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To: BlueDragon
I believe italian, but maybe russian, they couldnt say for certain. Huge demand for queens this year!
Seems like the hobby has really taken off (with preppers no doubt), according to the guy.
One thing I'm wondering about. A HUGE amount of azalea's & pines in the area, and not much other flowering stuff.
In a word, not much 'diversity' lol
I wonder how suburban keepers do ~vs~ rural.
Reading the manual, it seems i've got a lot to learn!
35 posted on 03/17/2013 12:29:14 PM PDT by 45semi (A police state is always preceded by a nanny state...)
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To: 45semi
Reading the manual, it seems i've got a lot to learn!

The experts say much the same concerning their own persons. There's always more, it just keeps going and going.

Keeping things possibly simpler, there is an old saw (saying) "all beekeeping is local".

If it's not stipulated what the race of bee is, my best guess would be some Italian mix, just playing tho odds, and considering your location...and a guess the packages may come from a bit South of you, because earlier warmth brings things to bud & flower sooner, promoting colony build-up, which is "smoked up" or otherwise removed, if even simply shook off frames, with bees from many colonies collected in bulk cages before then being poured/shook into "package" size. They do it to make money off the bees directly, with a side-benifit of reducing swarming tendency of their own colonies which may be maintained for pollenation services. If they produce their own queens also, then they need bulk bees for cell builder colonies, and bees for the mating nucs too. (I did that kind of work last Spring) I kinda' doubt there be much Russian genetic present (unless the supplier runs a mix themselves). The Russians are reputed to be slow to get started in the Spring. Italians and Carniolan start earlier...but mixed race I'm not so sure of. It could vary, like much else.

43 posted on 03/17/2013 12:59:24 PM PDT by BlueDragon (If you want vision open your eyes and see you can carry the light with you wherever you go)
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