Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A typical Russian queen: Russians have a mixed heritage, so they may resemble Italians,
be dark like Carniolans, or have a dusky, tiger tail abdomen like this one.
Survivor Bees, For Lack of a Better Name
Some queen producers sell what they call
Survivor Queens
, or
Resistant Queens
. They
are hybrids of mixed heritage that are the result of deliberate breeding for varroa-mite
resistance.
These bees are predictably productive, gentle, extremely hygienic (in fact, this is
what is proving to be the dominant trait in resistance), have good wintering ability,
somewhat or very resistant to varroa and other pests and diseases, and most important,
repeatable, year after year. (This is similar to how the Russian program was developed;
see page 46.)
In any event, survivor bees (by whatever name their breeders call them) have been
successful in developing resistance to varroa, and for the most part show the other traits
beekeepers are looking for. One admirable trait that is generally common in these bees
is that the queen is long-lived, and productive for two, sometimes three years. Some
breeders refer to this as the Survivor trait when compared to other bees with shorter-
lived queens.
Unlike the Russian program, there is no certifying agency to confirm that, indeed
these bees are resistant to varroa mites or any other malady. There are several university
and USDA programs in the works that in time will make even this service available, but
they are still in their infancy.
For now, when a queen producer says her bees are resistant to mites you want to ask
for data to support that, and perhaps someone to endorse those claims. A good producer
will have both and not be reluctant to share them with you. It is worthwhile to find a
good producer and try some of these. Not using chemicals in your hives is the best var-
roa management trick there is.
