Hello All,
For the hobby beekeeper which sees honey as only a problem then the Russian
bee is ideal. They are survivors! They can handle the mites.  Unlike many of
our currently available races the Russian/Russian  bee takes survival very
serious. They are constantly aware of their resources and keep a spare queen
cell most of the time. They will NOT put up with a failing queen. They are
very defensive of their hive (when a flow is not on) and do a good job of
keeping a clean hive and keeping out wax moths & small hive beetle. They do
use a bunch of propolis. About like the Caucasian race does.

For the commercial & sideline beekeeper they present a problem in their pure
form. Many beekeepers have been searching for the perfect Russian hybrid.
Myself included.

The main reason you have to discount many stories of poor
results with the Russian is because of the many different hybrids being
offered. Once you add a different drone source then things change. Some
traits get better and some get worse. Painting the Russian hybrid with a
broad brush is a mistake in my opinion. I have used many and only pleased
with a few.

Bob

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