# Bad queen experience with Buckfast



## lfzebra (Nov 20, 2010)

Please forgive this question but as an aside, can you tell me about Buckfast bees; temperment (sp), production, health, etc. Thanks. Also, thanks for the info about your experience.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Buckfast have great temperment from Canada and Southern attitude from Texas, probably from the AHB. Buckfast are great producers, hygeinic, disease resistant and do not change much when open mated - hybridized.


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## NY_BLUES (May 14, 2009)

It sounds like you had more of a bad experience with B weaver than you did with the buckfast, who knows what they would have been like had they not been chilled.


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## jams bees (Oct 4, 2008)

The colonies headed by Buckfast queens seem to be good colonies all around. In the past I have noticed them to be slightly more aggressive than Italians or Carniolans. What really surprised me this year is that several of the colonies that re-queened themselves are showing Africanized behavior. As I have never had a problem with aggressive bees I can only assume that some African genes were introduced through these queens.

B Weaver doesn't sell a true Buckfast just their survivor stock which is a mish-mash of Buckfast and several other lines.


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

My understanding is that Bweaver lost almost all of their Buckfast stock in the early 2000s and they don't even claim to be selling Buckfast any longer.


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## beardance (Jun 15, 2010)

I haven't had a real good experience with B Weaver either as set down in an older post. Same similar thing happened regarding defective queens. Half of them were superceded and B Weaver wasn't very helpful.


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## jams bees (Oct 4, 2008)

True they don't claim a Buckfast line but have a mix including the Buckfast gene pool. My complaint was the poor packaging, lack of attendant bees, and the lack of any attempt to rectify the problem. I have since heard from fellow bee keepers that they had similar experiences.


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

jams bees said:


> True they don't claim a Buckfast line but have a mix including the Buckfast gene pool. My complaint was the poor packaging, lack of attendant bees, and the lack of any attempt to rectify the problem. I have since heard from fellow bee keepers that they had similar experiences.


 Vote with your wallet. Have you looked into any of Ol Sols' stock ? His apairy, I believe in in your state


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## Pugs (Jul 15, 2004)

Old Sols it in Rogue River Oregon, about 650 miles or so from Fruitland Washington. The guy selling queens in Idaho (saw it in a post, don't remember who) would most likely be closer and the queens would be raised in a climate closer to the one in Fruitland.

Pugs


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## olympic (Aug 20, 2006)

So if B Weaver are not selling Buckfast anymore how come you chose to mix the name up with a bad experience due to packing and shipping? Highly irresponsible of you!


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

AmericasBeekeeper said:


> Buckfast have great temperment from Canada and Southern attitude from Texas,* probably from the AHB.* Buckfast are great producers, hygeinic, disease resistant and do not change much when open mated - hybridized.


Is this an unfounded guess on your part or have you seen genetic studies that suggest AHB Genetics?


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## franktrujillo (Jan 22, 2009)

it seems to me all they do is sell Itallains any ways and call them a different name.most likely there mutts..i had problem with them as well i used them once and the bees got deformed wings and they superceded her and died that following spring also they never built up any thing...


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