On Sat, 10 Feb 1996, Frederick L. Hollen wrote:
 
> Greetings,
>
> Has anyone had any experience with the ARS Y-C-1 bees which
> have been around for a year or so?  I'm thinking of trying a
> few of them -- having read some wonderful things about them --
> but was wondering how they have done for average beekeepers.
>
> Disposition?  Productivity?  Mite resistance?  Swarming?
>
 Fred
 I tried 15  ARS-Y-C-1 queens two years ago.I was interested in adding
new  genes to my stock and see what was true for the northwest.First  ,
remember that the invironment plays role in how the bees behave. I see
bees down south that work very well and produce a large crop of honey.Up
in Washington where is is cooler and rainy, they stay in the hive.
 The temperment was good and productivity was average.I did not have a
problem with mites in 94. I used apistan strips.I did not test them for
the mites.
 Now the good news.  I raised about 80 queens in the summer of 95 using
the marked ARS _Y-C-1  queens  as the queen mothers.I kept 30 of the best
looking one plus the ones that the bees liked to take care of. I used 10
queens to start 5 frame nucs.I put 1 frame of brood and bees in each nuc.
That was June10.95. I did no strips no food and no medication at all.
   On october 16 th I looked at all my hives and checked the nucs out.
Three nucs were alive.Full of honey and bees. I did an either roll to
check for Varroa and found just around 4 to 5   in the jar off of 30 bees.
 From reading some of the research on hygienic behavior,( Behavioral
Genetics ,pg.163 Bee Genetics and Breeding by Rinderer ) it is complex
and you can not say that all ARS-Y-C-1  bees have a resistance to the
mites. They don't claim it to bee the answer , it is just better. It
looks like Canada is doing some very good work and Sue Cobey is helping
some breeders with the new World Carniolan.
 The bottem line is , you ask , you read and you buy with the best info
you can get. Each beekeeper has there own ideas.
 The Best of Luck. Keeping Bees is a learning experience and something to
enjoy.
  Roy