smr's

[Archangel2012]

I have been a beekeeper for some time now and last year i lost 500 of my hives to the small hives beetle (SHB). I was left with less then twenty weak hives and now they're showing signs of resistance. I got the idead of getting an Selected for Mites Resistence (SMR)Queen but all they sell, and for 250 dollars a pop, are half-breed SMR's. The breeders have both SMR Queens and Drones and they got them from the USDA ARS, so my question is why can't i get a 1.)pure SMR Queen or 2.)SMR Nuc, and 3.) if i can where?

[mark williams]

I can't answer your question,about the location of where you can get the queens you want, But what would a SMR queen that is Resistance to mite's have to do with the SHB.>>>>>>>>>Mark

[Michael Bush]

Buy PermaComb. The SHBs can't burrow through it. Also spray the ground or come up with some way to kill the larvae.

[WineMan]

1) Florida has a huge population explosion of SHB right now....worst it has ever been from all accounts I have heard. They arent so hard to kill when it is just a few beetles and larvae but it is another thing when they are thick. Guess they cant even mate nucs because the SHB runs all the bees out.

2) You don't want pure SMR. They have horrible brood patterns and no hoarding instinct for surplus honey. USDA wants them to mix into the population and possible pass along their mite supressive traits.

[Archangel2012]

I realize that there is currently no cure for the SHB but MY hives are showing resistance to the SHB. They are developing a rudimentry "imunity". I would like to create a hybrid thats not only resistant to trecheal mites, but to varoa and SHB at the same time. Plus be an excelent producer as well. A SUPER-BEE if you will.

[tarheit]

If they are indeed showing resistance to SHB then that is a good place to start.

Most good breeding programs start with a selection of bees that show at least some of the desireable traits and are breed with others that show other desireable traits. The offspring are monitored for the traits one wants (resistance, gentleness, honey production, etc.) and the best are selected for the next generation, and those that are poor are culled. Occasionally new bees are introduced to add desireable traits (SMR, etc.). Some care must be taken to avoid becoming too inbreed. It can take many years to see results.

Both Susan Cobey and Joe Latshaw have such programs and the results look very impressive.
Their websites have some good information on their programs.

-Tim

[WineMan]

If you just want something for breeder material, buy a pure inseminated SMR from Glenn's. If you want tracheal mite resistance also, you will probably need to come by that from some other source than SMR. Currently, some lines of the SMR are very susceptible to tracheal mites.

[Michael Bush]

I am speculating, but I think the trait that would give you defense against the SHB will be a viscious, aggressive hive that will sting the larvae to death. Unfortunatly this probably won't be a fun hive to work with.