> a problem with acceptance of the
> new Russian queens.
> I was told from a breeder , that they have been having problems with
> acceptance. It may be the breeder or the stock?

Hello Roy -

I know of three breeders in Florida using the USDA Russian stock that, "have
found much poorer mating acceptance than other stock grafted same day and
used in same mating yards.  This has cut into our profits by at least 30%."

Characteristics mentioned for the breeder queens were, "nervous queens, very
spotty layers and one white marked queen line wants to rear cells all the
time."

I know one has returned 800 queen cells to the ARS bee lab due to poor
matings; "he is getting about 85% matings from Italian and Carnolian queen
cells and only 35% average from Russian cells."

Another queen breeder from TX also quit grafting from his Russian breeder
because of dissatisfaction.

The reply from ARS, (one individual) was they suspect the problem to be the
drones, not the queens.  They see it as a one year problem with the
following year giving the breeders the healthy fast russian drones to mate
with the russian queens.  This did not wash, as an acceptable reason, with
the breeders.

In the end, they could not adequately explain the problems with
reintroduction of the well mated Russian queens.  Some are wondering if the
real problem is a pheromone one.  Perhaps someone from the USDA can shed
more light on this.

-Barry

--
Barry Birkey
West Chicago,  IL  U.S.A.
www.beesource.com