I cannot say that I have a lot of in-depth discussions with those that call
themselves 'Queen Breeders', but I think few do any testing of their
breeders for resistance to Tracheal Mites.  On two occasions I have raised
the subject and have found it very difficult to get a straight answer.

Most of those who sell queens to the like of ourselves are really Queen
Producers, not Queen Breeders.  Queen Breeders are those such as Glenn
Apiaries, Charlie Harper, Sue Cobey, and others who are going through the
long and arduous selection process for the queen breeders and then the
equally arduous process for the $500 Breeder Queens sold to the Queen
Producers.

These guys, the true Queen Breeders, would not last long without testing for
Tracheal Mite resistance.  Sue Cobey used to make the results of her tests
public...and may still, but I have not checked.  SOME queen producers solely
use the (tested) queens they purchase to produce (daughters) queens that
they sell to us for $15-$20 each.  Other queen producers will use the Queen
Breeders they purchase to produce more queens, which they use to produce
queens they sell to us.  Still other queen producers will not purchase any
of their queen breeders and will grow them all 'in house'.

I have always felt that the best queen producers are those that produce
queens for me directly from the II queens they buy from the true Queen
Breeders.  I have never been bashful about asking, and have never felt I
have been lied to.  (Some of those I have asked have said they do all their
own selection of queen breeders.)  As my personal preference is for New
World Carniolans, I buy from those that sell daughters of Queen breeders
bought from Sue Cobey.

I agree with those who say 'put on a grease patty in late summer, and
replace if necessary'.  It is cheap insurance.

Lloyd
-- 
Lloyd Spear
Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacture of equipment for round comb honey sections,
Sundance Pollen Traps, and producer of Sundance custom labels.
Contact your dealer or www.RossRounds.com

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