Russians Released In Buckingham!!!!

Well, yesterday was day #5 for the Russian Queens from Charles Harper. So i wanted to inspect the hives to make sure they were released etc. All in all 7 out of 8 were released and found, some had eggs already!!!

Alot of people worry about installing Russians into non-Russian colonies due to bad acceptance, but all i did was install the queen cages like normal, nothing different at all.

Now for the funny part, remember bees ALWAYS throw you a curve ball! i was at Russian Hive #7 and saw the queen had not been released, the candy had gotten hard, the bees were being nice to the queen (not biting and trying to sting through the screen), so decided i would go ahead and release her, well i pulled the tube ( this queen cage had a tube) and stuck the cage down into the slot between the frames, well she comes out and crawls right up my thumb.... before i could do anything she lifts off and fly's into the great abise.... $32 gone somewhere in Buckingham...LOL

What i did do was leave the top off while i inspected #8. Maybe she made it back but i seriously doubt it. This stuff happens, happened to me once last year with a Zia Queen... so just laugh and chalk it up.

So now i have to go back see if she returned, if she didn't the bees are aging and wont make the best nurse bees anymore so letting them make their own is not an options, i could buy another queen if i could get it within a day or two, but i have enough hives to cut my losses and move on. So more than likely i will take this split and share it's resources with any splits that are my weakest, i have a few that would benefit from a little boost...

I will let you know how the Russians do and your more than welcome to stop by and work them for yourself. I will eventually be moving the hives about 8 miles away just before the first Russian drones hatch since i don't want them in my breeding population until i decide i like them etc... but it will be at least 2 brood cycles (42 days) before the hive will take over any Russian traits...