Subject: Yugoslavian bees?

From: [email-masked] (Doug Allison)
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 23:33:37 GMT

Several years ago, all of my colonies succumbed to tracheal mites.
I'm thinking of getting started again.  I remember hearing about a
Yugoslavian strain that was supposedly resistant to mites.  Anyone
have any experience with these?  Know of any dealers?

Maybe that should be Former Yugoslavian bees....  :-)

Doug Allison
Decatur, GA

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Greg Kendall)
Date: 28 Mar 1996 21:34:46 -0800

>have any experience with these?  Know of any dealers?

Taber's Honey Bee Genetics, PO box 1672, Vacaville, CA 95696.
I used them last year, they did just fine, I have a package on order as 
we speek.

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From: [email-masked] (Rick Haver)
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 1996 10:43:58 -0500

> Maybe that should be Former Yugoslavian bees....  :-)

Doug,

I lost 6 of 6 hives last winter and got three packages of Yugo bees last
spring. As of yesterday I hadn't lost any of them. For me to NOT lose any
hives is a miracle! Last year during the late winter/early spring period I
had lots of bees crawling around in a disoriented fashion in from of the
hives. I haven't seen that this year. 

Rick Haver
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (demetrius)
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 10:04:23 GMT

Doug Allison ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Several years ago, all of my colonies succumbed to tracheal mites.
: I'm thinking of getting started again.  I remember hearing about a
: Yugoslavian strain that was supposedly resistant to mites.  Anyone
: have any experience with these?  Know of any dealers?

: Maybe that should be Former Yugoslavian bees....  :-)

: Doug Allison
: Decatur, GA

: [email-masked]
 A few years ago I was secretly given a yugo-queen as a blind test, a friend
of mine knew that I had lost a queen and that I would put it in a large wall
hive in my house (2'x4'x6" with large plexiglass front) my friend said 
let me know if I notice anything different about these bees, as it was of 
dubious origin! A couple months went by and I noticed that the population 
was very high and that they would groom each other! I would watch them 
for hours and notice subtleties such as how one bee would attract the 
attention of others to get groomed, it was really bizarre. Also of 
interest was the amount of dead mites on the bottom of the hive. They 
didn't seem to be the greatist honey producers, but they were great at 
robbing!!!     - beeman

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From: [email-masked] (David J Trickett)
Date: 4 Apr 1996 08:03:44 GMT

demetrius ([email-masked]) wrote:
:  A few years ago I was secretly given a yugo-queen as a blind test, a friend
: of mine knew that I had lost a queen and that I would put it in a large wall
: hive in my house (2'x4'x6" with large plexiglass front) my friend said 
: let me know if I notice anything different about these bees, as it was of 
: dubious origin! A couple months went by and I noticed that the population 
: was very high and that they would groom each other! I would watch them 
: for hours and notice subtleties such as how one bee would attract the 
: attention of others to get groomed, it was really bizarre. Also of 
: interest was the amount of dead mites on the bottom of the hive. They 
: didn't seem to be the greatist honey producers, but they were great at 
: robbing!!!     - beeman 

beeman,

were these tracheal or varroa mites?

dave t.

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From: "Theodore V. Fischer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 04 Apr 1996 13:18:39 -0500

David J Trickett wrote:
> : hive in my house
 Also of
> : interest was the amount of dead mites on the bottom of the hive. 

 Beeman,
> were these tracheal or varroa mites?

If one could see them, they were varroa mites.

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From: [email-masked] (David J Trickett)
Date: 5 Apr 1996 04:18:40 GMT

: If one could see them, they were varroa mites.

Exactly...  But I had thought the yugoslavian bees were held to be 
resistant only to tracheal mites... which is why I asked for a confirmation.

dave t.

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From: [email-masked] (demetrius)
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 1996 20:30:49 GMT

Theodore V. Fischer ([email-masked]) wrote:
: David J Trickett wrote:
: > 
: > demetrius ([email-masked]) wrote:
: > :  A few years ago I was secretly given a yugo-queen as a blind test, a friend
: > : of mine knew that I had lost a queen and that I would put it in a large wall
: > : hive in my house
:  Also of
: > : interest was the amount of dead mites on the bottom of the hive. 

:  Beeman,
: > 
: > were these tracheal or varroa mites?
: > 
: > dave t.

 Yes, The visible mites were varroa and my informal experiment was NOT to
treat them in any way. She died (the queen)the next season and it was assumed
by tracheal mites (the specimen was too dried for me to tell). That colony
replaced the queen during january but finally collapsed the next season.
I'll probably build a new wall hive and try it again next season,but I'll
treat it with just grease patties this time. --beeman

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From: [email-masked] (Doug Allison)
Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 17:24:14 GMT

[email-masked] (Rick Haver) wrote:

>In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked](_) wrote:

>I can tell you that Blue Ridge Apiaries while advertizing as USDA
>certified breeders cannot or will not deliver yugoslavian (or other)
>bees.

>I had a horrendous time with Blue RIdge Apes a coupla years ago. They couldn't
>deliver on my packages and wouldn't send my money back til August and that only 
>after a half dozen phone cals. I've also had several email contatcs with
>others who 
>had similar experiences. I did not see their ad in Gleanings this spring.
>I figured 
>they had gone under.

I hope so.  I had to complain to the postal authorities for mail fraud
before these crooks would refund my money.

--
Doug Allison
Decatur, GA

<[email-masked]>