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Author Topic: which breed of bees do you prefer  (Read 2436 times)

Offline irekkin

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which breed of bees do you prefer
« on: May 24, 2009, 11:03:31 pm »
i'm sure this has been asked many times here but please indulge a newbee. i was curious about other folks favorite breed of honey bee and why. i have no idea what mine are except that i put a russian queen in a queenless hive earlier this spring.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2009, 11:09:25 pm »
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Offline iddee

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2009, 12:31:58 am »
I like mutts. If you buy purebred, within a couple years you have mutts anyway. Might as well start with them.
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Offline rast

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2009, 12:42:14 pm »
 :-D FREE  :-D
 sorry, couldn't help it.
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Offline BeeHopper

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2009, 12:57:54 pm »
I have no preference for purebreds anymore, especially the Italians because of their nasty instinct for robbing. I like Mutts and Ferals, but I will not rule out trying the Carnis.
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Offline mlewis48

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2009, 03:12:36 pm »
I like the free ones that I have been getting with swarms that I have been catching. I got some Italians from Gardners that are above and beyond what I expected. I pretty much have most of the breeds and like them all.
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Offline bassman1977

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2009, 11:18:30 am »
1.  Feral survivors
2.  Carnolians
3.  Italians.

Those are the only ones I have experience with.
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Offline lenape13

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2009, 03:06:16 pm »
I started with Italians this year, and I am happy with them so far.  Cut out a feral swarm from an old garage yesterday, we'll see how they do.  They are definitely mixed breeds.
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Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2009, 09:27:11 pm »
This is my second year, trying carni's this year, as well as a cross of Italians/something, and Italians last year, and also Minnsota Hygenics. Being a new beek, I find them all the same so far. I even tried a hive of melafera melafera, mostly a black little bee, they were ok too.
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Offline alfred

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2009, 09:37:46 pm »
Free Swarms. And whatever it is that is in my #1 and my #3 hive that are both producing like there is no tomorrow. #1 are small and amber yellow striped like my avatar.  #3 are dark some almost all black and bigger and a little more tempermental that #1, but not much.

Been thinking about trying to do splits from them or something to get more.

Alfred
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Offline bailey

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2009, 12:52:22 am »
wild caught survivor bees from my area.

some are quite impressive!

bailey
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: which breed of bees do you prefer
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2009, 03:02:51 pm »
The best bee to have is one that is climatically adjusted to your area and hygenic, ferals fit that description nicely but so do a lot of other bees.  The best bees I have are the ones in my bee yard.
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