# Texas package bees



## daknoodle (Dec 8, 2005)

Okay, now that my wife and I have finally moved into our first home, its time to start preparing to set up for the girls in the spring.

I'm considering some package bees from either www.beeweaver.com or www.rweaver.com, has anyone heard of or used either of these before? I live in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area in north Texas, does anyone have any other package sellers in the north Texas area that they would recommend?

Thanks,

Doug


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## victor schrager (Jul 21, 2004)

*rweaver*

I have purchased Buckfast packages from them and they are great.


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

victor schrager said:


> I have purchased Buckfast packages from them and they are great.


I have heard that you need to requeen Buckfast regularly to keep them from becoming very defensive. It's nothing that I can cite with scientific evidence, but something to check into. 
There's a company close to Burleson(?), I think, that sells packages. If you want me to, I'll see if I can track down the name of the co. Let me know.


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## daknoodle (Dec 8, 2005)

That would be awesome if you could track down the name.

I've heard a lot of great things about B. Weaver's bees and I'm considering getting a package from someone more local and then just requeen with one of their's.


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

I found the name of it: T'Lee's Bees, and I'll pm you her phone number. I believe it was in Burleson, and last time I talked to her, she was working on breeding some queens for mite-tolerant or resistant strains (that was about three years ago or so). It may be worth checking into. I don't remember her prices, but since she is fairly close to you, it might save you some shipping and time at least.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

*B Weaver*

I got a package of "All Stars" from them this spring. They have been awesome. I will be getting more from them in 09. 

If you join a club. You can get in on discounts for packages and alot of the members do splits and sell nucs.


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## victor schrager (Jul 21, 2004)

I have had these Buckfast for two years and they are pretty relaxed.


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## JoeMcc (May 15, 2007)

Just my 2 cents....

I had hive headed by B Weaver Buckfast bees that acted VERY Africanized. They attacked anything in a 100 yard radius that moved. I dont want to steer anyone away from trying the B Weaver Buckfast...but just be cautious. When a fresh swarm stings you nearly 100 times... something is wrong. Just wear a good suit until you know for sure.

BTW... They did bring in a lot of honey. At least 3 times more than any other hive in the apiary.

Also I have 2 hives I requeened with R Weavers Buckfast and hoping for a calmer hive that can still pack it in.

JoeMcc


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

JoeMcc said:


> Just my 2 cents....
> 
> I had hive headed by B Weaver Buckfast bees that acted VERY Africanized.


That's what I was referring to. My hive is very agressive, and I suspect that they were Buckfast in origin. The hive was given to me, so I can't verify it, but I had them tested for AHB genetics, and they are European.


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## cow pollinater (Dec 5, 2007)

I like the bees I get from BWeaver, but I would hesitate to recommend them for a beginner. They are good bees but some are a little testy. I would recommend starting a package wherever you can get it and then pinching the queen and then buying and introducing a queen from gentle stock.
When I started with bees, the genltle hives helped me the most. When you are learning, You need to see bees being bees and that means a bee that will let you mess with them a little.


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## Texas Bee (Mar 21, 2008)

I got 2 All American Queens this spring doing great. They are very gentle, will see how they will produce in the spring. 

I plan on getting some packages from them this spring as well.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

cow pollinater said:


> I like the bees I get from BWeaver, but I would hesitate to recommend them for a beginner. They are good bees but some are a little testy. I would recommend starting a package wherever you can get it and then pinching the queen and then buying and introducing a queen from gentle stock.
> When I started with bees, the genltle hives helped me the most. When you are learning, You need to see bees being bees and that means a bee that will let you mess with them a little.


Cow has given some great advice. Search on here about both companies. There have been many post.


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## hsbcapt (Mar 31, 2008)

I packaged 2 hives with All Stars this spring from B Weaver . Both gentle and doing very well even for my first year having bees.


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## rfromme (Jun 15, 2007)

*Jury is still out on BeeWeaver packages.*

We purchased eight packages from Beeweaver Spring before last. We made arrangements by phone to to drive over to pick them up. After all morning on the road, we drove into their place only to discover that they had shipped our packages out that day to other customers. We drove back empty. They shipped our packages out the following week and we were promised five free queens to cover the mix up. Well, we called later to request the queens, the office said they did not know anything about it. The lady that may know was out of the office. 

We have our hives located in the brush country near Devine, Texas. As for the BeeWeaver (All-American) stock, one of the packages swarmed within a month after being located in its new hive. We lost the entire investment. One of the hives was hot and very difficult to work (This is Texas and they were probably Africanized). Another hive had a bad queen and although she was fat and sassy strutting around on the comb, she laid no brood. The hive dwindled. We had to re-queen the hive with a Rossman qeen when Beeweaver dragged their feet on their offer of the free queens to cover their mistake with the original packages. Now, a year later, only one of the remaining BeeWeaver hives produced a single full super of honey. The other hives seem to be healthy and may do better in the second year. Last year was very wet and this year has been dry Our other younger hives have filled out faster then the Beeweaver packages.... so, from our perspective, the jury is still out on Beeweaver bees.

Bob


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

cow pollinater said:


> I like the bees I get from BWeaver, but I would hesitate to recommend them for a beginner.


No offense, cow, but I may work up to Africanized bees after I've got about 100 years of experience under my belt!

I prefer gentle bees, whether I'm a beginner (I am--been beeking for 18 months) or if I'm 90 yrs old with 50 yrs aunder my belt.

Everyone needs to be aware that the USDA puts out a map, updated every month, showing counties in the US states where AHB has been sighted and is a problem. Weaver apiaries is smak in the middle of AHB country. Weaver's county is NOT colored in on the USDA map, but I think AHB knows no borders!


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## arthur (Apr 6, 2008)

I am on my 3rd season with a B. Weaver package and queen. I have never requeened. I just inspected my hive today for the first time this season.

Gentle as falling snow. I have been stung 3 times total in 2+ seasons.


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## jdb1930 (Apr 20, 2008)

Last year I ordered a package of italians from Draper's super bee and they have been the most gentle bees I have ever seen. I don't even smoke them. The shipping isn't bad on them either.

But if you want a local package, Dadant, Paris,TX sells a limited number of packages every year.


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## Beacon Woods (Aug 2, 2006)

*Buckfasts and All Stars*

Two years ago I ordered the B Weaver All Stars and they were wonderful. Gentle as can be. I ordered some more packages last year. At first I was going to order all buckfasts because apparently they overwinter well... and we have had some brrrr-cold winters lately. I called B Weavers and asked them about the aggressiveness of the Buckfasts... I had heard they were pretty tempermental and frankly, I'm still too new to all this beekeeping. The very nice lady on the other end of the phone told me that B Weaver changed some of their suppliers of buckfast queens because they found that the queens from some of their sources were too aggressive. So I bought one package of buckfast and then 4 more of the All Stars. I had no problems with the buckfast (except they built up slowly). But all four of my All Star packages superceded within the first month. Got no honey off of them last year. Two look like they didn't make it through the winter. 

But all that said, they are a nice company to work with. And the first All Stars were and are doing great. Made four splits each out of the two hives last year....

~Chris


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

after talking directly with one of the owners of bweaver I was informed that they will be offering only one variety of gueens this year... the all star or all american or whatever they call their production italian type queen. no buckfast, no smr.

on a more personal note...bweaver and family is a real joy to have as neighbors. unlike some folks who have been beekeeping forever they are also quite willing to share information and openly tell you how they do stuff. 

on a somewhat less personal note...I am also quite glad to be able to use bweaver drones to mate with my queens. the bweaver stock is also likely the most approximate thing we have in the us of a to a commercially available survivor stock.


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## daknoodle (Dec 8, 2005)

I noticed they went down to only one queen type this year. I ordered a single package and will get them in mid April. I'm looking forward to my first package. Though now I'm reading that I should have bought two as two is better for comparing. But I could only convince my wife of letting me have a single hive this year. Maybe next year I can convince her we need more.  I plan to eventually get to 5 hives and stop there. Will run out of room in the backyard if I go any higher.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

daknoodle said:


> I plan to eventually get to 5 hives and stop there.


Famous last words.....


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## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

If you need brood, these folks can provide

GAUSE HONEY COMPANY, GARRISON, TEXAS 
(605) 660-7651 
Italian Brood


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## daknoodle (Dec 8, 2005)

gingerbee said:


> If you need brood, these folks can provide
> 
> GAUSE HONEY COMPANY, GARRISON, TEXAS
> (605) 660-7651
> Italian Brood


They have a website?


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## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

They are aparantly listed in South Dakota, not Texas!

http://local.yahoo.com/info-16988733-gause-honey-company-yankton

Sorry about that.


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