trachial mite free queens

[Matthias Smith]

Hi,
I bought a couple hive from a older beekeeper that has kept bees for 50+ years.He told me that his bees had never had any trouble with trachial mites.He says that the reason they dont have trouble with them is because many years ago a friend of his had brought some queens from England for him.He says that the guy in England had "invented" a trachial mite immune honey bee.
Does anyone have any idea what these queens might bee? He doesnt remember the name of the guy they got them from.I'd like to know the "blood lines" of my bees. Thanks

[Bob Harrison]

Talk is cheap. Get a few tested if you see signs of tracheal mites.

The "guy" in England he speaks of is in my opinion Brother Adam. "Invented" is the wrong word. Through careful selection and breeding Brother Adam was able to come up with a line of bees (Buckfast) which do in my opinion tolerate the tracheal mite but so do the Russian bees.Also other lines show tracheal mite tolerance also these days.

[Michael Bush]

>I bought a couple hive from a older beekeeper that has kept bees for 50+ years.He told me that his bees had never had any trouble with trachial mites.He says that the reason they dont have trouble with them is because many years ago a friend of his had brought some queens from England for him.He says that the guy in England had "invented" a trachial mite immune honey bee.
Does anyone have any idea what these queens might bee? He doesnt remember the name of the guy they got them from.I'd like to know the "blood lines" of my bees.

More than likely Buckfasts. They would be from England, be known for being trachial mite resistant. Brother Adam (a German monk living at Buckfast abbey in England) would be the man who developed the Buckfasts.