I don't think it's fair to call these "Buckfast" bees. They may have been,
in the queens line but the drones that mated them were not. If you can keep
them without danger to others you can requeen them. (I did) It involved
splitting the hive into about 5 nucs and finding the queen and killing her.
Then recombine and requeen. It will take 6 weeks for all those mean bees to
die.  I took a super of brood, swept all the bees off it, and put it back on
top of the hive over a queen excluder. When I walked away with this split
and a new queen. they were never mean. No one can tell me why. (Can you
imagine the bees I had in the air doing this?) Killing the drone brood is an
excellent idea. So is vacuuming the foragers. I'd kill them, and work with
the younger bees. If you are near others or animals, I'd give them the soapy
water treatment and reclaim my apiary. You'll find they make a lot of brood.
Don't let them swarm.

 

Dick Marron


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