Hello Allen & All,
Australia is a big place but a couple  breeders are the largest. My article
in the October American Bee Journal covers only the Browns Bees operation. I
believe Brown's Bees is second largest (at least was last season).

As I said in the article it would have been wonderful if a writer had
covered the other imports. Those which got the other packages from the other
large producer are not commenting but only to acknowledge they received
shipments. They certainly are not bragging about their shipment.

Allen said:
I have also found some of them (the majority) to be *very* susceptible to
chalkbrood.

Common knowledge of Australian bees *before the new queen import system* and
still a problem with those queen producers trying to select a breeder queen
from a chalkbrood sucesptable stock.

 I think we all would agree bringing in new genetics is the best cure for
chalkbrood!

> Moreover, we recently discovered a touch of AFB in some of my
hives, and, guess what?
They were the Australian package bee group,

hard to blame any race on a case of AFB! AFB happens!

> not the Hawaiian group.

cioncidence? Maybe ? or maybe not? Interesting but proves what?


>  I let it go a bit to see if they cleaned it up.  They
definitely did not.

How many hives would? I would not let the situation go very long if in my
yards!

>What I'm thinking is that North American breeders and Hawaiians
tending to watch for HYG traits

I know the Aussies monitor the list and do not mean disrespect but from what
I see the Aussie industry is mostly queen producers (not unlike most of our
U.S. queen industry).

Terry Brown realizes the U.S. market wants a better queen than the regular
Australian line so he is traveling the world finding those queens.

Terry is working on an import of the most hygienic queen line the U.S. has
ever produced as I write. Also a varroa tolerant line.

Why select when you can import the best?

Terry is working with queen breeders and  not queen producers.

 Doing the testing and selecting from your own stock is what queen producers
do! Bringing in proven genetics is expensive but is the fast track to
success.

I have tested what the U.S. queen producers have to offer and have kept the
results to myself. I would lose a bunch of queen producer friends if my
findings were made public!

>What do list members know about HYG and Australian bees?

Queen producers in Australia produce queens. On the Australian tour only one
breeder was really working on his line. I have got a sample of his line
(Horner) at my house and chalkbrood is still a problem.

This week I added two frames of sealed brood full of varroa to the horner
line, Browns bees line, Buckfast line and the Varroa tolerant line from
Italy. Hopefully I will kill off 50% this winter. These bees have never been
treated since the import! All the lines have got low varroa counts (no PMS
or deformed bees and only one mature varroa to a cell  and maybe one varroa
to say 20 pulled purple eyed pupa.). Things are going to change now!

I will check for hygienic behavior next spring (as Tim said this time of
year proves nothing) .

> Are US beekeepers going to get a big surprise?

The biggest surprise for us has been the low varroa load! My opinion is that
a completely mite free package will easily survive the first year!

Worth  repeating!
My opinion is that a completely mite free package will easily survive the
first year!

Research by all the bee labs supported the hypothesis *until* queen
producers started shipping out packages with mite infestations because
chemical treatments were not working to control mites in the hives the
workers were being shaken from!

My partner blanket treated his Australian shipment last week although
testing said they would (in my opinion) winter quite well. he is a
commercial beekeeper and wants to protect his investment! I did not argue .

He has the same breeder queens as I do but he treated his to protect his
investment. Good idea as I am adding varroa pressure to mine!

 I am gambling with mine and adding varroa pressure! If all mine die then I
will go graft from his!

Our packages from a U.S. source (will remain unnamed) has some varroa
problems  and needed treatment early on proving in our minds the value of
mite free packages!

Bob

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