# WSU Caucasian Queens



## rail (Apr 1, 2011)

Has anyone had experience with WSU Caucasian queens?

http://entomology.wsu.edu/apis/breeding-program/queens/


----------



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

I haven't but it looks very interesting.


----------



## rail (Apr 1, 2011)

Kamon,

Have you kept any Caucasian colonies? I want them for their trait to propolise. The Carniolan hives that I have will smother SHB with propolis.


----------



## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

I recently lost most of my bees to a rather wicked misfortune (long story), including some Caucasians (I doubt from WSU stock). The Caucasians were lackluster performers at nectar and pollen gathering, and very focused on propolis!

They seemed to build up too late for pollination season, barely make a honey crop, not too swarmy, rather gentle, and usually lost the robbing fights, but are the best propolis-makers out there. 

I'd get about 15 hive tools if I was going to get more of these bees, and try to have a cleaning bucket of solvent or something. I'd also keep a box of laytex gloves handy for them, and save them for second-to-last to work their hives. My meanest bees I would save for last, but these sticky mess makers certainly do not get worked first!

They're perhaps well-suited to making a bee beard, as they were not too prone to sting, nor to respond to one sting's smell triggering many others into stinging mode. Other than that and propolis, they are a lot of work for almost no honey, and I don't think I want them in the drone pool for open mating.

They could be better-suited to other locales. I need bees with winter increase on artificial feed for pollination, such as Hygenic Italians, AMM's, and perhaps Carniolans.


----------



## kyell (Feb 3, 2012)

Rail,
Did you ever gain any experience with the WSU queens? 
Kyle



rail said:


> Has anyone had experience with WSU Caucasian queens?
> 
> http://entomology.wsu.edu/apis/breeding-program/queens/


----------



## rail (Apr 1, 2011)

kyell said:


> Rail,
> Did you ever gain any experience with the WSU queens?
> Kyle


Yes, the italian WSU Program queens. She produced a very productive hive and hygienic. The house bees would groom the returning foragers. I would purchase WSU Program queens again.

These queens are great for diversity in genetics for your apiary. Drone mother hives.

Are you considering purchasing a WSU queen?


----------



## kyell (Feb 3, 2012)

rail said:


> Yes, the italian WSU Program queens. She produced a very productive hive and hygienic. The house bees would groom the returning foragers. I would purchase WSU Program queens again.
> 
> These queens are great for diversity in genetics for your apiary. Drone mother hives.
> 
> Are you considering purchasing a WSU queen?




I am thinking about it, but not the "breeder" stock, maybe an open mated queen or two.
Kyle


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

All 3 of mine mited out, just saying..... I do still have one of them going into her third year though, but Apivar does them good.


----------

