What are Buckfast Bees?

The Buckfast Bee is a hybrid bee bred and maintained by Brother Adam at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, United Kingdom. Brother Adam was a Catholic Monk assigned to oversee the Apiary at Buckfast Abbey.

Brother Adam started breeding the Buckfast Bee in the early 20th century as a response to the decline of the native British honeybee population due to disease and harsh weather conditions. He traveled to different parts of Europe and Africa to collect different strains of bees and cross-bred them to create a resilient and productive honeybee.

The Buckfast Bee is known for its gentle temperament, productivity, and resistance to disease, making it a highly sought-after bee for beekeepers around the world. Brother Adam's work revolutionized beekeeping and contributed significantly to the conservation of honeybee populations.

History of the Monk and the Buckfast Bee

Brother Adam was born in Germany in 1898 and came to Buckfast Abbey at age 12 to help with beekeeping. He traveled the world for over 100,000 miles to find breeding stock, focusing on isolated areas with pure native bee strains.

Brother Adam retired from beekeeping in 1990 and died in 1996. However, his work is carried on through the adoption of his breeding principles and the continued efforts to maintain the Buckfast line.

Strains of Honeybees Used to Create the Buckfast Bee

Brother Adam used a variety of strains of honeybees to breed the Buckfast Honey bee line. The Italian bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) was one of the primary strains used, along with other European bee races such as the English Black bee, Carniolan, and Syrian bees. He even visited Africa to collect specimens of non-aggressive honeybees from the mountainous regions.

These different strains were carefully selected and cross-bred to create a resilient and productive honeybee that exhibited traits such as gentleness, productivity, and disease resistance. Brother Adam's extensive breeding program resulted in the development of the Buckfast Bee.

Advantages of the Buckfast Bee

Buckfast Bees are known for their gentle nature, high honey production, and resistance to disease. The Buckfast Bee has become popular among beekeepers for its ability to thrive in various environmental conditions and its overall hardiness.

Buckfast Bees tend to maintain a more compact brood nest than other Italian bees. They often store honey and resources close to the developing brood which allows them to overwinter better. They also are more conservative in the use of honey stores than typical Italian colonies.

Present Uses of the Buckfast Bee

Today, the Buckfast Bee continues to be a valuable asset to the beekeeping industry. The original Buckfast Line continues to be bred and maintained in Denmark. Buckfast Bees have grown in popularity not only in the United Kingdom, but throughout Europe. There are notable breeding operations supporting the Buckfast Line in Germany and Poland.

These bees are well adapted to cold and damp conditions, making them ideal for honey production, especially in the UK. They are also popular with hobbyists due to their gentle nature. Their conservative use of honey stores also makes them a practical choice for beekeepers. Overall, the Buckfast Bee remains an important and widely used breed in modern beekeeping practices.

The Future of the Buckfast Bee

The future looks promising for the Buckfast Bee. They are a practical choice for beekeepers, which has contributed to their widespread use in modern beekeeping practices.

In the future, it is likely that Buckfast Bees will continue to be a popular choice for beekeepers and honey producers, as their unique characteristics make them an ideal option for those in the industry. We expect to see growing popularity of this strain in the United States as well as other parts of the world.

The Buckfast Breeders have organized several associations to assist in improving and maintaining the Buckfast Line throughout the world. The most notable is the Federation of European Buckfast Beekeepers (G.D.E.B.), which maintains a pedigree for Buckfast bees. The G.D.E.B. coordinates breeding work and has established Buckfast occupancy sites across Europe for safe preservation and breeding.

In conclusion, the Buckfast Bee has gained popularity due to its gentle nature, high productivity, and resistance to disease. This hybrid bee, bred and maintained by Brother Adam at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, United Kingdom, has become a favorite among beekeepers for its favorable characteristics. With its ability to thrive in various environmental conditions and its strong work ethic, the Buckfast Bee has earned its place as a valuable asset in the world of beekeeping.