# buckfast x cecropia



## tony350i (Jul 29, 2005)

hi,
how meany off you are using this bee/queen in your set up and what do you think off them,

thanks 

tony


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Unfortunately this cross is not available in the US. Some people on this website question if our Buckfast is even the same race as yours. I would like to hear your thoughts on this hybrid.


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## tony350i (Jul 29, 2005)

well i should get the queen some time this week,

i will make a nuc up before winter and see how she gets on next year,

my first honey flow is oil seed rape which is early in the year, i will have to stimulate with feed and maybe some broad and young bees from a good queen which has done very well this year in colleting honey for me ,

i could get the address if you like and send it to you, the guy is very helpfull

Tony


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## louis1st (Oct 17, 2004)

Hello
I am based in the UK too (Cheshire),and have been using this bee for a few years now.
I guess you are bying it from this guy in Maghull.
He imports them from Greece.

I personnally think that they tend to eat a lot of honey, and dont leave much to the beekeeper at the end of the season.
I had to feed them too in the autumnevery year on top of that, which reminds me a lot of the italian bee.
I have to admit that one of the descendant of these BuckfastxCecropia has produced a bee which has strangely rebuilt all the combs in the hives for no known reason (I suspect the new combs to be small cells ones) and seems to be fighting varroa well...


I have also tried with greater success the pure cecropia bee (that you can also get from the same source). This bee has been noticed by brother Adam, it produces a strong colony, is slow to swarm, and should give you plenty of honey too at the end of the season.

There is also a beekeeper based in Cyprus offering Buckfast bees ( but you will have to import them directly from him).

I hope i helped!


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## tony350i (Jul 29, 2005)

thanks for the reply louis1st,


yes it is from the same beekeeper,

ive only order the one queen to give them a try,

i have some qestions if you don't mind 

do you requeen every year,

was your best collection of honey in the frist year,

have your let your bees re-queen them self with local drones,

will you by a BuckfastxCecropia again 

thanks 

Tony


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## louis1st (Oct 17, 2004)

Hi Tony
I don't requeen normally every year, but this year, i tried to increase the total number of hives i have, by both buying some new queens and artificial swarming methods so most of my hives have a young queen.

I have some descendant of these Buckfast x Cecropia queens crossed with the local bees, and also some pure cecropia, some black bees and some buckfast from Cyprus.

As i don't actually take any honey from the bees, i can't give you a honey collection figure at all. as i said before, i have been disappointed with this bee by judging the provision level BUT i am not a migratory beekeeper and don't take my bees to the heather late in the summer.

My last purchase was this year (Buckfast from Cyprus) and i have still to assess them next year, but i like cecropia and my local black bees...

let me know what you think of them next year, it would be interesting to know your thoughts on them!!


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## tony350i (Jul 29, 2005)

yes i will and thanks for the reply louis1st


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