[MrGreenThumb]

About Russian bees:

Is the Russian bee just a hybrid of various bees, all from different areas of Russia, that were breed for various traits? I mean, there is no 1 genetic pure Russian bee in the States? The RUSSIAN BEE is in itself a hybrid of various bees?

 

[no1cowboy]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Russian honeybee from the Primorsky Krai, a region in the southern extreme of the Russian Far East, belongs to the species Apis mellifera.

The Russian honeybee has evolved traits of resistance to natural mites owing to heavy selection pressures. It has lived for more than 150 years in a region that is home to the varroa mite and the tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi). In 1997, the USDA's Honeybee Breeding, Genetics & Physiology Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana imported Russian bees to North America.[1]

The Russian bees resemble the dark Carniolan strain. They use less propolis than typical Italian honey bees. They are not prone to sting. The bees show exceptional winter hardiness, hibernating in small winter clusters, and produce a high nectar haul per bee. They are more apt to building queen cells throughout the brood season and may have a higher tendency to swarm.

 

[PoDuck]

Is the Russian bee just a hybrid of various bees, all from different areas of Russia, that were breed for various traits?

All bees are hybrids. Hybrid of what would be the question. The bees we use are hybrids of bees with traits that have been desirable to prior generations of beekeepers. So, when you ask if Russian bees are hybrids, it kind of depends on what you are talking about as to what the answer is.