Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:17:32 -0400 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
Hello Michael & All,
I did four years of experiments with Russian/Russian and the Russian hybrid.
Lack of varroa control was only seen when you moved away from the
Russian/Russian bee. Sometimes F1 but most certainly F2/F3.
Some hybrids Russian/New world carniolan (F1) still carried very low varroa
counts in the second year. 18 varroa drop in 24 hours being the highest I
recorded in late August in Missouri.
I believe the queen breeder Michael is refering to has loss control of his
Russian breeders. If not then the queen breeder he is buying his breeders
from has.
Open mating has ruined many a breeding program!
I still have got a large yard of various Russian lines picked from the
around 400 Russian queens I worked with over the last five years. None has
ever been treated for varroa or anything else. Varroa can be found in all
the hives but not PMS.
I have got one jet black Russian queen which is amazing BUT the dot on her
back is gone so she is an unknown. Prolific, her hive had the highest
Russian production I ever recorded (over 150 pounds in a drought year when
honey production is in the fifty pound range)and a very low varroa count
with no PMS. Not sure what to do with the exception to the rule. Guess I
will raise a few queens!
I dropped the Russian lines because I needed a prolific bee ,a bee which
wintered in a larger cluster (almond pollination) and a bee which did not
shut down with every change in the weather.
I wanted my prolific Italians back ( never have not had a large portion of
the hives Italian even during the Russian experiment)! We have got some
excellent soft treatments now for varroa so I now choose to treat and keep
the bees which work best for me.
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---
|
|
|