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Buckfast is a breed of bees bred by crossing the genomes of English, Macedonian, Greek, Egyptian and Anatolian (Turkey). The selection line lasted 50 years. The result is the Buckfast breed.
Description of the breed
In England, at the turn of the XVIII and XIX, the population of local bees was practically destroyed by the tracheal mite. In Devon County, Buckfast Abbey, beekeeper monk Karl Karhre (Brother Adam) noted that a cross between local and Italian bees had suffered an epidemic with partial losses. The monk began searching for genetic material in the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. As a result of many years of work, he bred a breed of bees with the same name of the abbey. The breed was distinguished by productivity, did not show aggressiveness, rarely swarmed, had good immunity.
In beekeeping, the Buckfast breed of bees occupies a priority place in breeding. The only drawback of the variety is poor insect tolerance to low temperatures. This breed is not suitable for apiaries located in cold climates.
Buckfast bee characteristic:
Area | the original material of the bee has not survived in the wild, a few samples are kept in Germany at a specially equipped station, the purpose of which is to preserve the appearance of the English bee |
The weight | the average weight of a working bee is within 120 mg, the weight of an unfertilized queen is about 195 g, ready for laying 215 g |
Appearance | slight furry mainly on the back of the Buckfast, the abdomen on the underside is smooth without lint. The main color is between brown and yellow, with distinct stripes below the back. The wings are light, transparent, in the sun with a dark beige tint. Paws are glossy, black |
Proboscis size | medium length - 6.8 mm |
Behavior model | bees are not aggressive towards family members and others. When removing the cover from the hive, they go deep, rarely attack. You can work with your family without camouflage clothing. |
Winter hardiness | this is the weak side of the breed, bees cannot independently prepare the hive for wintering; additional insulation from the beekeeper is necessary. |
The honey collection process | floromigration in Buckfast bees is high, they do not give preference to one honey plant, they constantly fly from one species to another |
Oviposition level of queens | the uterus lays eggs constantly throughout the day, the average is about 2 thousand. |
A distinctive feature of Buckfast from other types of bees lies in the structure of the body: it is flatter and more elongated. The color is darker, yellow is present, the paws are black in other breeds, they are brown. In the hive on the frame, movements are slow, unhurried, activity is manifested when collecting nectar, so the breed is one of the most productive. He rarely stings, does not attack, calmly coexists with a person.
What Buckfast uterus look like
In the photo, the uterus is Buckfast, it is much larger than the worker bees, the aircraft is less developed. She has a lighter color, a long abdomen, light brown in color, much more yellow than in working individuals. A young unfertilized individual is capable of flying out of the hive. In the process of reproduction, the uterus of the hive does not leave and does not rise up. Does not leave the frame until it is completely filled.
Laying continues throughout the year. The Buckfast queen bee equips the nest only on the lower tiers of the hive, the nest is small in size and compact.The reproductive process continues throughout the day, the uterus lays up to 2 thousand eggs.
Receive bee brood buckfast is quite difficult. Of a thousand young individuals, about 20 pieces will go for breeding with the preservation of the genetic characteristics of the buckfast and then on the condition that the drone is thoroughbred. Therefore, the price offer for bee packages with Buckfast is high. Breeding farms engaged in breeding this breed are located only in Germany.
Buckfast breed lines with description
The Buckfast breed includes a number of varieties, which are much smaller than that of other bee breeds. In terms of external characteristics, the subspecies practically do not differ, they have different functional purposes.
Breed lines:
- For breeding work, B24,25,26 is used. Insects fully retained the genetic characteristics of the first representatives of the breed: productivity, lack of aggression, a constant increase in the population. Both the female line (uterus) and the male line (drones) are suitable for selection.
- In breeding work with B252, only drones are used, in the process, the immune system is corrected, and resistance against diseases is laid in the new offspring.
- Line B327 is not used to preserve the breed, these are neat toiling bees in which the hive is always clean, the honeycombs are lined up in a straight line, the cells are carefully sealed. Of all the subspecies, these are the most peaceful representatives.
- For industrial purposes, they use A199 and B204, a distinctive feature of which is long-distance flights. Bees with high flora migration leave early in the morning, regardless of the weather conditions. Nepotism is strong, the brood is raised by all adults.
- In subspecies P218 and P214, a Far Eastern bee is present in the genotype. These are the strongest representatives in terms of immunity and productivity, but also the most aggressive.
- The German B75 line is used commercially for the formation of bee packs, has all the characteristics of a buckfast.
All lines of Buckfast are united by: high reproduction, working capacity, early departures, calm demeanor.
Distinctive characteristics of Buckfast bees
Buckfast bees differ from other breeds in a number of undeniable advantages:
- When working with bees, you do not need special equipment and camouflage clothing, insects calmly go deep into the hive, do not interfere with the work of the beekeeper, and are not aggressive.
- The breed does not leave empty cells on the combs, they are rationally filled with honey and brood.
- Buckfast are neat, there are no excess propolis in the hives, no debris from foundation. Honeycombs with honey are never placed near the frames with children.
- Demanding on the purity of the breed, if the drones are outbred, the next generation will lose the characteristics inherent in Buckfast.
- Buckfast never swarms, they are distinguished by early departures, they feel comfortable in foggy damp weather, as close as possible to the climate of their historical homeland.
- The uterus is highly reproductive.
- In many years of work, the immunity of the breed was brought to perfection, individuals are immune to almost all infections, except for the Varroa mite.
Disadvantages of Buckfast bees
The species has few shortcomings, but they are quite serious. Bees cannot tolerate low temperatures. Experimental cultivation of buckfast in a northern climate, according to reviews, gave negative results. With good insulation, most of the family died. Therefore, the breed is not suitable for breeding in the north.
It is difficult to maintain the genetic purity of a species. The uterus lays eggs fully within two years. In the third year, the clutch is significantly reduced, which means that the productivity of honey decreases. The old individual is replaced with a fertilized one. This is where the problems begin with the Buckfast breed. You can get a genetically pure uterus only in Germany for a considerable amount.
Features of keeping bees Buckfast
According to the reviews of beekeepers with many years of experience, the Buckfast breed of bees requires special attention when keeping and breeding. For full-fledged productivity of insects, it is necessary to create special conditions that take into account the distinctive features inherent in the Buckfast breed.
Bees create strong numerous families, they need a lot of space, the more space and free frames in the hive, the larger the clutch. As the family grows, the hives are replaced with more spacious ones, new empty frames are constantly being substituted.
The growth of the family cannot be adjusted, they are not divided, the brood is not removed, these actions will directly affect productivity. The swarm is strengthened, the buckfast bees are fed.
Wintering of Buckfast bees
When the temperature drops, insects gather in a ball, a place for wintering is chosen on empty combs, from which they emerged. The central part is freer, extremely dense. Individuals periodically change places. This measure is necessary for heating and food availability. Insects need energy to raise the temperature in the hives to +300 C at the time of brood emergence.
This factor is taken into account before wintering, if necessary, the family is fed with syrup. Make sure the hive is well insulated. After wintering, Buckfast on the street, in the spring at +120 C the bees start flying around. If the wintering was successful, there will be frames with brood in the hive and there will be no nosematosis.
Conclusion
Buckfast is a selective breed of bees with strong immunity against infectious and invasive infections. Differs in high productivity, non-aggressive behavior. The breed is used for the industrial production of honey.
Reviews about Buckfast bees
