John & Christy Horton <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Randy,
I can second that motion about the SMR's.  I have noticed on a few occasions where that 2nd or 3rd generation SMR is a like a volcanic eruption..and this coming from an almost miserably weak mother!



VSH - Varroa Suppresion Hygene   -   New name for an old trait?

Anyway, John, think you are involved in the same study I am.  I'm planning on raising some queens from this year's Russian that I got from Busby's Apiaries in Louisiana.  In all probability the virgins will be crossing with drones from the yard that has all the bees involved in the study, the Russians, the VSH's, and Calvert Apiaries's Italian/Buckfast crosses plus all the mongrels that I have collected this past year.  Should be getting quite a variance in the workers produced.  Will have some control over the matriline but very little over the patriline.  Hoping to get as many as 60 to over 100 queens.  Depends on how much equipment I can construct and how much I can afford to do.  Want to build up my colony numbers, mostly nucs, for the coming year.  I do plan to keep close records on all my colonies so hopefully, if I come across some of these super producer queens I will be able to divert those queens into breeder queens and see what happens.  Hope to see you at
 Alabama's fall meeting.    

Mike

 			
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