# Russian Bees who sell them



## paulnewbee1 (Jan 27, 2007)

I would like to try some Russians I am setting up 14 hives Who and where are any good breeders for the bees. Wonder if they sell pkg or queens. 
As always thanks
Paul


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

I have a few yards established with Kirk Websters Russians and am very happy with them. He's a northern beekeeper (VT). He is listed on this site under "bees United States," as 
*CHAMPLAIN VALLEY BEES AND QUEENS*
Box 381
Middlebury, VT. 05753
phone: 802-758-2501

There are many others which are great and I've done business with a few of them, and/or about to, but not in the volume I have ordered russian queens from Kirk.


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## olddrown (Oct 28, 2009)

Will have small number of Russian queens in late April or early May.We will have a small number in the fall for re queening as well.We are not a big operation ,but tray to raise and breed a very good queen.Our breeder stock came from the Russian breeder association.We have our drown mother hives set up hoping to have a well mated queen that will not be supersede.Queens will be $ 18.00 + shipping.
Thanks


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## longrangedog (Jun 24, 2007)

If you buy from a member of the Russian Honeybee Breeders Association you are likely to get a pure Russian bee. Their association protocol establishes strict rules governing all aspects of queen rearing and individual breeders/sellers are required to periodically submit sample bees for genetic testing to insure purity. A member of this association deals in Russian bees ONLY!!

If you buy from a non member breeder you're likely getting a Russian hybrid. The qualities of the Russian bee that make it mite resistent, winter hardy, etc. are diluted when crossed with other bee breeds (hybrids). 

The breeders I'm familiar with stay booked up. Your best bet will probably be to order now for next spring or maybe you can find some fall queens. They are worth waiting for. Google Russian Honeybee Breeders Association for contact information.


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## skydiver (Jan 12, 2010)

You may want to check out Long Creek Apiaries http://www.longcreekapiaries.com/ they appear to be a certified breeder. I have contemplated trying. hope this helps. Dan


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## olddrown (Oct 28, 2009)

longrangedog said:


> If you buy from a member of the Russian Honeybee Breeders Association you are likely to get a pure Russian bee. Their association protocol establishes strict rules governing all aspects of queen rearing and individual breeders/sellers are required to periodically submit sample bees for genetic testing to insure purity. A member of this association deals in Russian bees ONLY!!
> 
> If you buy from a non member breeder you're likely getting a Russian hybrid. The qualities of the Russian bee that make it mite resistent, winter hardy, etc. are diluted when crossed with other bee breeds (hybrids).
> 
> ...


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

Go to russianbreeders.org. Long Creek Apiaries aren't there. You need to look for a forum on this website about them, then form your own opinion. I have ordered from RevisRussians. You can Google him. He won't take any money until he delivers. Him and most of the pure breeders have limited supply. I am going to requeen what I have with pure queens that will only be mated with Russian drones. 90+% certain. I am going to drive and get some nucs to put on drawn comb. You will need to requeen every year to keep them Russian. Good Luck & Go Russians.:thumbsup:


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## Cordovan Italian Bee (Oct 27, 2009)

http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/bee_links-USA-90.phtml

http://www.virginiabeekeepers.org/links/queens.htm

http://www.cedarglenbees.com/

http://www.honeybeegenetics.com/order.html


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## paulnewbee1 (Jan 27, 2007)

thanks for all the info. I will be a big help 
one other question is do you need Russian packages also or how do they sell just a queen or do they sell a nuc etc or do you mix them with another pack. I know this would not be a pure breed.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

If you are just starting you need at least packages. It is best to start with a nucleus which is just a functioning 4-5 frame hive that has queen, brood, honey, pollen in it when you get it. The only problem is they will not ship nucs and you have to drive to get them. I am going to drive 7 hours one way to get 2 nucs to put on drawn comb, which should give them a big enough start that they will produce honey next year. I am going to have the same Apairie ship me 4 queens In late April to split the 2 good hives that I have left. They will ship packages and queens. If you start out with packages on new foundation, you will need to feed them 2-1 syrup heavy for awhile. At least until they get the brood box drawn out and with it mostly filled. From what I've told you I hope you know why you would buy just queens. I will requeen my pure Russians every spring to help keep them pure. Also the queens that I will do the splits with will have been mated with only Russian drones and therefore will only lay Russian eggs, and within 42 days they will be only Russian bees. The mutts won't realize what they are doing. Mine will come from Ray Revis in Marion Nc. You can google RevisRussians or emsil him at [email protected].


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## NDnewbeek (Jul 4, 2008)

http://www.vlwbee.santu.com/
Velbert will ship 3lb packages of VSH x Russian

http://www.honeybeegenetics.com/home.html
Tabers ships Russian X Carniolan packages

Ruth Seaborn
930 Hwy 438
Centerville, TN
931 729 9229
[email protected]
Ruth has CarnXRussian packages - small cell hybrids from FatBeeman stock
She is also on the forum as 'BeeHunter'

www.waldobees.com
ships Russian packages

www.kelleybees.com
ships Russian packages

Hardeman Apiaries
906 South Railroad Ext.
P.O. Box 214
Mt. Vernon, GA 30445
912 583 2710
ships Russian packages

www.fatbeeman.com
will ship Russian nucs

All of these would be hybrid Russians


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

All of these Aparies that ndnewbeek has given you are selling Russian hybrids. If that is what you want, thats good but they may not have all the Russian traits since they are mated with drones of other genetics.


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## A2 Bee Man (May 29, 2010)

I ordered from LONG CREEK APIARIES in January of 2010. My bees were scheduled to arrive the first week of May, but as of the second week of June, they have not been shipped. Since then, I have looked into Long Creek Apiaries, and have found a long history of dissatisfied customers, late or non-existent shipping, and poor communications. After constant delays and complaints to the Better Business Bureau, the "new" shipping date in June 14, which is very late to start a new package of bees in Michigan. If the bees do not arrive that week, I'll let all of you know . . . . and, unfortunately, will also be starting the litigation process.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

I told you in earlier posts that he is not legit. He has probably gone out of business or been forced out by the law. He is not a member of the Russian Breeders Association. I did not get my Russians this year from Revis. He is running too far behind. I will try to requeen the nucs that I bought locally. Don't be conned into buying hybrids by claims of purity. The Russian Breeders are required to submit random samples to prove purity. They have to make sure that only pure Russian drones are available for mating with their queens, and they are not grafted. If they were they would be 2-5 hundred dollars each. Good luck getting anything from Long Creek. There have been postings on these forums about him from lots of unhappy people.


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Valleyman; what do you mean by "they are not grafted?" As far as I know there are only two ways for a queen supplier to raise a queen, grafted queens and Instrumentally Inseminated queens. All the large queen suppliers graft and sell grafted queens, including the Russian Queen Breeder's Association. II queens are sold by just a few suppliers of breeder queens to be used to graft from. Nobody could afford the time and effort to sell II queens for the regular commercial market.


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## NewbeeNnc (May 21, 2009)

Bought two nucs from Dwight Porter (member of the Russian Breeders association) Very pleased so far as to how hard they work and how calm they are compared to what others said about them being hot. Can't wait to give them a full year and see what they do.


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## habutti (Apr 20, 2008)

I think what Valleyman meant is that they are not II queens (that's the only way to justify the dollar figures he included with his comment). I got my Russina breeder queens from glenn-apiaries before he removed this line from his inventory, and all my production queens I use and/or sell to my customers are the product of grafting.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

A2BeeMan
Sorry I misspoke. I realized what I had said after I went to bed. What I meant to say is they are grafted, not artificially or instrumentaly insemenated. The Russian Breeders buy from the USDA new genetics (queens) every year that would cost 12- 15 thousand dollars if they had to pay full price for the development. they pay only 250-300 dollars for new genetics to graft and raise stock from. Therefore they can sell them for the normal going rate. Around $20.00. The USDA is doing this with the Russians because they have the most traits for survival. They have developed the best, most gentle, best producing Russians to sell. The Goverment recognizes the need for honey bees to survive. The Russians were the best at it naturally. they come from the Ukraine where the winters are severe. Varrora mites are thick, and they learned thru centuries to survive. Some complained about their tempermant, and their lack of production. Thats what the USDA has improved. Like I stated before the pure Russians are not easy to get. So I intend to requeen my pretty good bees with pure Russian queens from a registered Russian Breeder that has to prove purity.

I personally have some Mn. Hygeinic, VSH, and Survivor Stock bees. In general they are better than what we had a few decades ago. But I don't think they can match the Russians for all the natural survival traits that has developed over centurys. Not years and decades. To each his own. Humans reserve the right to be wrong. Including me:lookout:


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