Russian honeybee breeders association

Russian Honeybee Breeders Association, Inc. The idea of a Russian Bee Breeders Association was conceived in the late s. They desired an industry based organization dedicated to maintaining and improving those lines of Russian bees being selected from the wide population that was being imported and monitored by the USDA. At present, we are maintaining, and selecting to improve, seventeen separate lines. These lines are divided into three separate blocks. Those blocks are designated as blocks A, B, and C.

Here in the eastern most region of Russia, the Russian honeybee Apis Mellifera Carpatica had been exposed to the Varroa Destructor mite for over years. Not surprisingly, researchers found that Russian Bees are more than twice as resistant to varroa mites that other honeybees. Russian bees differ from their European cousins in a few ways. The do not build their colony populations until pollen is available, and they shut down brood rearing when pollen is scarce. Italians, by contrast, maintain a large brood and population regardless of the environmental conditions. This behavior can account for early winter starvation and a tendency towards robbing other colonies. Russian bees also maintain active queen cells throughout the brood rearing season, unlike their Italian or Carniolan cousins who usually build queen cells only when superseding or swarming.

We specialize in Russian mated queens and Russian nucleus hives. Our queens can be shipped anywhere in the U. A little more about us: We are not a registered member of the Russian Honeybee Breeders Association, but we still manage all of our yards in accordance with the RHBA standards and hold them in highest regard.

Our bees are descendants of local Russian hybrid survivor stock and have been integrated over time with genetics imported from queens reared by certified members of the Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association. Russian honeybees are known for having desirable characteristics such as varroa mite resistance and good wintering capabilities. For more information on the history of Russian honeybee genetics, visit. We are working to develop strong bees that survive mostly on their own with minimal inputs. We do monitor for varroa mites and treat when needed, only with organic practices and at a minimum.