View Full Version : Next years ordering for Russian Honey Bees
SwedeBee1970
11-17-2009, 08:02 AM
Now is the time to order ! I'm going ahead and ordering another #3 package of Russian Honey Bees for 2010 season. Most of the supplies I already have. Might have to make my own brood boxes, though. Long Creek Apiaries, Tennessee is where I get the bees. They have held their prices and not raised them since the economy is "iffy". If you want resilience to Varroa & tracheal mites & CCD possibilities, Russians are the way to go. They've been bombarded with mites in the homeland and have become resistant to them. Time to hang up the Apistan and some other chemicals.
I just have to say that I'm pleased with how easily my hives have grown and adapted to their new environment. Cheers !
peacekeeperapiaries
11-17-2009, 01:43 PM
I'm very happy with my Russians also.
SwedeBee1970
11-17-2009, 01:56 PM
That's interesting. Do they produce year round in your neck of the woods ? PeaceKeeperApiaries
Winding up our second year with Bees. The first we had three hives, two Italians, one Russian. The Italians were decimated by SHB. The Russians, three feet away, only had a tiny amount. Had a opportunity to pick up ten hives of Russians in January. From those eleven hives we produced twenty more. Sold ten, and now have twenty-one. All produced several supers of honey. The kicker is that, though all the nearby Beeks are being over run with SHB, we just don't have any to amount to anything. Even our State Bee Inspector seemed impressed by the lack of Varoa Mite and SHB when he dropped by in late August.
Russians and full sun. Seems to bee a good plan.
Hab,
where did you get your russians?
SwedeBee1970
11-17-2009, 03:12 PM
Sounds like the SHB's know where to shop.
My Mentor has hundreds of hives of Russian Hybrids, NOT Mini Cooper Hybrids, but Italian-Russian mix and he says that the warmer winters he still sees the hives producing brood and in the spring, they're 30% larger than last year.
Hab,
where did you get your russians?
Picked them up from a Beek that had to move to another state due to her job. Her new home was in a very developed residential area and she was not sure how the Bees would be received by her new neighbors.
peacekeeperapiaries
11-17-2009, 04:08 PM
I started a new yard with 22 nucs (mostly Russian) from Jester Bee Comp. in mid April. Split most of them in June and again in Late July/early August along with a few more splits from a few boomer hives. Purchased Russian queen cells from Miksa Honey Farms here in FL for the splits. The original 22 were re-queened in August with Miksa Russians. Ended the season with 87 Russian hives, yes they are still producing brood and bringing in a little nectar and pollen from local sources, we just came off the brazilian pepper bloom. Have seen a few beetles but not many, NO varroa which I can more attribute to the aggressive splitting (breaking brood cycles) we did. We will see how they fare next year as far as varroa.