Russian hybrid queens

[David Moore]

Hi folks, (sorry for the length & # of ?'s)
I am considering buying a package of bees with a Russian hybrid queen. The advertiser doesn't mention what type of bees will be in the 3 lb. swarm. The advertiser also sells Italiian queens and packages. Am I correct in assuming the bees in my package will be Itallians? Or would they actually be some type of Russian?
I have 2 colonies of Carniolans and am concerened about cross breeding? I guess I'm just paranoid. The Russian hybrid queen- will she be bred when I receive her or will she mate with my luckiest drones of differing species?

[iddee]

Hybrid means mixed. He probably bought a russian queen a few years ago and has raised whatever came out from there forward. That's why he says hybrid. You aren't getting a full russian queen. I would rather have a surviver mutt anyway, but some people like to pay a lot for thoroughbreds and watch them die come winter. To each his own, I guess.

[Aspera]

Its a rather picky point I geuss, but I do think that some excellent breeders sell Russian crosses. I've bought "hybrid" russians from both Taber's and Glenn Apiaries and have had excellent results. Crossed genetic lineages does not alway mean that the breeding program is not closely scrutinized, or that the queens are mutts. It just means that the breeder is being honest.

[iddee]

Being mutts is not a bad thing. It just means they are crossed. Like curs, it is just slang for not full blooded. There is even a registered pedigree dog now called "mountain cur". In my opinion, as stated above, mutts make the best performers. Some are very selectivly bred, but if not full blooded, they are mutts. I have a very strong strain going with little or no mite load, but they are just bees. People who have bought them love them. They refer to them as Wally's mutts. Suits me fine as long as they keep buying. smile.gif

If the young from a cross can reproduce, they are hybrids. If the young from a cross cannot reproduce, they are mules. All young from crosses are mutts, curs, mix breeds, whatever you want to call them. I LIKE MUTTS. tongue.gif :D

[Dwight]

I used to raise and hunt with hound dogs and my experience was the mutts always out performed the pure breds in every aspect. I assume that is the case with all species. I'll bet that cross bred humans even out perform "Pure Breds" smile.gif

[David Moore]

Thanks for the info everyone. My other question was will the hybrid queen be bred or a virgin?
Sorry for my lack of knowledge. This is my first year as a beek and I bought my Carnolian hives from a local beekeeper so I have no knowledge about buying queens and packages.
Thanks for any responces.

[iddee]

A queen is normally bred and began laying before shipping.

[David Moore]

iddee,
Thank you very much. I thought I had read that somewhere but wasn't sure. Thanks for the quick reply.

D.M

[Aspera]

I used to raise and hunt with hound dogs and my experience was the mutts always out performed the pure breds in every aspect. I assume that is the case with all species. I'll bet that cross bred humans even out perform "Pure Breds"

Dwight, I saw a study not long ago that showed pretty clearly that Europeans were not nearly so genetically diverse as Americans. The European, African, Asian and native American mixing cuts down on genetic diseases in our population (the exception being certain religous communities like the Amish).

David,

It depends on the breeder. Glenn sells purebred SMR's bred to Russian drones. This is absolutely the most mite resistant bee that I have seen. The progeny workers and queens are the herterogeneous crosses here. Technically the mother queen is still a pure SMR, but all the daughters are a 50/50 mix. In my case, I keep the daughter queens and like them better than their II mother, although its impossible to know what drone they mated.

[ October 20, 2006, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Aspera ]

[brent.roberts]

I started 9 nucs of Russians this spring. Thoroughbreds directly traceble to the original USDA imports.

Of the 9 colonies, all have pretty good mite loads this week. I have been counting daily for nearly a week now and the hive with the strongest population is dropping 300 mites every 24 hours all week. The best hive I have from the lot is dropping an average of 25. This is the only colony on a totally open SBB.

I don't see any evidence that they are worth the premium price I paid for them. If there is a hygenic superiority, it is, in my limited experience, hard to find and investing your money in other aspects of an integrated pest management might be a better plan. Your mileage may differ.

[Boris]

Hello Brent,

Please send me more info about your experience with Russian bees for my project:
http://www.beebehavior.com/russian_bees.php

Thank you.
Boris