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Whether you are a hobbyist, sideliner, or commercial beekeeper, keeping bees alive is the issue. For us, after 40
plus years of beekeeping, modern trucks, forklifts, and extracting equipment are great; but keeping bees alive and
believing in the most important selling point of honey as a pure and natural product have become almost mutually
exclusive. We have always believed that the ultimate answer is through bee breeding and stock selection, NOT the
latest chemical solution.
We treated our bees for many years and it was a constant roller coaster ride, great bees one year followed by
losses another. At the urging of a good friend, Kirk Webster, Champlain Valley Bees and Queens, we started using
USDA Russian Breeder Queens in 2004. At the same time the mites we had in our bees had become resistant to
both Apistan and Checkmite, the federally approved formulations of fluvalinate and coumaphos. We diligently
requeened as many colonies as possible, but for the first couple years they were only Russian Hybrids and we
used oxalic acid as a Fall treatment in 2004 and 2005. After that our Queens then were mating with predominately
Russian Drones, and the mite resistance of these colonies was greatly improved. We gave our bees no treatment in
2006, and experimented with Apiguard (thymol) in 2007 only to find no net benifit. We have adopted the attitude
and method that if the mites kill a colony we did not want them anyway.
The Apiguard treatment did kill mites, but our untreated colonies survived, wintered, and built up just as well as the
treated. Since 2007 we have used no mite treatments of ANY kind. Thru 2008 we continued to use USDA-ARS
Russian Breeder Queens as the mothers for our Queens in our regular hives. From 2009 on the Russian Breeder
Queens have no longer been available to the public. They are only available to members of the Russian
Bee-Breeders Association. I am not a Russian Bee Cooperator.
Russian Based Survivor Stock
We now refer to our bees as Russian Based Survivor Stock. The original purpose of the Russian program was
because of these bees ability to withstand varroa mite infestation. We make no claims as to the purity of our
Russian stock. Our bees are all descended from original Russian stock, but along with other positive Russian
traits, our selection of breeder queens from 2009, to the present has been based on a colonies ability to survive
and flourish despite varroa mites, and without any treatments. We consider our entire operation, every hive, as part
of our breeding program. Survive without treatments, simple as that. And because none of our colonies are treated,
our Queens are able to mate with Drones from colonies with the same traits.
The last few years the bee industry has seen problems we never could have imagined. Colony Collapse Disorder,
viruses, Nosema Ceranae. Have we lost bees? Yes we have. But many beekeepers who have given their bees the
"Benefit" of every possible treatment, have lost a lot of bees, too. We feel we have made tremendous progress in
breeding bees that can make it on their own in this tough day we live in.
One thing I am particularly proud of in our bee operation is that we have never had to bring in outside "bees" to
maintain our colony numbers. Our operation has been a continuous living thing for over 38 years. Our only bee
purchases have been to bring in Queens of desirable stock for breeding purposes. Our bees have been self
sustaining. Now today with all the many problems facing our bees we continue this tradition. Again, since 2007 we
have given our bees no treatments of any kind for varroa mites, and we have never treated for Nosema.
Unfortunately we can make no guarantees on the survivability of any individual colony; but if you are looking for
bees that have a survivor history, and you want to join in our "grand experiment" give me a buzz. Our bees have
been thoroughly challenged and tested, and they keep on buzzing.
More information contact Chris Baldwin 605-488-0005.
plus years of beekeeping, modern trucks, forklifts, and extracting equipment are great; but keeping bees alive and
believing in the most important selling point of honey as a pure and natural product have become almost mutually
exclusive. We have always believed that the ultimate answer is through bee breeding and stock selection, NOT the
latest chemical solution.
We treated our bees for many years and it was a constant roller coaster ride, great bees one year followed by
losses another. At the urging of a good friend, Kirk Webster, Champlain Valley Bees and Queens, we started using
USDA Russian Breeder Queens in 2004. At the same time the mites we had in our bees had become resistant to
both Apistan and Checkmite, the federally approved formulations of fluvalinate and coumaphos. We diligently
requeened as many colonies as possible, but for the first couple years they were only Russian Hybrids and we
used oxalic acid as a Fall treatment in 2004 and 2005. After that our Queens then were mating with predominately
Russian Drones, and the mite resistance of these colonies was greatly improved. We gave our bees no treatment in
2006, and experimented with Apiguard (thymol) in 2007 only to find no net benifit. We have adopted the attitude
and method that if the mites kill a colony we did not want them anyway.
The Apiguard treatment did kill mites, but our untreated colonies survived, wintered, and built up just as well as the
treated. Since 2007 we have used no mite treatments of ANY kind. Thru 2008 we continued to use USDA-ARS
Russian Breeder Queens as the mothers for our Queens in our regular hives. From 2009 on the Russian Breeder
Queens have no longer been available to the public. They are only available to members of the Russian
Bee-Breeders Association. I am not a Russian Bee Cooperator.
Russian Based Survivor Stock
We now refer to our bees as Russian Based Survivor Stock. The original purpose of the Russian program was
because of these bees ability to withstand varroa mite infestation. We make no claims as to the purity of our
Russian stock. Our bees are all descended from original Russian stock, but along with other positive Russian
traits, our selection of breeder queens from 2009, to the present has been based on a colonies ability to survive
and flourish despite varroa mites, and without any treatments. We consider our entire operation, every hive, as part
of our breeding program. Survive without treatments, simple as that. And because none of our colonies are treated,
our Queens are able to mate with Drones from colonies with the same traits.
The last few years the bee industry has seen problems we never could have imagined. Colony Collapse Disorder,
viruses, Nosema Ceranae. Have we lost bees? Yes we have. But many beekeepers who have given their bees the
"Benefit" of every possible treatment, have lost a lot of bees, too. We feel we have made tremendous progress in
breeding bees that can make it on their own in this tough day we live in.
One thing I am particularly proud of in our bee operation is that we have never had to bring in outside "bees" to
maintain our colony numbers. Our operation has been a continuous living thing for over 38 years. Our only bee
purchases have been to bring in Queens of desirable stock for breeding purposes. Our bees have been self
sustaining. Now today with all the many problems facing our bees we continue this tradition. Again, since 2007 we
have given our bees no treatments of any kind for varroa mites, and we have never treated for Nosema.
Unfortunately we can make no guarantees on the survivability of any individual colony; but if you are looking for
bees that have a survivor history, and you want to join in our "grand experiment" give me a buzz. Our bees have
been thoroughly challenged and tested, and they keep on buzzing.
More information contact Chris Baldwin 605-488-0005.
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| Absolutely no mite or fumagilin treatments Five frame Nucs...........................$115.00 Single story Nucs.........................$165.00 Proven Breeder Queens..............$500.00 Queen Cells......................................$6.00 Sorry........NO shipping or laying Queens Pick up ONLY at Shepherd, TX. 77371 Available May 1st. , 2011 Contact: Chris Baldwin, Cell# 605-488-0005 |
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