Caucasian queen wanted

Hello, Can anyone tell me where I can get a Russian Caucasian queen. (iwantbees.co are out of stock)
I have tried a few breeds and would love to try this one. I would imagine it to overwinter well.
Grateful of any help

They are the only ones I have recently seen that sell them. I have been tempted myself just to see what they are like.

I am curious too, they tell me they are not due to have any until next May, maybe then I will give them a go.

When will people stop bringing queens of strains from elsewhere into their area messing up years of selection of nearby beekeepers trying to produce a local bee for local conditions.
I had decades of selection messed up when a nearby beekeeper brought in 30 queens from Greece (carniolan / cecropia crosses).

masterBK said:

When will people stop bringing queens of strains from elsewhere into their area messing up years of selection of nearby beekeepers trying to produce a local bee for local conditions.
I had decades of selection messed up when a nearby beekeeper brought in 30 queens from Greece (carniolan / cecropia crosses).

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Hear bloody hear. There are enough problems for bees caused by importing bugs and diseases from foreign parts, varroa in particular, that should by now have got through thick skulls that it is very poor practice when the indigenous bees are clearly best in this environment. Will they never learn? Bit like the nobs who imported foxes and rabbits for hunting purposes, cane toads to catch cane beetles who live at the top of sugar cane - not at ground level, and the rest into Oz. For goodness sake eave well alone.

Eave well alone........ That's probably what they told Brother Adam as well. Looking at my Buckfast colonies I am grateful he didn't listen to them.

Caucasian queens wanted....

In connection with buggering up local genetics

Brother Adam @ Buckfast Abbey in Devon brought in queens from many races from many countries. Pure co-oincidence then that Devon was the first place Varroa was found in the UK ?

Wow, what a response from you lot! Well said Bosleeu on the Buckfast front. I can see people seem to think we are not now a global entity, head in sand is best for some eh?
What NEW problems could a Causasian queen bring to us? (Probably regret asking that)
Lets all round up the immigrants then, (oops I married a daughter of a Polish immigrant)

brettf said:

Wow, what a response from you lot! Well said Bosleeu on the Buckfast front. I can see people seem to think we are not now a global entity, head in sand is best for some eh?
What NEW problems could a Causasian queen bring to us? (Probably regret asking that)
Lets all round up the immigrants then, (oops I married a daughter of a Polish immigrant)

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The thread isn't about humans, it's about importing non-native bees, so your comparison is a bit unreasonable.

The best bees to have are the ones that are adapted to the local environment, or at least to Britain. That adaptation will include being able to survive our damp winters.

Buckfast type bees are able to cope very well with a damp winter. After all they were developed in an area of very high rainfall.
Caucasians are quite prone to nosema, so there might be a problem there.

BeeJoyful said:

The thread isn't about humans, it's about importing non-native bees, so your comparison is a bit unreasonable.

The best bees to have are the ones that are adapted to the local environment, or at least to Britain. That adaptation will include being able to survive our damp winters.

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And you will have to wait until June until local breeders produce queens in any volumes...by which time it's too late for the season.. And if you are Q- after the winter, tough.

Of course there are local suppliers around: just read their adverts as to when queens are available....

Simple supply and demand...

MasterBK wrote:

When will people stop bringing queens of strains from elsewhere into their area messing up years of selection of nearby beekeepers trying to produce a local bee for local conditions.
I had decades of selection messed up when a nearby beekeeper brought in 30 queens from Greece (carniolan / cecropia crosses).

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How can you be serious about selecting and breeding bees when you are not using AI or a reliable mating station to control the breeding stock?

Mated Queen Bees Wanted

Hi, I'm looking for a couple of mated QB's, anyone help me out or is it too late in the year ?

thanks

madasafish said:

And you will have to wait until June until local breeders produce queens in any volumes...by which time it's too late for the season.. And if you are Q- after the winter, tough.

Of course there are local suppliers around: just read their adverts as to when queens are available....

Simple supply and demand...

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Couldn't have said it better myself.

Norton said:

How can you be serious about selecting and breeding bees when you are not using AI or a reliable mating station to control the breeding stock?

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Exactly, this Island is too small to even think your isolating any breeding without AI.

Bates said:

Exactly, this Island is too small to even think your isolating any breeding without AI.

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I think AI is the next thing I must learn in my unfolding journey of beekeeping.

Can anyone tell me the best place to buy the right sort of turkey baster?

Dusty

Dusty Rhodes said:

I think AI is the next thing I must learn in my unfolding journey of beekeeping.

Can anyone tell me the best place to buy the right sort of turkey baster?

Dusty

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Not sure a 'baster' would fit but does anyone know of a good course where I could learn how to II ?

S

Stiffy said:

Not sure a 'baster' would fit but does anyone know of a good course where I could learn how to II ? S

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Beeman runs courses in season where Michael Collier is the tutor. Not cheap. Michaal also trots over to USA to teach so is an expert in the field.

Arfermo said:

Beeman runs courses in season where Michael Collier is the tutor. Not cheap. Michaal also trots over to USA to teach so is an expert in the field.

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Thanks, I looked at the course run by Beeman. As you say not cheap and will also entail a journey of close on 1,000 miles in travel for me. I would also need to find accommodation probably for at least 3 nights.
I think I may have to book it though as there doesn't seem to be anyone closer.
S

I have a good Heinz variety mix of bees. They survive the winter, they appear healthy, most are well behaved, fun to keep, they make lots of bees and honey. This is what I want.

sure, pure bred bees 'might' be nice, but adding a potential foreign unsavoury gene or lurgies into a population of bees is not welcome. You not only affect your bees, but your neighbouring bees, and further.

The point is, it is easy to see how quickly and how far varroa spread regardless of where it arrived. It arrived on the backs of imported bees. This 'should' have been a lesson learnt too late.

Unfortunately, people still want to import bees, and heaven knows what disease, parasite, or bad gene is waiting to be discovered and will arrive on our shores mucking up our bees even further.

This references a collection of papers suggesting how little we know about CCD:-

http://www.beeculture.com/content/c...byn m. underwood and dennis vanengelsdorp.pdf

I am all for research into bee improvement to try and help resist diseases and bugs if done properly. Regular beekeepers offer a Russian roulette approach which I strongly do not agree with.