# Looking for Russian packages



## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

I'm just starting out this year with package bees. Does anyone know of a breeder out there that produces Russian packages and queens and who is a member of the Russian Bee Breeders Association (selling only bees produced from queens that came out of USDA Bee Lab in Louisiana.) If I can't get the Russian packages from anyone, only queens, would it be o.k. to just get regular Italian packages then requeen them with the Russian's afterward? I live up in Michigan, so the best thing for me is to get packages shipped, as I'm too far away from the breeders to drive down and pick up a couple nucs or complete 10 frame hives of Russians which some of them have for sale.


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## BeeAware (Mar 24, 2007)

Got mine from Long Creek Apiaries in Parrottsville, TN. Was satisfied with the bees.


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## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

*russian bees*

It has been my experience that the Italian bees don't readily accept the russian queens.I found if you leave the queen in the hive for 6 or 7 days before you take the cork out of the candy end, for them to release her,it helps in acceptance. Even then i've had them superseded within 1 or 2 months,and sometimes thing go as planed? If I was starting out I would go with the Italians and work into the russians when I got a little more experience.Good luck. Jack


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

I think there are only 14 registered Russian queen breeders, here they are, I help one of them and they will show you the best ways to get a queen excepted

http://www.russianbreeder.org/members.htm


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

brooksbeefarm said:


> It has been my experience that the Italian bees don't readily accept the russian queens.I found if you leave the queen in the hive for 6 or 7 days before you take the cork out of the candy end, for them to release her,it helps in acceptance. Even then i've had them superseded within 1 or 2 months,and sometimes thing go as planed? If I was starting out I would go with the Italians and work into the russians when I got a little more experience.Good luck. Jack


I can understand having some trouble introducing Russian queens into Italian hives and having them maybe trying to supercede her for the first 1 o 2 months also. But it seems as though after a couple months she would be more acceptable and likely to remain because by then all of the original Italian workers would have died and been replaced by pure Russian workers. It may require that the beekeeper check their hives once a week for queen cells the first couple months after introduction. Leaving her in the queen cage for a week before release would definately increase your chances though.


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## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

*jmgi*

I took it that you are a first time beekeeper?The Italian bees are more available and easy to work with. We start our new club members with the Italian bees. The russian bees that i've had build up fast in the spring and seem to always have queen cells,I am in no way running the russian breed down,they just took more maintenance for me. The russian bees have been around for a while now, I would think their would be some breeders closer to your area? Jack


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

Russians bee's take a different management approach but one promising, they are working at selecting more manageable stock through the Russian Breeders Program, if you have beginners that only want Russian bee's from the start I would start them learning Russian bee's, after raising Italians they will be less at a disadvantage when they get Russian bee's, it might seem like starting over because Russian are a different management stile, not that different but its still different.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Is there somewhere that I can read up on the different ways to manage a Russian hive as compared to Italians?


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

search the forums here is your best place to start


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## REDTRACTOR1 (Dec 10, 2003)

*Russian Packages*

There are actually 18 Russian queen breeders in the Russian Honey Bee Queen Breeders program at this time. Bob Brachman is in Little Valley N.Y. 716-699-4145 as he is probably the closest one to you. He should be able to help you with the Russians. Hope this helps.
Thanks Dwight


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## learning (Jan 19, 2009)

So how are the management styles different?


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*Even then i've had them superseded within 1 or 2 months,and*

Supercedure has nothing to do with the Russian or the other stocks!
The topic of queen supercedure is another subject that can go on for many statements.
Regards,
Ernie
(Yes, I do sell Russian queens. I have the red, blue and the yellow strains.)


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## mudlake (Nov 26, 2007)

Hey thanks for the info about Little Falls New York, they are getting closer. I will have to ck with him and see if he sells nucs or just Queens. Thanks again for the info Tony


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