Caucasian bees...where are they, what happened and anyone sell????

[MrGreenThumb]

WoW! What happened to the US Caucasian bees? Why did they go 'out of style'? All I seen, on the net, were a couple of breeders that sold Caucasians but after talking with them I found out the bees they call Caucasian where open mated with Italains and Russians...not really Caucasian(IMHO).

Is there any place that sells Caucasian bees...not watered down mixes?

thx

[brooksbeefarm]

They have gone out of style,they are good honey producers and hard workers ,but glue everything up inside the hive with propolis.I have torn frames apart trying to get them out of the hive and constanly scraping propolis off the end bars to get them back in the hive.Maybe mixed breeding will be a good thing.Members in our bee club hab the same problem with them.

[WJensen]

Mr. GreenThumb,

Caucasian bees have always been a bee for hobbiests, their chief virtue being their renowned gentleness. As has brooksbeefarm noted, their chief drawback was the tendency to propolize everything. York used to have a hybrid of Caucasian and Carniolan called the Midnite. Unfortunately, York is no longer in business. I do not know of anybody who keeps Caucasians today, but Carniolans have almost as good a reputation for gentleness, without the extreme tendency to glue everything together. Like caucasions, carniolans winter on a smaller cluster, and use fewer stores-which I would think would be plus in your area.

BTW, I grew up in Stow, and of course, know the Falls well. Where are you located? The Wife and I are probably coming up in mid July, and it would be nice to visit with you and see you apiary.

Regards,

Wade

[Camp9]

Here is a place I plan on buying some later this summer just to try, http://www.caucasianbreeder.com/ Does anyone know about there bees or have tried them? Thanks,

Camp

[thesurveyor]

I got a package of them from Long Creek Apiaries last year. They are located in the same town as the supplier you have found. I am nothing but pleased with mine. They are gentle, and they are out performing my other 11 hives.

The other hives are russian and MH.

I noticed the Long Creek has went to all russians. I may have to order a couple of queens from Winters.

Hope this helps.

[bentonbee]

Ferris Homan in Mississippi sells them I think. I tried some years ago and liked them then. Don't know what they are like now.
Mike

[arthur]

with their penchant for making propolis, I bet that they would do well against small hive beetle.

[beegee]

My Carniolans do the heavy propolis deal. I found a huge wad of propolis on the corner of my bottom board. As I scraped it off, I discovered that the bes had built a hive beetle hotel. The thing was ful of hive beetles and the bees were controlling the entrance hole, letting the beetles in and out.