In a message dated 95-06-19 19:32:41 EDT, you write:
 
>  Can
>someone please tell me what a Buckfast Queen is and why there is so
>much
>interest in them?
 
The Buckfast Bee was developed by a monk in Buckfast Abbey in the UK.  His
name is Brother Adam.  He searched the world to find honeybee genetic
material.  He then brought them back to Buckfast Abbey and developed a new
type of bee "The Buckfast" based upon the best characteristics of all the
original races.  The most notable attribute is that they have an inherent
resistance to tracheal mites.   Brother Adam has worked with several queen
breeders in the US and Canada.  They now sell Buckfast Queens.
 
I have purchased several Buckfast Queens and have been thoroughly pleased
with them.  I have also tried to read everything that Brother Adam has
written.  My favorite is "In Search of the best strains of bees" Published by
Dadant & Sons, Hamilton IL.  It chronicles Brother Adams travels in the 50's
and 60's and discusses his approach to bee breeding.
 
Brother Adam is the best thing to happen to beekeeping since the Reverend
Langstroth.
 
Randy Lynn
Blossom Ridge Bee Farm
5402 Ashbey Lane, Summerfield, North Carolina, USA 27358
Phone 910-643-4494, email [log in to unmask]
Sideline beekeeper with 35 hives.