# Feb. Queens in Almonds



## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

Not busting on Australian bees but I know a couple of guys that weren't happy with the quality.

Maybe Hawaii queens will be available...how come you need them so early?


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## mcgarry (Nov 4, 2009)

I had 300 shipped from Hawaiian Queens Co. last January--about 27th--I was splitting triples that I had brought over from Nevada in december. However, I ordered them in April the previous year--it may be too late. Check with Hawaiian Queens--bee journal. Good luck.


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

alpha6 said:


> ...how come you need them so early?


For replacing those that become drone layers and getting a head start on deadouts making splits from those that will swarm during the bloom anyways(they are 1 1/2 story which are fed syrup and patties almost constantly till bloom). I would make them later in CA but don't want to risk the queens getting rejected during the ride back to WI in mid-late march. I want them in the hive for 4 wks before shipping back. The bees go directly into the orchard in Nov.( which is another thread for fungicide issues while they are there) and come directly here(WI) as soon as bloom is over.


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

mcgarry said:


> --it may be too late. QUOTE]
> 
> On waiting list for BIQ and Kona. Waiting for call back from Hawaiin Queens. That's why I am asking about Australian queens. I've heard alot more neg. reports on them than good but is there any GOOD Australian queen's and who are they from?


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## pahvantpiper (Apr 25, 2006)

WARNING WILL ROBINSON...DON'T USE AUSTRAILIAN QUEENS.
Beside not having ANY mite resistance, they are chalked full of chalk brood. 3 years ago I started 200 hives with Autralian queens. Less than 50 made it to the almonds the following year, all my other hives, headed by other queens, were fine. Since then I've talked to several other commercial beeks and get the same story...terrible chalk brood and they die off for whatever reason. Even the outfit I bought them from admits it's a problem. Wish they would have forwarned me.

Hawaiians have been good queens but word on the street is they're struggling with big time nosema problems and many don't know how to deal with varroa that is now there.

I noticed in the Bee Journal a couple adds for queens the last part of March from the south or California if that's early enough?


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

*Indeeed!!!!!!!!!*



pahvantpiper said:


> WARNING WILL ROBINSON...DON'T USE AUSTRAILIAN QUEENS.


Yeah, and don't listen to Dr. Smith.


I talked to a friend the other day about this.
He bought a bunch of these and had to requeen ALL of them as soon as they returned to Oregon. A lot of wasted time and money.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Hawaii hands down and I don't have a dog in this fight.

Jean-Marc


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/...-L&9=A&I=-3&J=on&d=No+Match;Match;Matches&z=4

here is one recommendation for australian bees on another web site

mike syracuse

the mike he is replying to isn't me no vested interest


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

There should be a law against importing Australian bees, or any imported bees...period. Haven't we learned enough about the perils of allowing foreign bee imports? Australia has found dozens of Apis ceranae colonies in the north...a truck ride away from the packaged bee industry. A. ceranae is the host of Tropilaelaps clareae...a worse parasite than Varroa. No, they haven't found Tropilaelaps yet, but once they do it will be too late.

It will take only 1 female Tropilaelaps to infest North America for the rest of time.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Michael Palmer said:


> There should be a law against importing Australian bees, or any imported bees...period. .


Well said MP.

Hey Slave, I will be getting Queens in Feb, give me a PM.


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## ACBEES (Mar 13, 2009)

my two cents....if beeks would quit buying australian bees/queens, there wouldn't be any reason or profit for the Australians to ship them over here...import/disease problem solved.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

We can have some entertainment with plant and animal introduction to the USA on a wintery day/season.
I will start you off. But 1st I have to spray some starting fluid on these keys. LOL

We call it a Tumble weed. But it's actually introduced from---:scratch:
Ernie


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

ACBEES said:


> my two cents....if beeks would quit buying australian bees/queens, .


Yeah, also if we could get them to stop undercutting like $125 in the almonds.


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## ACBEES (Mar 13, 2009)

Ernie, I know the list of critters/plants imported to this country is huge. Some of them accidental, some got here " flying under the radar" and some were intentional. But aren't the Australian bee imports market driven?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

ACBEES said:


> But aren't the Australian bee imports market driven?


depends on what you mean by market driven. The almond growers and some large beeks want them for almonds, available and keeps prices down. One of the reasons that some beeks are closely involved with the imports, is they feel they need more diversified DNA, and this is one way they get it into the country for better or worse? Thants why purvis and the weavers were in australia helping with the breeding, do you think they could have cured chalk brood in a year without bringing in other queens from some other country. They answer that its safe because of the way Australia quaranteens? the queens or droan seamen.

I think they should be kept out as michael palmer says:
It will take only 1 female Tropilaelaps to infest North America for the rest of time. now the autralians won't let our bees in as we have diseases and mites that they don't have, our govt. ignores the fact that they have 
Tropilaelaps until they find it in the imports, that our govt. doesn't test???
I'm not sure that "our" govt is on our side.

mike syracuse with my diesel pluged in so it will start later


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

For nearly a hundred years it WAS illegal to import bees in to the US. 
The Aussies were allowed in without consulting Apiary Inspectors of America, the bee industry or any one else with a vested interest other than almond growers. This colony collapse thing started immediately afterward. A very small number of people have made a lot of money peddling them. I have never heard one positive comment from anyone using their stock.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Perhaps if we would simply not purchase any bees, any type of bees, from the breeders/importers, telling them as long as they import Australian bees, we will not be doing any business with them, that might stop it? I don't know, but something has to be done. Personally, that's what I'm doing. And I'm writing the companies. But I don't buy that much anyway, so they'll probablyl think "no big deal." 
Regards,
Steven


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

I got queens ordered


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

Beeslave said:


> I got queens ordered


well let us know from where

mike syracuse


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Latshaws Aurea line from Hawaiian Queens


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

Tom G. Laury said:


> For nearly a hundred years it WAS illegal to import bees in to the US.
> The Aussies were allowed in without consulting Apiary Inspectors of America, the bee industry or any one else with a vested interest other than almond growers. This colony collapse thing started immediately afterward. A very small number of people have made a lot of money peddling them. I have never heard one positive comment from anyone using their stock.


Canada is one of the largest importers of Aussie queens, and have been for 20 years and there have been no documented cases of CCD here yet. Now if you want to talk supercedure, well thats another story.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

wildbranch2007 said:


> Thants why purvis and the weavers were in australia helping with the breeding


The Weavers worked with Brother Adam, too. Brought the Buckfast bee here...or at least semen. No reason they couldn't do it that way again, right?...oh...wait a minute...

whose selling Australian packages? Oh yeah...Weaver.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

I have *over-wintered queens *in 5 frame nucs that are available in April.
I would be pushing the bees for a February delivering. But, it's all weather permitting. 
Ernie


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

Michael Palmer said:


> whose selling Australian packages? Oh yeah...Weaver.


which one's are the Aussie bee's, the taylor made line B weaver sells?


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