Quote Originally Posted by Specialkayme View Post
I have not seen his operation in person, I have not worked for him, and I have not shadowed him. If you want to say it's all speculation and conjecture, I'm fine with that, but as it stands I think that's the best information you are going to receive on this site.
I think its safe to say that there is a lot we don't know about his operation. Nobody ever seems to have any first hand eye witness accounts of anything thats happened over there.
Lets start with the facts as we know them: He has a lot of loyal customers who seem fine with any delays that they have encountered getting bees because they are convinced that the superior genetics they will be getting make it worth the wait. We know that he has a really nice web site where you can place orders for bees and other items and pay for them at the time of ordering via pay pal. Bee orders (and payments) are apparently accepted at least a year ahead of delivery. We know that a lot of people have waited a long time for orders and are running out of patience because they have been unable to contact anyone. We know some people think the Russell bees are great, some refer to them as just another bee, and some have had poor success with them. We know that when Mr. Russell was posting on here he seemed articulate and knowledgable about all things beekeeping. We also know that he has claimed to have suffered through, tornadoes, floods, cold spells and now apparently a personal tragedy all in just over a year.
Thats essentially what I know, everything else seems to be conjecture. I also have spent some time trying to find some information out about this current tragedy and have come up empty. While doing it I was haunted by the realization that I didnt know whether to hope that I found something or hope that I didnt. I am sorry but this is all seems a bit strange to me.