# RidgeTop Apiaries, Mike Haney



## Earl of Chatham (Jan 28, 2013)

Several of us hobbyist beekeepers in central NC put together a group order of 44 queens with Mike Haney at RidgeTop Apiaries in TN. VSH and Pol-line VSH. Mike was great to work with. Kept us up to date as he dealt with a cold and wet spring that delayed queen breeding. Price is very reasonable. Marking or clipping is done at no charge. He ships by USPS overnight. I was a bit unsure about this at first, but it allowed me to let my local PO know that the package was going to arrive. I was able to pick up package at PO right after it arrived instead of waiting on it to ride around the county to be delivered. Mike cuts a thick piece of card board the exact size of the inside of the shipping box and glues the cages to that cardboard and glues the cardboard into the shipping box. Cuts and screens vents into the shipping box. All 44 showed up safe and sound. I will try to post again in a few weeks with info on short term survival and take.


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## SpeckledPup (May 25, 2011)

Can you give more info on Ridgetop Apiaries? Mailing address, phone # or website. Never Mind I found it.

www.ridgetopapiaries.com

RidgeTop Apiaries
1475 Thompson Ridge Road
Baxter, TN 38544

Mike Haney, Owner
931-319-6569


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Mike is a straight arrow. He produces a quality product for a fair price and treats people right, but get in line. Being a "boutique" producer he stays sold out far in advance most of the time. Worth the wait though.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

I am sure looking forward to mine!


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## SpeckledPup (May 25, 2011)

When I saw the name, I was hoping he was just north of Nashville in Ridgetop, TN as that's a few miles from me.


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## Earl of Chatham (Jan 28, 2013)

SpeckledPup said:


> Can you give more info on Ridgetop Apiaries? Mailing address, phone # or website. Never Mind I found it.
> 
> www.ridgetopapiaries.com
> 
> ...


Yep, that's him.


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## brushwoodnursery (Feb 10, 2012)

Can you post an update? I'm looking to requeen a few next year.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I talked to Mike yesterday and he mentioned that he was overwintering about 30 5 frame medium mating nucs - which he has not tried before. Some with open screened bottom boards. All still kicking so far despite the recent arctic blast. Not bad. I think he is sold out until mid summer. Fall is great for requeening though.


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## brushwoodnursery (Feb 10, 2012)

Thanks!


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## SpeckledPup (May 25, 2011)

Earl of Chatman

Can we get an up date on how your queens did, did they make it thru the winter


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

I can vouch for Mike as a pleasure to work with and great queens. My strongest hive is queened by his stock, am getting ready to split. Mine wintered fine in a single deep. She shut down the brood and let the bees maximize stores. Very Pleased. G:thumbsup:


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I overwintered several of them with 100% success. Around April 1st I experienced several supercedures - but not in any of the hives headed by Mikes queens.

For what it's worth I've been opening brood nests with foundationless frames to help manage swarming, and then removing the resulting drone comb as IPM. Saturday before I put some frames in the freezer I picked out about 100 purple eye larva from an overwintered hive with one of Mikes VSH queens - didn't spot a single varroa mite. Not even one. That hive also had some of the most perfect capped brood frames I have ever seen. I treat around August 1 and in mid Dec. It seems that they do a pretty good job of keeping the mites under control - at least within my system.


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## beekeeper120 (Jul 30, 2011)

Has anybody talked to Mr. Haney lately? I went to his website and it appeared to have been taken down? Dont want to call the number if something is wrong or he went out of business.

regards


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Mike Haney is a Beesource member, and he last visited Beesource 9/26/14 according to his profile. You could send a PM or email through Beesource if you don't want to call.


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

http://ridgetopapiaries.weebly.com/index.html

I made it come up on this, seems the page expired and is awaiting renewal. But, this one pulled it up. Mikes great, helped me out of a couple jams my first year and his Open mated daughters are running things around here now, hoping to get a few in the spring to expand a bit more with the pure ones, although the 1st and second generation seem to still be showing the characteristics well.. G


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