Thanks, Allen for posting that chart.
In case any members didn't notice, Allen correctly referred to those with stock tested for tracheal mites as "queen producers", and not "queen breeders". IMHO, we have mostly the former in the US, and very few of the latter. However, many call themselves "queen breeders", so beware.
One of the true queen breeders is Sue Cobey who maintains her New World Carniolan stock at Ohio State. Many west coast "queen producers" use her stock and advertise it as NWC. For tracheal mite infections on her breeding stock see http://iris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/honeybee/breeding. (Early spring mite infestation levels for overwintered colonies have been running at 2%-3% for several years.) I don't know of any other queen breeder or queen producer who is annually reporting on tracheal mite infection levels.
I happen to order my California queens from Pat Heitkam, who advertises in the magazines. I highly recommend them. Pat has told me that all of his NWC breeders are directly from Sue. In other words, he is not mating from daughters, granddaughters, etc. from Sue's stock but directly from queens she has tested and sent him as breeder stock.
The advantage of this to those of us who buy his stock is that 50% of the genetics is known to a relative certainty. The remaining 50%, from open-mating with drones, is far from known. Because of the economics involved, I doubt that many other producers use the breeding stock to produce queens that are shipped to you and I...but I don't really know. (The tested breeding stock queens go for $500 each!)
I have been using NWC/Heitkam stock for many years, so the genetics should be reasonably well established in my yards. I have not treated for Tracheal mites for more than five years, and judge that I have few losses. But I have not looked under a microscope.
Hope this helps,
Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner of Ross Rounds, manufacturer of comb honey equipment
for beekeepers and Sundance pollen traps.
http://www.rossrounds.com
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