where can a person buy a breeder queen from? Just looking around to find them.
where can a person buy a breeder queen from? Just looking around to find them.
Do you have a specfic strain in mind or just any breeder queen?
Latshaw has some great stock: http://latshawapiaries.com/index.php...breeder-queens
Benjamin Schneider, southeast Wyoming, 6500 feet
http://prairiewindbeesupply.webs.com/
Here is Latshaw's Carnies, which they have dubbed Karnicas: http://latshawapiaries.com/index.php...karnica-queens
A little pricey, though, at $510 each.![]()
Benjamin Schneider, southeast Wyoming, 6500 feet
http://prairiewindbeesupply.webs.com/
Just heard Dann Purvis teach a queen rearing course last Saturday, and he is selling some breeders this year for $275.
Purvis has just switched to only selling breeders. He is out of the production queen business. He does have good survivor stock.
Benjamin Schneider, southeast Wyoming, 6500 feet
http://prairiewindbeesupply.webs.com/
It is important to remember that breeder queens aren't necessarily good production queens at all. They are intended as a means to transfer specific genetics into a large number of virgins. If they come out of a proven breeding program (like Joe's) they may well be a bargain at twice that price. For most perhaps spending the same money on a couple hundred queens from a good breeder of your choice and selecting the best for your own breeder makes better sense.
"Ve are too soon olt und too late schmart."- A nameless German philosopher
Here is the list I have on file for Queen Breeders. I have another list for VSH Breeders. Latshaw would fall under the latter.
http://carpentersapiaries.com/ - Italian stock selected for mite mauling
http://www.arnoldhoneybeeservices.com - Italian survivor and Russian stock
http://www.beeweaver.com/ - went treatment free about 10 years ago
http://www.bjornapiaries.com - description is a bit weak but does say untreated
http://www.coldcountryqueens.com - Russian stock untreated for several years
http://www.honeybeegenetics.com/home.html - included because they did so much work on SMR
http://www.johnstonshoneybeefarm.com - untreated since 2003
http://www.mikesbeesandhoney.com/ - produces selected AI queens
http://www.mountainvalleybees.com/ - Alabama producer, at least 12 years untreated
http://www.oldsolenterprises.com - survivor queen stock program, survivor queens
http://www.wildernessbees.com/ or http://www.owa.cc - 10 years no chems, Bee Culture published an article about them
http://www.purvisbees.com/ - 10 years untreated, has highly varroa tolerant bees
http://www.vpqueenbees.com/ - untreated since 1999
http://www.dixiebeesupply.com - uses some soft treatments
http://www.ziaqueenbees.com/ - uses some soft treatments
http://russellapiaries.webs.com/ - has some lines that are varroa tolerant
http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm - don't know if Michael Bush will be offering queens for 2012!
http://www.russianbreeder.com - this is the Russian queen breeder cooperators website.
I am still working on the list for breeders in general. Got focused on VSH for a while.
All work and no play makes a happy bee.
I agree Jim. First...II breeder queens...are they breeder queens or experiments? Crossing two lines via II doesn't necessarily create breeder queens. Install the daughters in production hives, follow performance for a couple years, and then you'll know if they're worth their salt.
If you have enough colonies to use store bought production queens, follow the same procedure and use the best in your breeding program.
i'll be grafting eggs from the best of my best, that are proven in my location.
disclaimer: novice beekeeper here who knows just enough to be dangerous
If you want Carnies, I would highly recommend VP Queens in Frederick, MD. I bought two last year for $165.00.
I had good luck with a VP breeder too Matt. Their price has gone up since Glenn is out of the picture, and they no longer offer the open mated breeders I don't believe, which was what I used for bringing in additional diversity to my operation.
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