My Texan Buckfast bees are GENTLE.  I have had them for the past couple
of years.  They Texan version of Buckfast has been along side a variety
of other bees.  It seems they are very gentle, very productive and
healthy.  We had a very warm January day here yesterday approaching 60
degrees (20C) and I checked on my main apiary.  The Starlines are good,
the italians are ok but the 15 or so buckfast are outstanding.
 
I know that it is a long standing tradition to jump on a subject and
beat it into the ground, but I differ with the claims of mean buckfast.
I have found that when a Buckfast queen is replaced, the offspring is
usually aggressive.  My very best colony last year was a buckfast which
had been superseded.  The resultant queen was very nice looking.  Her
colony produced  five full (medium) honey supers.  But wow, mean mean
mean.  Yesterday I was reminded of their aggressiveness when I could
hardly see through my veil as they jumped on me.  This year honey not
withstanding, I'm replacing that queen.
 
In conclusion, I like the buckfast bees.  I like the Weavers service,
and help.  The only real complaint is that they do not use the right
color on their queens.  Last year was red.  My queens were not.  I like
the time savings by ordering marked queens.  I would prefer the proper
color.  But this is a very small problem with bees with which  I've been
very happy.
 
Chris Michel
Michel Family Apiaries
 
Volant, Faciunt, Floremus
(They fly, They make WE prosper)