The Russian Queen Project

Primorsky Krai region in mustard color.

Russian bees (Apis mellifera) originated from the Primorsky Krai region of Russia. From this region, Dr Rinderer collected 50 queens from different local beekeepers, and decided to set up a resistance-test apiary in the Primorsky territory of Russia.

Experimental bee yard in Khorol, Primorsky (about 200Km NW of Vladivostok)

These Russian bees have been coexisting for the last 150 years with the parasite Varroa which is decimating  colonies in the States and around the world. Russia went through a very difficult period of loss of bees (all documented) for many decades, until the Russian honeybee modified its behavior protecting herself from mites, and started grooming each other. This new acquired "mite-resistant" trait was really appealing to American scientists. A new stock of bees was about to come to America.

Marsh Island, LA

 In 1997,  Dr. Rinderer imported 100  Russian Queen honeybees to the United States and were quarantined on a barrier island in Louisiana, called Marsh Island. For about two years, the USDA tested whether this new stock of bees had evolved resistance to Varroa. The scientists concluded that it had and then from this original 100 Queens, in 1999 24 lines were selected from early data in long term test, and were ready to be propagated for field trial.

After many, many manipulations of selection in 2005 daughters from 18 selected breeder Queens were propagated and set up in yards for final evaluation. These known as block A, and block B were released to American breeders in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

It is sometimes in 2007 that the Russian Honeybee Breeders Association's members received drone (male) stock in preparation for propagation, maintenance and selection of best Russian Queens. Soon after, Russian bees were available to the beekeepers.

2010-now, the Baton Rouge Bee Lab continues to work on best selection of other traits of Russian honeybees like overwintering, build up and swarm characteristics.

Beautiful Russian Queen

The bees have been proven to be mite resistant and apparently beekeepers have been using them with great success. Beside the mite resistance, Russian bees are known for their survival of harsh winters, they also have a quick build up in the spring, and match the nectar and pollen flow. Therefore brood rearing and and colony populations tend to fluctuate with their environment. Another interesting characteristic is that bees of this stock have the urgency to have queen cells present in their colonies almost all the time; other honeybees rear queens only during times of swarming or to replace a frail queen.

This is the story of the Russian honeybees. Since I installed MY Russian bees in Chanhassen on a beautiful prairie; they have been beautiful, busy, very calm and quiet. As I place my ear close to the hive, each time I can hear a distinctive, uniform and soft humming. A sign that they must be happy!