New Breeder Found for Hard To Find Bee Lines!!!!!!

I have found a new breeder of what i call hard to find Queen Lines http://www.russellapiaries.webs.com/ while browsing Bee-source. I do not know their reputation etc so purchase at your own risk. However, based solely on their website etc i feel comfortable enough where i might purchase a few AMM (the ole German black bee...) to try. However, the AMM's have their own set of "issues" and i will need to keep them away (about 5-10 miles) from my home "typical" bee yard to avoid cross breeding and any issues until i understand them personally.

Since most of you are just getting started this year, i would recommend sticking with the typical gentle proven performance of a Minnesota Hygienic, VSH, Italian, or Carnolian line of bees for at-least your first year. Then if you decide to "play" a little then you can venture into the "other" strains if you want until you find YOUR perfect bee line.

The reason i suggest this is your mentor and or people your talking with very well may not be familiar with the "specifics" of your strain and this could make it difficult for you to understand whats going on and how to successfully manage your hive. So stick with whats known first...

I hope this makes sense.

However, if you have already have bees and want to expand your genetic pool this could be another source. Do your research and make sure its right for you.

http://www.russellapiaries.webs.com/

Websites and Queen Sources

I get asked what websites i like and which queen breeders i use all the time. Here is a quick list of both and by all means let me know if you like others etc so i can add them for others to see or buy from...

Heater bees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZEoAMfRICM

Swarms: http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/series/5/ 

Here is a list of websites I follow and trust

http://buffalobeefarm.blogspot.com/  Doug Ladd's Blog

http://beenatural.wordpress.com/ Dennis Murrell

http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com/  Randy Oliver

http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm Michael Bush

http://www.honeybeeworld.com/  Allen Dick (check his diary)

http://aspenhoneybees.blogspot.com/ Local member of the Farmville club

http://beekeeping.varinagardens.com/ Local member of the East Richmond Club

http://www.thehoneygatherers.com/html/photolibrary1.html Great Pictures of bees around the world

http://anarchyapiaries.org/hivetools/ Good site

http://www.sustainablebees.org/index.htm N. VA website

http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L Bee List email server

Here is a list of Queen breeders I have used, am using this year, or would use maybe next year for diversity:

Have bought:

http://www.hunterapiaries.com/   

http://www.carneyqueens.com/

http://www.ziaqueenbees.com/  

http://www.honeyrustler.com/welcome.html  

Bobby Oakes from the HOVA club RICE, VA (VSH queens) contact me for info...

Am buying this year:

http://www.vpqueenbees.com/  

http://russianbreeder.com/  
http://russellapiaries.webs.com/ 

Would Buy or Plan on Buying another year:   

http://www.mrksbees.net/mrksbees01-changes_002.htm  

http://www.bjornapiaries.com/  

http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/

Just some warm weather thoughts... thinking about spring

People often talk about an easier way to feed. Well open feeding gets brought up, alot of the "Big Guys" use 55 gallon drums. Is it the best way, maybe not. But it is sure quick, easy, and awesome to watch.

I use it as a bump along feed method after the nectar flow and before serious individual fall feeding, or to make sure the hives stay "topped off" just prior to winter.

You need to make sure there is something the bees can sit on as not to drown. Packing peanuts are always mentioned but i am cheap, so i stuff tons of brush limbs in my bucket instead...

A few words of advice is place it about 100 yards or so away from your hives if possible and never have a walking path between the pail and hives as a huge super bee highway will be created...

Living bees and Cluster Size

After this weekend i got a few emails regarding some very small cluster and many dead bees on the bottom boards or out front. My comment in a nut shell, if they are still living leave them, some bees over winter in really small clusters (Russians are a prime example). My bees were very activly flying and so far i still have 100% of my hives living and activly cleaning the hives on the warm days. I see no room for worry and am very pleased after this weekend, IF i make it thorugh this witner with zero losses it will be 2 solid winters with ZERO losses, i must be hearing my bees right or maybe i am just lucky.... you never know with bees. LOL

Anyway, here is a picture of my typical cluster size it seems, but thats only a guess really. You can see about 3 solid frames of bees in the picture but the cluster is actually about 5 frames... This is a VSH line of bees with some dark and some yellow bees...

None of this really means anything at all, but it is neat to see with the plexi covers...

New Years Day 2011

Well after i awoke i decided to go take a quick look before the bees got to their cleansing flights. So these are pictures of multiple hives around my yards to check for mositure.

New Years Eve Moisture

Well i got home form hunting on Friday Night and decided to take a look at my garden hive since we had such warm weather and see what level of moisture i had, i expected some to be honest and thats just what i saw... some... not much.

Dad's Hive On Christmas Eve 45 degs in New Kent

Visiting the parents for Christmas and added some Fondant Patties and removed some feeders (should have been done a while ago). After that the temps got up some into the mid forties. Bee flight was excellant in all 4 hives 3 in triple mediums and 1 in a deep and medium.

Incase your wondering and to avoid confusion, those boardman feeders are EMPTY, i only kept them there to reduce the entrance some... The bees cant evaporate the water in the winter and you shouldnt be feeding sugar water in the winter IMO. This is what the Fondant is for...

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!