Guide to Choosing the Best Bees for Honey

Introduction

In this article we will look at the best bees for honey. There are many varieties of bees although we will just hone in on the best bees to build your very own bee farm. Either in your backyard, homestead or farm. This has become popular with many people preferring the rural life and thus it leads them to this sticky food source.  

As you discover there is no perfect honey bee, each comes with it’s own drawbacks and advantages. There are various factors to consider when embarking on this journey. Some critical factors to consider is the amount of honey production, the aggressiveness of the bees and their hardiness.

Before we move on I would add that beekeeping has some drawbacks. Read them before considering this endeavor. Beekeeping takes work, it requires a fair amount of effort to upkeep and maintain the beehive. It also has a high initial upfront cost that may deter some people. I hope I haven’t discouraged you too much and your still with me. Let’s get into the top 6 best bees for honey list.

Our Favorite Honey Bees

1 – The Apis Mellifera (Buckfast)

This is a domesticated bee species that has been popular for centuries found in United States. As such, they have evolved to be less aggressive and produce an impressively large amount of honey regularly; making them the ideal beginner’s choice!

They are a mix between several races and were popular in the past. They produce good honey and populations build quickly. These bees are gentle enough making them a good choice for beginners. Because of other more popular breeds these are now hard to come by.

2 – Italian Honey Bee aks Apis Mellifera Ligustica

Apis Mellifera Ligustica is a type of Apis mellifera and residents love them for their gentle nature. Provide a high honey production, and beautiful aesthetic. They are preferred honey bees for beginners. They have a bright gold body covered in deep black stripes that make this species one of the most popular breeds in North America.

The downside to these bees are they tend to stray from beehives which can leave beekeepers worried about not finding them again once they wander off so it’s important for beekeepers take care when tending to their hives- especially during pollination season!

3. The Gray/Carniolan Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera Carnica)

The Apis Mellifera Carnica is a great option for beginner beekeepers who prefer to work with less aggressive bees because they have mild-natured personalities. These honeybees are very easy to work with and you can get away with rarely using the smoker  . On top of that, these gentle creatures can survive cold winter months and still maintain colony size throughout the colder season – some colonies may even produce jars worth of honey during this time period. The only potential downside here is that an increase in hive population as spring approaches leaves one vulnerable to swarming events…

4. Himalayan Honey Bee (Apis Cerana)

The Apis Cerana honey bee is native to Asia, and can be found in countries like Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia as well. What makes them unique are their resilience against weather changes and various diseases; since they’re relatively small many companies have imported European honey bees into Asian countries for increased production of high-quality products such as honey. However this led to an influx of disease among these two different species that actually lead the Apis Ceranas

5. Gibraltar Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera Iberiensis)

Apis Mellifera Iberiensis are a rare and ancient breed of honeybees. They have managed to keep their bloodline pure for millions of years now through selective mating, refusing any queen that isn’t genetically related to them. However, Apis Mellifera Iberienesis bees attack intruders with vigor! When they feel an intruder in the territory has encroached too far or is threatening someone nearby. They send out guards who will patrol around the area and sting anything deemed as dangerous until it leaves or dies: humans included. If you plan on catching these elusive creatures in nature be prepared by wearing appropriate protection.

6. Caucasian Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera Caucasica)

They are considered to be the gentlest race and thus are popular with new beekeepers. They are not as productive as the Italians but do better in colder weather .also prone to infections, and it requires a beekeeper with experience in handling them for this type to be considered suitable as an addition to your apiary.

This species only produces gray hairs all over their body that give off a sticky substance from too much propolis production when they create hives which makes them difficult for beginners who may not know how best take care these creatures properly.

Final Thoughts.

I hope that after reading this article it hasn’t discouraged you to start your very own beekeeping colony. There a many things to consider but in my opinion it is a very satisfying undertaking. Another advantage is beekeeping can provide a source of income for some families. The income need nor be high to cover the beekeeping costs and even to purchase or batter for other goods. Even though the costs are high initially, they drop drastically with time making it an attractive option to make and store your honey.