How easy is it to get a Russian Queen in the summer?

**NorthernIllinoisPlumber** · 03-05-2011, 04:33 PM

I will be starting four hives this spring, all Italian. I would like to move toward Russians if I have any splits I can make.

Would I have any issues getting one? Or would it be better to cancel an Italian queen in a package, and add the Russian?

Thanks

**Solomon Parker** · 03-05-2011, 04:52 PM

Why would you want to switch queens mid stream first year? That sound like an extra expense to me.

**NY_BLUES** · 03-05-2011, 05:22 PM

Contact Bob Brachman, he is a Russian Queen breeder, and has russian queens availible this summer. He has a website

www.coldcountryqueens.com

**NorthernIllinoisPlumber** · 03-05-2011, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

Why would you want to switch queens mid stream first year? That sound like an extra expense to me.

Part of my post was off. I do not want to switch a queen, but provide a Russian from an Italian split. If I have one.

Seems in my area a friend lost nine Italian hives within the last month. All were inches away from honey.

If I can work with some Russian stock before winter, I will feel better.

**NorthernIllinoisPlumber** · 03-05-2011, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by NY_BLUES

Contact Bob Brachman, he is a Russian Queen breeder, and has russian queens availible this summer. He has a website

www.coldcountryqueens.com

Thanks, I checked the site.

**Beaver Dam** · 03-09-2011, 09:00 PM

Can a queen bee be transported by a passanger on an aircraft, say from New York to Texas?

**PCM** · 03-10-2011, 10:56 AM

Yes, if it will accept a strip search

I'd hate to try explaning it to the TSA our vigliant dead beats

PCM

**rrussell6870** · 03-10-2011, 11:32 AM

Just a note about losing bees during winter that are inches away from honey...

#1 Cause of winter losses when food is available= Condensation...
#2 = Poorly mated queens (either puttering out in late summer/early fall, or too few colonies in the area to successfully mate the new queen after a swarm, which again putters out)
#3 = Mite levels too high in the brood going into fall, leading to shorten life spans over winter.

Keep these things in mind no matter which breed you keep. Its not the bees that need to eat, its the brood... so if there are stores available, its usually a lack of brood...

**danno** · 03-10-2011, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Beaver Dam

Can a queen bee be transported by a passanger on an aircraft, say from New York to Texas?

I asked TSA that very question a few years back and at that time the answer was yes. I didn't put it to the test but as thing seems to change so fast you should ask them again before you try it. I would also worry that the agent you have to deal with mostlikely has never had to deal with bee's and could cause a problem or delay

**Solomon Parker** · 03-10-2011, 01:36 PM

I checked the TSA website prohibited items list and there is nothing about live animals at all. People do get busted all the time with illegal animals, but that's crossing borders most of the time.

It seems to me the only problem with a package of bees or queens or whatever would be the feeder. However this is purely conjecture.

**valleyman** · 03-12-2011, 07:18 AM

Bob Brachman ran out of queens early summer last year. Great to do business with, great product. Got queens later from Ray Revis in Nc. Great to do business with, great product. Good luck.