Glenn Apiaries---Queen Rearing---Bee Breeding---Honeybee Genetics--- Naturally Mated Queens & Package Bees

Glenn Apiaries 2008 Catalog

Instrumentally Inseminated Breeder Queens

for Queen Breeding, Bee Research and Honey Production

USDA Mite Resistant Breeder Queens with Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH)

USDA ARS scientists Dr.John Harbo and Dr. Jeffrey Harris at the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics & Physiology Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have defined and tested a trait of the honeybee that is a Varroa sensitive hygienic behavior (VSH). Reproduction of varroa mites triggers their removal by the bees. Formerly known as bees with SMR, Suppressed Mite Reproduction. More...

Minnesota Hygienic Italian Breeder Queens

Developed by Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota.

Glenn Apiaries is proud to offer queens of pure bred Minnesota Hygienic stock in cooperation with Dr. Marla Spivak. These queens are instrumentally inseminated, and are suitable for queen rearing, research and production hives.

Queens of the Minnesota Hygienic line demonstrate good resistance to American foulbrood and chalkbrood, and some resistance to Varroa. They are gentle and excellent honey producers. More...

Russian Varroa Resistant Breeder Queens

USDA scientists have imported a strain of honeybee from Russia which are naturally resistant to Varroa mites. The imported queens were selected from bees which had been exposed to varroa mites for nearly a century. We follow the USDA's breeding protocol to maintain their genetic diversity and continued improvement. We offer pure Russian queens inseminated with pure Russian drones. More...

Cordovan Italian Breeder Queens

Cordovan color is a genetic trait controlled by a single recessive gene, similar to blue eyes in humans. It is a color variation rather than a race of bee.The cordovan gene changes black body parts (head, thorax, bands) to reddish brown. The abdomen is golden yellow to the tip. Their bright color makes them the easiest queen to find. These are our most gentle bees. We have crossed our cordovan bees with VSH bees to enhance their Varroa mite resistance. More...

Winter hardy

Rapid spring build up

Tracheal mite resistant

Excellent comb builders

Carniolans are known for their winter hardiness and rapid spring build up.They are excellent honey producers and comb builders. They have proven to be exceptionally resistant to tracheal mites.This is our darkest colored line of bees. Our Carniolans have been crossed with VSH bees for enhanced resistance to Varroa mites.

VSH queens are mated to Russian drones or vice versa. They are dark in color, similar to Carniolans.

(VSH queens x MN Hygienic Italian drones) or (MN Hygienic queens x VSH drones)

These queens are produced from yellow VSH queens crossed with our best Italian drones or vise versa. They have the classic three banded Italian color and characteristics combined with the VSH trait.

2008 Prices

All queens are instrumentally inseminated and marked with a numbered disk. Queens are caught after they have established a good brood pattern. They are guaranteed to be fertile and to produce bees of uniform color. One wing is carefully clipped.

International queen color code: Intn'l queen color code 2005 = Blue 2006 = White 2007 = Yellow 2008 = Red 2009 = Green 2010 = Blue

Shipping - Queens are sent via UPS Next Day Air. Add $45.00 shipping per shipment. Queens are shipped in 3 hole candy introduction cages with attendant bees. A push-in cage is included for each queen. JZs BZs plastic cages are available upon request. Please send your street address as UPS does not send to Post Office Boxes.

Selection is the key to improvement in any breeding program. Selection means defining and measuring the most desirable traits, then sorting out the very best to breed from. Our selection priorities include:

1. Disease resistance. Resistance to Varroa mites, American Foulbrood, and Chalkbrood is controlled in part by the "hygienic behavior" of the bees.By measuring how efficiently a colony cleans out dead brood from the comb, we can determine the degree of hygienic behavior. This trait, controlled by two recessive genes. One gene is for uncapping diseased brood cells, and one for removing the infected larva before disease can spread. Tracheal mite resistance screening is done to determine which queens carry these resistant genes. All of our lines are tested and selected for these traits.

2. Solid Brood Patterns. Selecting for high brood viability greatly increases the efficiency and productivity of colonies. Not all eggs laid are viable. Low egg viability can be a result of inbreeding. The percentage of eggs that actually become new workers range from 50% ("shot brood") to near 100% (solid frames of brood). Our breeding program maintains genetic diversity, thus effectively preventing such inbreeding.

3. Gentle Temperament. We select drones and queens from only gentle, easily worked colonies to be part of our program.

4. High Honey Production. This is the bottom line in beekeeping. It is the result of the many factors that bring about plenty of bees at the right time and in a healthy condition. High production is the goal of all our selection efforts.

More breeding program details

Yes. All of our queens are now instrumentally inseminated. A queen is shipped only after we are sure she is fertile and laying a good brood pattern.

Do you sell naturally mated queens and package bees?

No. All of our queens are instrumentally inseminated. We do not sell naturally mated queens or package bees.

See the Resources list for suppliers of naturally mated queen and packages.

Why use instrumentally inseminated queens?

Naturally mated queens normally mate with 10-20 random drones, sometimes miles away from their hives. Instrumental insemination is necessary to apply the principles of selection and breeding to bees. Controlling the mating allows us to provide you with disease resistant and highly productive queens.

When are queens available?

Instrumentally inseminated queens are available from March to December. Supplies are limited in the early spring.

Are your queens guaranteed?

All of our queens are guaranteed to arrive alive and healthy. If any should arrive dead, call us for an immediate replacement. Our success depends on your satisfaction, so your satisfaction is guaranteed.

How are queens shipped?

Queens are sent via UPS Next Day Air. Add $45.00 shipping per shipment (not per queen). Please send your street address as UPS does not send to Post Office Boxes. Queens are shipped in introduction cages with attendant bees. Complete queen care and introduction instructions are included.

What about mites and diseases?

Our stock has been proven to have tracheal mite resistance and hygienic behavior. We take preventive measures to insure that mites or disease are not present on the bees we sell. Fumagilin-B is included in the queen candy as protection against Nosema. A State of California Health Certificate is included with each shipment.

Instrumentally Inseminated Breeder queens..............$100.00 each

Shipping - Queens are sent via UPS Next Day Air. Add $45.00 shipping per shipment. Queens are shipped in introduction cages with attendant bees. Please send your street address as UPS does not send to Post Office Boxes.

E-mail Ordering

To place a credit card order, email the following information to queenb95@aol.com

Quantity

Variety - Minnesota hygienic Italian, VSH/SMR, Cordovan Italian, Carniolan, Russian

Preferred shipping date

Name

Address (street address only)

City, State, Zip

Phone

E-mail:

Visa / Mastercard: For security reasons there are two options. 1) Call us with your credit card number. 2) Send two emails, one with the above information and the first twelve digits of your credit card number. Then send a second email with the last four digits and the expiration date.

Any special instructions:

To order offline, call or fax us at (760) 728-3731. Please call after 8:00 am Pacific Standard Time. Or send your name, address, phone number, check, money order, or credit card number (Visa or Mastercard) to:

Glenn Apiaries

P.O. Box 2737

Fallbrook, CA 92088

e mail: queenb95@aol.com

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Updated 6/23/08