Breeding

This page is still under construction

I use Ross nucs

Goal is to improve stock for local conditions in the North-eastern Kansas area.

Need to teach how to raise queens, how to graft larvae, and learn the principals of selecting stock for breeding.

Transporting ripe queen cells

Record keeping is an important part of queen rearing and for the distribution of queens. Not least among the problems in this, is in actually getting information on the queens afterwards. Notes on introduction, colony behavior and performance with the new queens are the basics of what are required to allow meaningful assessment to be made. From past experience many beekeepers just don’t observe their colonies with a view to recording what they see, and it is difficult to see where you’re going if you are not looking. We live in hope.

In our craft, the norm is for beekeepers to work alone with their bees. In this project, where the planning and practical work is shared with others, one has the feeling we are participating in something really worthwhile and of real value to beekeeping in the area, that we are doing rather than talking. The enthusiasm of everyone involved in this project has been excellent, and I know I am not alone in looking forward to the next beekeeping season with keen anticipation.

next major objective is the reduction in swarming

Italian Honey Bee

Italian bees, Apis mellifera ligustica - Originally from Italy, this is by far the most popular honey bee and is the default bee that most beekeepers use. Italian bees are yellow in color, relatively gentle, overwinter well and build up quickly in spring. They are easily provoked to rob weaker neighboring colonies and sometimes exhaust honey stores rapidly in winter.

**Pros and Cons of the Italian Honey Bee honey bee**
Pros	Cons
Good beginner bee Excellent comb builders Only moderate tendency to swarm Relatively easy and calm to work with Resistant to European Foul Brood Strong cleaning behavior Lower range propolis producer Great comb bulders	Continous brood rearing continues after honey flow ceases More likely to starve during long winters as they tend to exhaust honey stores Poor flight orientation, highly prone to drifting Aggressive foragers, causing tendency to rob

Carniolan Honey Bee

Carniolan bees, Apis mellifera carnica - These bees originated in the Austrian Alps, northern Yugoslavia and the Danube valley. Gray/brown in color, they are extremely gentle, conserve winter food stores well and build up quickly in spring. Carniolan bees construct new comb slowly and swarm frequently.

**Pros and Cons of the Carniolan honey bee**
Pros	Cons
Earlier morning forager Forages on colder and wetter days than most other bees Overwinters well on small stores, as queen stops laying in the fall Explosive build up in early spring Exceptionally gentle and easy to work May interrupt brood rearing during times of drought Does not typically propolize heavily Creates less brace and burr comb Crosses well with other varieties	Likely to swarm unless carefully managed If pollen is scarce brood rearing greatly diminishes

Buckfast Honey Bee

Apis Mellifera: hybrid
Brother Adam at the Buckfast Abbey in England crossed a great many races of bees with the British bee in hopes of creating a superior breed. The results are what is now know as the Buckfast Bee.

**Pros and Cons of the Buckfast honey bee**
Pros	Cons
Highly Tracheal Mite Tolerant Extremely gentle, with low sting instinct Resistant to Chalkbrood Low swarm instinct Overwinters exceptionally well Well suited to cool, wet climates	Not widely available Builds up slowly in spring Poor early spring pollinators

Africanized Honey Bee

Africanized honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata and its hybrids
This bee originated from Africa ee.

Pros	Cons
Resistant to Mites Low swarm instinct Well suited to warm, dry	Very defensive High swarm instinct Does not overwinter well