> I have received quite a few emails requesting information on how to
> get a couple pure Australian queens or a pure Australian breeder
> queen.

A reminder here that Australia is a huge country, with a wide variety of
bees and beekeepers.

We've had Australian imports here in Canada for many years.  Some beekeepers
love them, and others hate them.  Of course they are not the same from
supplier to supplier or even from year to year, so, just as in the USA or
Canada, it pays to know who the supplier is or have an importer who does.

I personally have had good luck most years with the thousands of Australian
packages we have purchesed over the years from a number of suppliers, and
always found they supplied full measure of bees. (unlike a NZ supplier who
always seemed to ship them 10% light).

I followed some Aus queens I bought a decade and more ago for a few years by
marking their hives.  They wintered well and were often top producers.

Most Aus queens I have bought have been yellow, but reasonaby conservative
in fall and matched well to our Northern climate, and actually, I did buy an
Australian carniolan breeder once, from a US beekeeper. (I think it is safe
to say this so many years later).

My main complaint is that most Aus stock I have had has been very chalkbrood
susceptible.  A researcher looking through the hives at one time counted 30%
(no that is not a typo) CB *average* in the sealed brood of a whole yard of
Aus packages.  Nonetheless, they built up and did well later, but they
missed being good enough for pollination that spring.

Also, remember that Aus claims to have no AFB, tracheal mites or varroa, so
the bees are not so challenged.  As for hygienic traits, I have no knowledge
of how they stack up, so think if you have been working towards HYG.

Trevor is on this list, and is in the heart of the action down there, so
maybe he can give us some tips and some URLs.

allen
A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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