On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 21:21:44 -0400, Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]> wrote:


>You get tough mites, weakened bees, and a whole slew of opportunistic
>infections, like nosema, mutated viruses, possibly *combined* viruses. 


I agree with most of what Peter says - with the exception of weakened bees. My now one year and 
counting of experience with pure Russian bees has given me new hope. We wintered over Pure 
Russian,  Purvis, Old Sol, Olivarez and NWC genetics. 

Winter lasted into May with some of the worst spring build up weather I have ever seen. The 
Russian hives look better then anything hands down. I'm pulling more brood out this weekend for 
mating nucs to make up more nucs for over wintering. 

They seem resistant to nosema, and have documented resistance to tracheal and varroa. Plus you 
don't need to feed them to get through winter.  For my stationary operation in the north I feel like 
they are the perfect bee and see no need to breed a better bee.. 

They are the one strain of Apis Meliifera that has co-existed with the plague of varroa for 160 
years so I don't see them as weakened by that experience.  I keep wondering why the Russians 
were not also exposed to Nosema Ceranae if overlapping with Apis Ceranae territory. 

p.s. surprisingly my over winter experience results showed Olivarez to be the runner up and Purvis 
to be the worst performing.  We kept all of these different strains isolated from each other. 

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