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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:54:59 -0600
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Hello Chris & All,

>Are you talking about beekeeping practices in Russia or about the use of
strains of bees based on imported genetic material a few years ago?

I believe  Ted was looking for information on the import Primorsky bees as
he said he ran the Russian bee and had moved his hives into California for
Almond pollination.

 > I made some contacts at Apimondia with people marketing Russian hive
products from the Urals and could ask them for pointers.

An excellent idea Chris if they run A.m. macedonica  and you would not mind!

I might even be able to get information myself as a friend of mine Terry
Brown has a Russian commercial beekeeper girlfriend. The Russian bee came to
us without instructions. Others saw the Russian bee as too complicated and
tossed in the towel. I saw the Russian bee as the first beekeeping challenge
other than varroa to spark my interest in a long time.

What a strange little race of bee I thought! Many said the bee was simply
another carniolan race. Not! I have ran plenty of carniolans over the years
and the Primorsky bee was different. The Yugo bee I got to experiment with
12 years ago was to me like a carniolan in many ways. I was able through
inbreeding to produce a survivor Yugo but the project took many years. I may
try some outcrossing in the coming year.

The correct name for the Primorsky bee is A.m. macedonica. Many different
races are used in Russia. Many carniolan races. The information on the
keeping of the A.m. macedonica would be of interest to me.

Both Dann Purvis and myself on considering dropping the Primorsky bee. The
main reason is we have got a better all around bee in our opinion. Still we
both are willing to share our observations with those US beekeepers working
with the Primorsky bee. We both have got quite a few Primorsky Russian hives
and the phase out will take a couple years. I will without a doubt keep  a
yard around to observe and experiment with.

Tim Tucker (president of the Kansas Honey Producers) did a Russian/Italian
cross this summer and all the F1 hives were full of chalkbrood! Neither line
had ever had a sign of chalkbrood but when crossed the genetics turned on
Tim. Hybrids can be all over the board! One of Tim's first calls was to me!
The only possible answer was in the combination of genetics. What does the
list think?

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison

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