive to finish raising a new queen.

1 progressed in what I would consider ' normal' fashion.

2 had queens that didn't lay worth a hoot and never progressed. Should have ( my life has alot of these) killed off the bad queen and let them do their thing.

So, now I am through winter with two hives. Lost one over winter. The swarm and the original hive.

The offspring hive has the best temper and produce like mad. I know this seems to be the opposite of general rule. But I'll take it.

Look at the AHB Map for the U.S.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/doc...d=11059&page=6

These breeders/ producers areas are going to get some AHB trait whether the area is drone flooded or not. I think that these bees may have been unique in the past but not so much now.

Getting 4 Carnolian and 2 Italian Packages around the 3rd week in April.

I'm just not sure U.S. Buckfast are worth the money right out.

[odfrank]

Introduced four on 10/6/06. All Survived the winter, but are languishing.:confused:

[thesurveyor]

Can they be ordered from The Abbey? If so, do you think they would survive the shipping?

I agree that what is being produced here may have some traits that were not original. So, that brings the question, how do we get the real deal again.

Thanks
TheSurveyor

[Aspera]

[QUOTE=thesurveyor;224404]Can they be ordered from The Abbey? If so, do you think they would survive the shipping?


My understanding is that the Abby no longer maintains Brother Adam's selection method and that Denmark is currently the best place to get Buckfast stock. The Canadian breeders probably got their's from Denmark, but they are difficult to import unless you order larger lots of queens.

[Aspera]

PM buckbee, I think that he has worked at the Abby and is the beesource expert on their current methods/bees.

[thesurveyor]

I sent PM to Buckbee, gave him the link to the thread, maybe he will post or reply to the PM.

Will update if the PM is received and not posted.

Thanks
TheSurveyor

[BTH]

I currently have the Buckfast Queens in 2 hives from last year. Both overwintered well, but I will be replacing them with Italians in 2 weeks. I have worked the hives last year without a veil on numerous occassions, no aggressiveness in my observations of the Buckfasts. I don't believe they would pass Brother Adams' standard if he were alive today. Not a bad bee.

[thesurveyor]

BTH, how productive were they? What do you think would cause them not to pass Brother Adam's approval?

[HoneyBeeGood]

See http://www.buckfast.dk/uk.htm.

[thesurveyor]

Can those queens be shipped to the US. I emailed the contact info on the site. I have not heard back from them. Will post update if I get response.

Thanks for the info. Keep it coming, I am really trying to find some for my fellow beekeeper. He is 93 years old and still going strong. He thinks the computer is great, but would rather me use it, he said he was too old to start with it now. So the quest continues.

Thanks
TheSurveyor

[BTH]

BTH, how productive were they? What do you think would cause them not to pass Brother Adam's approval?

They did not draw out all the foundation in both deeps last year, the Italians would have. I had a feral swarm next to them, they have had 2 deeps and a super drawn out by Sept., I caught them in April. There was one and only one person on this earth who perfected the Buckfast and that was Brother Adam, I'm afraid the Buckfast went with him when he passed on. Just my two cents.

[beegee]

I'd be willing to order 2 Buckfast queens from the abbey, just to see how they do. About $60.00 for two queens is a tad high, so I just hope they would survive an air-mail trip.

[thesurveyor]

I would order two also. Any ideas on how hard it is to get them to the US?