Thanks Richard for sharing your practical 'no nonsense' approach to bee farming-it's great to see and very inspirational. I have been beekeeping and queen rearing since 2002 and in that time I have tried to cultivate native black bees followed by a period (in desperation!) of importing buckfast from Keld Branstrup and Peter Stoffen from Germany and as you know, the F1's are great! I am now working with others to try and produce local bees here on the Isle of Wight , but it's a rocky road and the as a business option it creates yet more uncertainty. Good luck with everything - I'll keep watching!
David Elliott hi David, well good for you! I am keeping going with these buckfast type F1’s untill such times as I can perhaps find a good bee here that is reliable and persistent in its daughters but the problem is,,we have so many other drones flying around that if we just let things mate without doing what we can, we generally get atrocious bees! Thanks for your comments!!
@@richardnoel3141 Truly, the best bees I ever had were from the Galtee bee breeder Michael Mac Giolla Coda; true AMM - gentle and productive. The only way to ensure true line breeding here is following Susan Cobey with her closed population of, in her case, New World Carniolans. I do have insemination equipment, but time and being very average(!) are always the great enemies..... It's nice to see you using some larger mating nucs. I've just built some similar (quadratic hives) and hope these might overwinter in our milder southern climate. I was inspired by a book written by Jo Widdicombe from BIBBA who has managed in Cornwall/Devon area to arrive at a high degree of conformity with open mating. BIBBA are now promoting the use of local as to native bees which is a more realistic aspiration. Good luck with the season Richard and thanks again for your hard work in recording your endeavours.
Thanks for sharing the video! Very informative and again, I've learned something new, got new ideas. I am more than sure that I will have a think about it -how I can use this method for my bees. I am looking forward to your next video. Take care and cheers!
Totally agree.. genetics is key. Was not aware of the small black bee problem until I noticed them in one of my hives and I am in Tennessee. Have you thought about running drone comb in each yard?
Lovely video, you were recommended by a friend helping me with queen rearing. I see now that I have my work cut out for me to be ready by next spring. I appreciate all you are doing, and you are thorough in your explanations, which really helps. Making sense of the various manipulations in beekeeping is sometimes hard to follow, but you seem to have a way of making those manipulations clearer and understandable. I'm just trying to be independent and not constantly buying bees from out of my area. LOL, FYI:'Queen mother' would be a better call on the queen--not sire which is male!!
Mr Noel I've enjoyed the video thank you. Do you think it makes sense for a first year beekeeper to purchase a breeder queen and use it in a nuc? I agree with you about genetics and it's never too early to start. I would however need to rob frames from new colonies to start the nuc. This seems a bit counter productive to me but rearing queens is so intriguing.
Joseph Woodall no not really, you need to concentrate hard on learning about your bees for at least 2 to 3 years before you even begin to start thinking about breeder queens. No disrespect, it’s just you will need two good years before you have any real idea and understanding of how bees really work! In my mind, it’s the biggest mistake of so many budding beekeepers, trying to run before they can even walk. So much so, they have huge and high expectations and often give-up because their goals are totally unrealistic!. .
Richard I currently have around 15 hives, Mostly swarms I collected over last year or two., I have bought queens in the past and intend of breeding a few myself this year. But where do you buy quality queens from? How do I understand its genetic makeup and how do I know I am getting the characteristics I want? Any advice is great Thanks. Tony
Watched another video about push in cages. There's something in the UK, gutter mesh/screen, comes in a roll. That that guy was using to make his cages.
you can use water mesh you have providing the bees can exchange queen substance/queen pheromone between the cage and that it also protects the queen from the bees from the outside. They can bee initially pretty aggressive towards her . Whatever works for you.
Another excellent video Richard, thanks for posting. I would like to ask, how long will it be before the new queen will start laying in the cage? I really like this concept and plan to use it! Again thank you, Phillip Hall
phillip hall you usually release her on day 4 or 5, subject to the bees behaving well with her and seeing eggs in the cells. But mostly the bees behaviour. Sometimes she doesn’t lay immediate!
Це бакфаст Келда Бранструпа, в мене його нема, але є дочка В299PJ облітана на В140TR. Поки найкращими у мене з дочки моєї В217KOR. Але на мій погляд американська селекція саскатраз дає більші колонії бджіл. Мій канал в TH-cam Олег Кузьмін.
Excellent video Richard, hope she is accepted. Do you treat your breeder colonies as a production colonies or do you keep them small to reduce risk of swarming & working too hard, thanks
Ollys Farm I do keep On top of them as a priority. It’s more than just the cost! I want lots of her daughters flying around the apiaries next year. That way we’re constantly enhancing the diversity and the hygienic ness in our bees. I give them Lots of space, harvest brood if I need to and even give them a super with out an excluder to Be sure she doesn’t swarm. Superscedure sometimes gets the better of things after the 1st year but by then she’s usually laid thousands of eggs so her genetics are nicely Placed! Good question! Cheers for now.
Diarmuid Cullen ok so I’ve worked with the local AMM here in Brittany for more than 5 years before I changed genetics. I find them very difficult to work with. And their notoriously badly behaved which is not pleasant. The ho et crops are better with other races, and the amm here suffer badly from chalk brood.. believe me, we want to raise arms here because there is a big market. But we just can’t work with them!
Richard Noel Thanks for reply Richard I enjoy your videos.. I'm only at this game a couple of years and am hooked I love beekeeping. I keep native black bee's here in Ireland it's all I keep am happy with them but I guess I can't compare for I have never had buckfast etc.. Keep up the good work 🐝
Diarmuid Cullen ok that’s cool. I am very much an advocator of if it works for you, then great. I try to remain very open minded to new ideas and every beekeeper has a valuable contributions to make. I personally think that black bees generally are not as productive as other bred strains, so you can understand why I don’t use them now! We’re certainly keeping the nice strains in an apiary where they won’t mate with our good stocks, but that’s for another line we’re coping to start. Thanks for your comments!
That's a piss poor way to check for a queen. She could be loose in the box or anything. There were still a lot of bees on several of the frames you shook. Not trying to be a jerk, just saying there's no wonder you missed her the first two times. What works better is to tape the excluder on the bottom of a box and then tape duct tape around the inside top edge, bees don't like to walk on duct tape. Set the box on top of a good hive box and shake all the bees into the screen box, reinstall the clean frames back in the box. It's dam near impossible to not find a queen if there is one. Slow down and take care. Good luck in 2020
Another Great Video
Thanks Richard for sharing your practical 'no nonsense' approach to bee farming-it's great to see and very inspirational. I have been beekeeping and queen rearing since 2002 and in that time I have tried to cultivate native black bees followed by a period (in desperation!) of importing buckfast from Keld Branstrup and Peter Stoffen from Germany and as you know, the F1's are great! I am now working with others to try and produce local bees here on the Isle of Wight , but it's a rocky road and the as a business option it creates yet more uncertainty. Good luck with everything - I'll keep watching!
David Elliott hi David, well good for you!
I am keeping going with these buckfast type F1’s untill such times as I can perhaps find a good bee here that is reliable and persistent in its daughters but the problem is,,we have so many other drones flying around that if we just let things mate without doing what we can, we generally get atrocious bees! Thanks for your comments!!
@@richardnoel3141 Truly, the best bees I ever had were from the Galtee bee breeder Michael Mac Giolla Coda; true AMM - gentle and productive. The only way to ensure true line breeding here is following Susan Cobey with her closed population of, in her case, New World Carniolans. I do have insemination equipment, but time and being very average(!) are always the great enemies..... It's nice to see you using some larger mating nucs. I've just built some similar (quadratic hives) and hope these might overwinter in our milder southern climate. I was inspired by a book written by Jo Widdicombe from BIBBA who has managed in Cornwall/Devon area to arrive at a high degree of conformity with open mating. BIBBA are now promoting the use of local as to native bees which is a more realistic aspiration. Good luck with the season Richard and thanks again for your hard work in recording your endeavours.
Thank you for a nice video for us newbies. It was interesting and to the point. Where in Germany did you buy the Queen from please? Thank you.
Great video!! Thanks for taking the time to produce and share!
Thanks for sharing the video! Very informative and again, I've learned something new, got new ideas. I am more than sure that I will have a think about it -how I can use this method for my bees. I am looking forward to your next video. Take care and cheers!
Very good video Richard and informative keep it up thank you
Good genetics from Germany,
Hmm, where have I heard this from?
Lol.
Great stuff.
Leave it to our Germans to work on superior genetics.
Great video, thank you posting.
Excellent video. I also bought some breeder Queens from Keld. They are good buckfast bees.
thanks again, that's y i losted 5 queens last season well done
What do you think of the Saskatraz queens?
Totally agree.. genetics is key. Was not aware of the small black bee problem until I noticed them in one of my hives and I am in Tennessee. Have you thought about running drone comb in each yard?
Chris Hall yes we do on selected stocks. I do cover this in the first video called the cell builder explained, near the end! Thanks for your comments!
Lovely video, you were recommended by a friend helping me with queen rearing. I see now that I have my work cut out for me to be ready by next spring. I appreciate all you are doing, and you are thorough in your explanations, which really helps. Making sense of the various manipulations in beekeeping is sometimes hard to follow, but you seem to have a way of making those manipulations clearer and understandable.
I'm just trying to be independent and not constantly buying bees from out of my area.
LOL, FYI:'Queen mother' would be a better call on the queen--not sire which is male!!
Tnbeelady TN thanks for your kind comments. Yes that was a wrong expression! 🙄thanks for pointing that out! Glad these videos help you!
How may days do you cage the queen before release? 4?
Mr Noel I've enjoyed the video thank you. Do you think it makes sense for a first year beekeeper to purchase a breeder queen and use it in a nuc? I agree with you about genetics and it's never too early to start. I would however need to rob frames from new colonies to start the nuc. This seems a bit counter productive to me but rearing queens is so intriguing.
Joseph Woodall no not really, you need to concentrate hard on learning about your bees for at least 2 to 3 years before you even begin to start thinking about breeder queens. No disrespect, it’s just you will need two good years before you have any real idea and understanding of how bees really work!
In my mind, it’s the biggest mistake of so many budding beekeepers, trying to run before they can even walk. So much so, they have huge and high expectations and often give-up because their goals are totally unrealistic!.
.
@@richardnoel3141 I'm sure you're right. I was just thinking I'd have to buy queens to start nucs anyway.
Hey Richard, where did you buy your Buckfast Queen from Germany? Greetings Flo
Richard I currently have around 15 hives, Mostly swarms I collected over last year or two., I have bought queens in the past and intend of breeding a few myself this year. But where do you buy quality queens from? How do I understand its genetic makeup and how do I know I am getting the characteristics I want? Any advice is great Thanks. Tony
Hey Richard, Great video. I got my first high dollar (!) breeder this year. We have ripe cells from her today. Vermont in mid July?? It'll be fun!
Richard Reid would love to come and see them but , not possible this side of the summer! Shame but reality bites ! Hope your all well?
Watched another video about push in cages. There's something in the UK, gutter mesh/screen, comes in a roll. That that guy was using to make his cages.
you can use water mesh you have providing the bees can exchange queen substance/queen pheromone between the cage and that it also protects the queen from the bees from the outside. They can bee initially pretty aggressive towards her . Whatever works for you.
Great video Richard keep it up :) Keld Brandstrup is a good breader so is Paul Jungels from Luxembourg you should try queens from him. Cheers ;)
Yass Yass Keld is- good queen breeder, but quality of breeding material is not so good as 15 years ago. Now price 120€ is not adequate.
What breed of bees are the ones I see on this video?
I know I'm late posting, but you had a queen cell hanging off the bottom of the frame @ 17:42. Just wanted you to know.
stonerman2k ya well spotted! I was just checking to see if I could see a virgin queen anywhere! 👌🏻💥👍🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Do you sell your queens, you said Buck fast
Michael Reynolds sorry at present I never sell any queens as I need lots to make nucs up with! We never have enough!
Another excellent video Richard, thanks for posting. I would like to ask, how long will it be before the new queen will start laying in the cage? I really like this concept and plan to use it! Again thank you, Phillip Hall
phillip hall you usually release her on day 4 or 5, subject to the bees behaving well with her and seeing eggs in the cells. But mostly the bees behaviour. Sometimes she doesn’t lay immediate!
Hi Richard. What is the plastic you use for inner cover?
Це бакфаст Келда Бранструпа, в мене його нема, але є дочка В299PJ облітана на В140TR. Поки найкращими у мене з дочки моєї В217KOR. Але на мій погляд американська селекція саскатраз дає більші колонії бджіл. Мій канал в TH-cam Олег Кузьмін.
What did you pay for the queen?
What is the depth on your push in cage? 13mm?
Excellent video Richard, hope she is accepted. Do you treat your breeder colonies as a production colonies or do you keep them small to reduce risk of swarming & working too hard, thanks
Ollys Farm I do keep
On top of them as a priority. It’s more than just the cost! I want lots of her daughters flying around the apiaries next year. That way we’re constantly enhancing the diversity and the hygienic ness in our bees. I give them
Lots of space, harvest brood if I need to and even give them a super with out an excluder to
Be sure she doesn’t swarm. Superscedure sometimes gets the better of things after the 1st year but by then she’s usually laid thousands of eggs so her genetics are nicely
Placed! Good question! Cheers for now.
If I have a milking cow who produce only 5 liters of milk instead of 40 average, it’s soon a steak
Why did you not like the amm bee
?
Diarmuid Cullen ok so I’ve worked with the local AMM here in Brittany for more than 5 years before I changed genetics. I find them very difficult to work with. And their notoriously badly behaved which is not pleasant. The ho et crops are better with other races, and the amm here suffer badly from chalk brood.. believe me, we want to raise arms here because there is a big market. But we just can’t work with them!
Richard Noel
Thanks for reply Richard I enjoy your videos..
I'm only at this game a couple of years and am hooked I love beekeeping.
I keep native black bee's here in Ireland it's all I keep am happy with them but I guess I can't compare for I have never had buckfast etc..
Keep up the good work 🐝
Diarmuid Cullen ok that’s cool. I am very much an advocator of if it works for you, then great. I try to remain very open minded to new ideas and every beekeeper has a valuable contributions to make. I personally think that black bees generally are not as productive as other bred strains, so you can understand why I don’t use them now! We’re certainly keeping the nice strains in an apiary where they won’t mate with our good stocks, but that’s for another line we’re coping to start. Thanks for your comments!
Queen could be on bottom board, mesh.
Janis T yes I reckon you were right! On thé side of the hive or just hiding somewhere
That's a piss poor way to check for a queen. She could be loose in the box or anything. There were still a lot of bees on several of the frames you shook. Not trying to be a jerk, just saying there's no wonder you missed her the first two times. What works better is to tape the excluder on the bottom of a box and then tape duct tape around the inside top edge, bees don't like to walk on duct tape. Set the box on top of a good hive box and shake all the bees into the screen box, reinstall the clean frames back in the box. It's dam near impossible to not find a queen if there is one. Slow down and take care. Good luck in 2020
What's a MAPI No? R
Richard James it’s actually No API meaning in French Numero apiculteur. Hope that clears things up!
Келд приїжджав в Україну і багато цікавого сказав
Hey Richard, where did you buy your Buckfast Queen from Germany? Greetings Flo
Do you sell your queens, you said Buck fast