The Russian bee is another stock of Carniolans to my surprise.  I asked about
them at the ABF meeting in January, thinking they were apis mellifera
caucasia and hence great collectors of propolis, and was told by the Baton
Rouge scientists that they were apis mellifera carnica rather than caucasia.

Of course, several years ago, that lab pioneered the "ARS-Y-C-1" Carniolan as
resistant, which has never shown great results as resistant.   If this bee
had been as resistant as everyone was led to believe, perhaps most of the
apiaries of the country would have them.

Having switched from Italians to Carniolans 52 years ago, in 1948, in order
to have a very early spring buildup to successfully gather Maryland's major
crop, April 15 to May 31, I am a MAJOR supporter of Carniolans, and Sue
Cobey's New World stock has few equals, but GREAT resistance to mites is not
an advertised point.  Hopefully,
our scientists will eventually find a truly resistant bee.

If I were young again and not disabled by strokes, I would like to "play"
with the "hygienic Minnesota Italian bees" developed by Dr. Marla Spivak and
sold by Glenn
Apiaries in California.  The entire theory regarding "hygienic" bees has
great merit; and it is not new, just UNDERFUNDED.  Rothenbuhler and Steve
Taber did a tremendous about of research about "hygienic" bees being
resistant to American Foul Brood over 40 years ago, and they too were
UNDERFUNDED.

Yuuki, you are young, why don't you work on the "hygienic" idea?

Hope I have helped

George Imirie