I'm
> trialling some from another breeder here in Calif, and they have been
> excellent in every respect, except being a bit more nippy.

I use only Australian bees from Browns BEE Australia and this years queens
produced bees which are a bit nippy. However I think the best bees I have
had so far.

Dann Purvis went to Australia and set up the breeding program for Browns
Bees . I introduced the two and recommended Dann. Ever since Dann traveled
to Australia and taught instrumental insemination  to the crew and helped 
select breeders I have
seen a big improvement in the stock I get each year.

I have not tried the Taylor Australian queens (sold by Weavers) but observed
a couple hundred being installed in hives in Florida last January. Hope to
get some feedback before long. The Taylor queens were rather dark but still
looked Australian Italian but darker than you normally see.

Richard Bordin ( California commercial beekeeper) runs around 6000 hives
headed by Brown's Bees Australia queens and the Sullivan's run around 13,000
hives headed by Browns Bees Australian queens.
Both outfits swear by the bees. I will be traveling to California (October?)
before long to observe both operations.

I am particularly interested in the 4000 hives of the Sullivan's in plastic
boxes.

The Sullivan's claim a 15% increase in brood rearing with the plastic boxes.
My friend Murray M. ( Scotland)  of BEE-L tells me he loves his plastic
boxes. Maybe Murray will comment on his experience with plastic brood boxes?

 The Sullivan's sent me some plastic equipment to try but I can't remember
which yard the hives are in. O well I have a big crew coming in the next two
weeks to finish pulling honey so I expect we will find the test plastic
hives. Maybe I will find the test frames H. Bell sent home with me also.

I guess I am old school and like the wood but keep an open mind to new
ideas.

bob

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