Buckfast queens and bees for sale

Brother Adam

It is a breed of bee known to have been selected for several generations for its honey production, its softness and its hygienic side. It is an ideal bee for the amateurs because it is very pleasant to drive and perfect for the professionals.

The monk and the bees Buckfast

The story of the Buckfast bee takes us back to the beginning of the 20th century, to the heart of an abbey in England and its beekeeping estate. It is here that a Benedictine monk, Brother Adam, will put into practice all his passion for honey and his knowledge in beekeeping to create the first line of bees Buckfast. It is the result of a cross between the Apis mellifera mellifera bee (black bee), a race then widely spread in England, and a meticulous selection of Apis mellifera ligustica bee strains (known as Italian bee). A devastating disease among the bee colonies of the time inspired the real work of geneticist of Brother Adam. Thanks to his extensive study, his international network and by isolating the most resistant races, a particularly robust and productive species of bee was born: the fascinating Adam’s brother bee, the Buckfast bee.

Cheeky features 

Buckfast bees each have their own particularities and characteristics that make them unique. Certain races of bees are thus much more adapted to a beekeeping breeding. It is the case of the Buckfast bee which makes the happiness of all the beekeepers .
 
Among these recognized characteristics of this Buckfast bee are the following key points:
 
  • Strong production of honey,
  • Greater gentleness of the bees,
  • A lower tendency to swarm,
  • Important vitality of the queen to lay eggs,
  • Hardiness, ability of the swarm to adapt to its environment,
  • Very good resistance of bees to brood diseases.
The shape of the queens as well as the workers can have different colors more or less dark going from light yellow like the Italian bee (apis mellifera ligustica) or much darker like the Anatolian (apis mellifera anatoliaca) 

The strengths and advantages of the Buckfast bee

Among all the advantages of this Buckfast bee, we find a behavior of a softness . This quality makes breeding easierThis is a great place for amateurs who want to learn about the joys of the hive. It is also perfect for professional beekeepers who already have experience and a good knowledge of the species. The Buckfast bee ensures a pleasant beekeeping, a remarkable honey production and it is recognized for its low capacity to swarm.

This Buckfast bee is also hygienic: these hard-working bees carefully clean their hive, which makes maintenance easier for the beekeeper. Workers and queens are robust and disease resistant. Finally, the queens are prolific and lay in good quantity when the period is propitious which makes consequent broods.

Queen of sweetness

Do you want to start beekeeping? Do the subtleties of bees and the secrets of honey production appeal to you? Dive with us into the rich, complex and exciting world of these unique bees of various species. At Mes Abeilles, we share with you the secrets of such well-organized colonies of foragers. The Buckfast bee is a particularly interesting breed for beginners or more advanced beekeepers. Find out why the gentle, hardy Buckfast bee is one of the most recommended species for honey production. Enter the hive of these queens of productivity!
 

A few shortcomings though

Although endowed with many qualities, the Buckfast bee and its breeding can involve small constraints to know.

Its rapid development requires to adapt to it, it is often compared to a formula 1 especially concerning the size of the swarms that we can welcome.
During the winter, extra attention is usually needed to ensure the amount of supplies. This is becoming less and less the case in recent years with the selections we make. In any case, winter is a delicate period for bees. The varroa mite being the first cause of mortality.
 

Why choose this bee?

The choice of a bee breed for your operation is essential. The selection of the right bees and the most suitable breeds has a significant impact on honey production, farm management and the health of the bees.
 
Opt for the qualities of the Buckfast bee for a beautiful collaboration with these outstanding foragers.
 
We are here to provide you with swarms on dadant frames and fertilized queens carefully selected from our best hives. They are produced in France / Normandy. Shipping in all regions of France from mid-May to  mid-Septemberbees