Author Topic: Hygienic, SMR,...? (Read 4483 times)

mwiehn · « **on:** May 10, 2006, 10:25:01 am »

I am doing some research into what kind of queens I may want to buy later this year. I want to try stock that has the hygienic traits or the SMR traits, but I am not sure which one is "better". I like my run of the mill Italiens, but I also don't want to treat with chemicals, so any queen that passes on an increased vigilance against mites and diseases would be great. Any opinions, thoughts? I am especially interested if you noticed any negative traits in your hives after you requeened with hygienic or Russian, or SMR, or NWC queens.

Marc

TREBOR · « **Reply #1 on:** May 10, 2006, 01:20:26 pm »

Quote

I am especially interested if you noticed any negative traits in your hives after you requeened with hygienic or Russian, or SMR, or NWC queens.

Italians don't take well to getting russian queens, start them in a nuc if you can, then do a newspaper join.....

I got same SMR's last summer, I think they came from heitkems......
I had SMR's, Italians's, three russian and one carni going in to last winter.......(winters are long and cold here) ......
I lost almost all my italians and two russian's, the carni was weak, the one remaining russian is small but there comin back
with alittle help......the SMR's are building up very quickly....and I can see
that they are the one's that will be making the most honey or bees this year......
my mite count late last summer was about 20 in 24hrs.......so I decided
to use formic acid last fall, which could be the reason for my high losses(I did follow the direction to the tee)....
but my mite fall right now is about 5 per week or better....in my remaining hives........... :D

I am trying to find out if I can get more of the SMR's because I'm impressed with there proformance the most...........
hope all this helps :)

mwiehn · « **Reply #2 on:** May 10, 2006, 03:32:01 pm »

Hey Trebor, thanks, that does help.

Apis629 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 19, 2006, 01:54:30 pm »

I don't really like my russian hive. It has a tendancy to be more aggressive than my Italian hive. Probably the biggest PAIN IN THE @$$ is that they are TERRIBLE at drawing comb and they have a strong tendancy to "ball" on the outside of the supers, making it difficult to put the hive back together without getting a "palmfull" of bees. They will, however, have a faster build up than the italians and winter on less stores (about 3 medium frames of honey, untill build-up).

kensfarm · « **Reply #4 on:** June 02, 2006, 04:08:35 pm »

Hi.. I just started 2 hives the beginning of May.. I bought the nucs locally.. the queens are Minnesota Hygienics.. they are derived from a mixture of Italian colonies.

You can read about them here

http://members.aol.com/queenb95/minn.html [/url]

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #5 on:** June 02, 2006, 04:52:09 pm »

In buying packaged bees care should be taken to buy those that are most adaptable to your area.
Buying bees from Georgia (where it's hot) and expecting them to do well in Vermont (where it's often cold) is being a little naive. If you live in the south buy bees from the south, If you live in the north buy bees from the north. Bees from Kansas or Virginia might work either direction, just like bees from northern California.
SMR means Survivior Mite Resistant, if you have the choice this is the way to go.
Russians work well in the north, poorly in the south, but the Russian strains where imported fro Siberia--enough said.

TREBOR · « **Reply #6 on:** June 02, 2006, 05:18:35 pm »

who are you calling naive?
and who is talking about Georgia in this post?
and by the way SMR stands for Suppressed Mite Reproduction.
Brian, look here and see the proof http://members.aol.com/queenb95/smr.html
naive? uh
and by the way the bees I had that made it through the winter best, are from cali,,,,,,, and I live right next to the northern boarder of Vt...
It gets very cold here.....

now that thats staight... :lol:

yes ted I noticed the same about my last remaining russ....
they are really really aggressive........!

Quote

Probably the biggest PAIN IN THE @$$ is that they are TERRIBLE at drawing comb

YUP ,YUP

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #7 on:** June 02, 2006, 05:44:55 pm »

Knit picking point granted.
To me SMR means Mite Resistant whether you prefer to call it Survivor Mite Resistant (which it is in fact is regardless of the name attached) or Supressed Mite Reproduction (Which is the Scientific way of swaying the same thing). Either way the bees have have Survived the mites and become resistant to their effects via a natural mechanism.

>>and who is talking about Georgia in this post?
You need either a laxative or relaxative. If you're going to get hot under the collar from an example or mish-mash over symatics you're over stressed.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #8 on:** June 02, 2006, 05:49:53 pm »

Sorry about the last post folks. But My Hot Button is people who come across as intolerant or excessively picky.

thegolfpsycho · « **Reply #9 on:** June 02, 2006, 06:03:11 pm »

Like people that point out that unless their science is wrong, rapeseed and canola is the same thing? bahahahahahahahah

Just having a little fun with you Brian. You are clearly a knowledgeable and accomplished beekeeper and I for one am glad to have you here on the boards. You, Finski, and M Bush explain things in a way that is very complete and clear, something I struggle with.

TREBOR · « **Reply #10 on:** June 02, 2006, 08:22:26 pm »

sorry brian,

I WAS being excessively picky. and intolerant .!

Something that has allways been a bad button for me is when I or someone wants to try something different and the man cames along and says (GET BACK ON THE PATH SON YOUR WASTING YOUR TIME AND HE NEVER ASK WHAT i WAS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH)

There was something in this statment that triggered me, combined with some past posts

Quote

Buying bees from Georgia (where it's hot) and expecting them to do well in Vermont (where it's often cold) is being a little naive.

I had taken this advice last year. 90% of my so called northern Ital. are dead, 2/3 of my russ are dead, my carni is dead, but the smr bees(from sunny cali) I bought are strong as ever, if I stayed on the beaten path I would have no bees right now........go figure! there was very little if no mites all winter and still my mite drop is about 1 per day per hive
with no meds this spring at all... the bees that dead all had food...!

IMO mwiehn was asking for peoples experances with hygienic or Russian, or SMR, or NWC queens. And that is what I gave. no more.
and when a newbee asks a question of a bunch of old master beekeepers if they decide to give more info it would do the newbee and the master justice if that info was correct......!

But you are right, I am excessively picky. and intolerant and I'm sorry for that but never the less it is who I am and something I deal with on a day to day basis.........I have never done well around people and that is why I live way up in the mountains, it seems as though i've angry some people off here more then once, So apperently I need to stay offline too.........! I was just responding to a post that I thought I was a part of
and I felt naive and vermont were a little to close together......

TwT · « **Reply #11 on:** June 02, 2006, 08:55:57 pm »

Quote from: TREBOR

yes ted I noticed the same about my last remaining russ....
they are really really aggressive........!

woooo, how did my name get in this :D

, I have seen this before!!!!!!

everybody must think of me sometimes especially when I use my Bud Light dictionary then I get reminded that I forgot to use the spelling correction button on the top of my puter bahahahaha

iz u iz r iz u aint my buddie :lol:

TREBOR · « **Reply #12 on:** June 02, 2006, 09:22:30 pm »

sry ted, that was Apis629 post, my bad

TwT · « **Reply #13 on:** June 02, 2006, 09:49:06 pm »

np at all Trebor.... just funning :lol:

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #14 on:** June 02, 2006, 10:21:14 pm »

thegolfpsycho,

>>Like people that point out that unless their science is wrong, rapeseed and canola is the same thing? bahahahahahahahah

I guess I should have posted a LOL after that entry--I deserved that.

JP · « **Reply #15 on:** June 02, 2006, 10:21:39 pm »

Someone needs a blue sky holiday...

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #16 on:** June 02, 2006, 10:32:27 pm »

Hey guys, if I have don't have blue sky I have blue water. Here in the San Juan islands I get to see three mountain ranges (Cascade, Olyimpic, and Coastal[BC]) and have to keep a daily watch to call in my pigeons so keep them from the Bald Eagles that like to call the Skagit River their home.

Trebor:
I noticed the SMR's you tried were from California. Most of us out here in the old west prefer the California bees to those from the south and east. The reports are that they are hardier and many producers are grown in central to northern California which makes them ideal for aclimating to any weather situation found in the USA.
As for your loss of the others I question the producers--too many are relying on chemicals for parasite control, which in turn is contaminating the bees with nonproductive queens, less hardiness, sterile drones. etc.

TREBOR · « **Reply #17 on:** June 02, 2006, 11:17:27 pm »

I agree!