Good Breeders in Canada?

[Adam Foster Collins]

Do people have knowledge, and/or experience they could share about good breeders of varroa resistant stock in Canada?

Thanks,

Adam

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Ferguson Apiaries http://www.fergusonapiaries.on.ca/queens.php

[Fusion_power]

Ferguson's Buckfast are NOT significantly varroa tolerant. I could wish otherwise.

DarJones

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

I have some of Ferguson's buckfast and am extremely satisfied with them. Gentlest bees I have ever owned.
Mike

[AmericasBeekeeper]

What kind of numbers are you expecting? http://www.fergusonapiaries.on.ca/genetest.php

[Fusion_power]

Hygienic behavior is an excellent trait because it reduces problems with brood diseases. But as I stated, Fergusons Buckfast are not significantly varroa tolerant.

I sent emails to Fergusons a week or so ago for pricing on 10 Buckfast queens in 2012. They are going to be used in cross breeding to some highly mite tolerant genetics. If you are curious, the price was @$380 for 10 queens shipped in July.

DarJones

[crofter]

Szabo Queens from Puslinch, near Guelph seem to have a reputation for a successful Ontario bee. Tibor Szabo, the developer, has a lot of published research on honeybees. The hives I purchased are quite dark queened, good producers and good temperment. Their web site does not have a lot of detail about their breeding program or treatment philosophy but I think they sell all their stuff without having to do a lot of bell ringing. They were quick to follow up on emails and phone calls.

[Lost Bee]

I guess is your Szabo Queens crofter.

I like his green hives. Hard to see from far away if they are
placed in a field of grass. I like seeing bees drink water like
at 1:26 in the video link below. They remind me of gazelles
at the watering holes in africa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY-FS-y-Vl8

http://honeybees.ca/products_bees.html

[MARBIS]

Twenty of my hives in home yard came from Dancing Bees Apiaries in Canton, Ontario.
Ontario stock highly resistant and good producers.
http://www.site.dancingbeehoney.com/..._and_Nucs.html
In my other apiary started 10 nucs in June of this year with Ferguson queens and 9 of them built double deeps, and 1 three deeps.
Very gentle bees in both apiaries. For spring of 2012 ordered from both breeders.

[AstroBee]

If you are curious, the price was @$380 for 10 queens shipped in July.

Is that the total price including all associated fees? Seems too cheap given that the base price is $30 (Canadian) + shipping. I heard there was a brokerage fee for getting them from Canada to the US.

[Fusion_power]

The cost of the queens $30.00 each and $40.00 for certificates for shipment no matter how many queens plus the shipping costs which were about $35.00 each last season.

Hope this answers your question, if you have more just contact me.

Bill
Ferguson Apiaries

fyi, his reply email to me.

[bluegrass]

I received queens from them last season and will be receiving more this season, scheduled for delivery in June.
There is a broker fee; last year it was $75.00

I would not recommend cross breeding Buckfasts with other bees... You quickly loose the traits they are bred for and often end up with a very aggressive bee within the F1-F2 generations. They are closer to a hybrid then they are a breed of their own, the traits are not fixed.

Also keep in mind that Buckfast breeders have not been licensed in a number of years now. Ferguson was the last breeder to import stock into Northamerica before the Abbey stopped licensing breeders. He has the closest genetics to the real buckfasts, but the last importation occurred 21 years ago.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

The cost of the queens $30.00 each and $40.00 for certificates for shipment no matter how many queens plus the shipping costs which were about $35.00 each last season.

Hope this answers your question, if you have more just contact me.

Bill
Ferguson Apiaries

That would make the queens $65 plus certificates.
Mike

[Fusion_power]

Re Buckfast crossbreeding, I've crossed them before and am well aware of the limitations. They do very well when suitably crossed. Where things go awry is with mis-matched genetics.

KingFisher,

10 queens at $30 each is $300
Certificate for shipment is $40
Shipping cost is $35

That totals $375 for 10 queens delivered. Shipping is a bit questionable. I am anticipating an increase sometime early next year so I rounded up to $40 for shipping.

He does not state a brokerage fee, but there may still be one.

DarJones

[AstroBee]

The brokerage fee is called out on his website. However, there isn't a dollar amount stated. See info on US orders at: http://www.fergusonapiaries.on.ca/pricing.php

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Ok guess i missread what Bill said.
Anyways they are excellent queens and i would not hesitate to get more of them.
Mike

[Adam Foster Collins]

Re Buckfast crossbreeding, I've crossed them before and am well aware of the limitations. They do very well when suitably crossed. Where things go awry is with mis-matched genetics....

DarJones

Dar,

What might constitute well-matched genetics for cross-breeding with the buckfast?

Adam

[Fusion_power]

Pure accident that I checked beesource today.

If you cross Buckfast with Carniolan, you get more swarming.
If you cross Buckfast with Caucasian, you get more propolis
If you cross Buckfast with Italian, you get a highly productive bee but does not winter as well as pure Buckfast.
If you cross Buckfast with a known varroa tolerant line and then introgress the genetics into the Buckfast base, then in a few years you can pull out a bee that Buckfast in most traits but has varroa tolerance.

These are quick and fast answers and as usual with such, there are many exceptions. My best Buckfast derived bees were interbred with a half Carniolan half feral line I had several years ago. Unfortunately, they proved to be relatively susceptible to varroa. The feral part of the cross was a mix of Italian and German Black bees.

[Adam Foster Collins]

From what you say in that short post FP, it seems as if most crosses with Buckfast are less desirable. How does one go about maintaining the buckfast then? How many colonies of buckfast bees would you have to have around to keep a buckfast stock 'intact'?

Adam

[Haraga]

Does anyone know who is selling packages or nucs in Alberta? Thanks