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Multi-State Field Trials of Russian Honey Bees: Honey Production
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Multi-State Field Trials of USDA-ARS Russian Honey Bees

Honey Production: 1999, 2000

Field trials of Russian honey bees (ARS Primorsky stock) propagated as queen lines from queens imported from the far-eastern province of Primorsky were conducted in 1999 and 2000 in Iowa, Louisiana, and Mississippi. While honey production varied between apiaries and states, the honey production of the majority of Primorsky queen lines met or exceeded commercial standards. For example, the best production came from Mississippi in 2000. There, the overall average production was 125 pounds, not including fall production. Selected breeder queens from Mississippi in 2000 averaged 185 pounds and ranged from 149 to 238 pounds. Overall, given favorable nectar flows and beekeeping, ARS Primorsky stock, selected for retention in the breeding program and released to the beekeeping industry, will not sacrifice honey production.

Fig. 1 - Honey yields obtained in 1999 in tests of ARS Primorsky honey bees in Louisiana (a), Mississippi (b) and Iowa (c). B=blue, W=white, P=purple, G=green, Y=yellow, R=red, DOM=domestic control

Fig. 1 - Honey yields obtained in 1999  in tests of ARS Primorsky honey bees in Louisiana (a), Mississippi (b) and Iowa (c).  B = blue, W = white, P = purple, G = green, Y = yellow, R = red, DOM = domestic control

Fig. 2 - Relative honey yield of individual ARS Primorsky honey bees selected as breeder queens in 1999 to produce daughters for stock propagation or release and the average honey yield of domestic control colonies. The Z-score or relative rank in comparison to group average for Primorsky and domestic colonies in apiaries was used rather than absolute honey production. This permits the comparison of colonies or groups of colonies in different states and apiaries. The dark circles indicate queens selected for breeding based on both honey production and resistance to V. destructor.? The rectangle indicates the average for domestic control colonies. Queen lines with no indicated breeder queen have been culled from the program.

Fig. 2 - Relative honey yield of individual ARS Primorsky honey bees selected as breeder queens in 1999 to produce daughters for stock propagation or release and the average honey yield of domestic control colonies.  The Z-score or relative rank in comparison to group average for Primorsky and domestic colonies in apiaries was used rather than absolute honey production.  This permits the comparison of colonies or groups of colonies in different states and apiaries.  The dark circles indicate queens selected for breeding based on both honey production and resistance to V. destructor.  The rectangle indicates the average for domestic control colonies.  Queen lines with no indicated breeder queen have been culled from the program.

Fig. 3 - Honey yields obtained in 2000 in tests of ARS Primorsky honey bees in Louisiana (a), Mississippi (b) and Iowa (c). B=blue, G=green, R=red, Y=yellow, O=orange, P=purple, S=silver, T=tan, W=white.

Fig. 3 -  Honey yields obtained in 2000 in tests of ARS Primorsky honey bees in Louisiana (a), Mississippi (b) and Iowa (c).  B = blue, G = green, R = red, Y = yellow, O = orange, P = purple, S = silver, T = tan, W = white.

Fig. 4 - Relative honey yield of individual ARS Primorsky honey bees selected as breeder queens in 2000 to produce daughters for stock propagation or release and the average honey yield of domestic control colonies. The Z-score or relative rank in comparison to group average for Primorsky and domestic colonies in apiaries was used rather than absolute honey production. This permits the comparison of colonies or groups of colonies in different states and apiaries. The dark circles indicate queens selected for breeding based on both honey production and resistance to V. destructor.? The rectangle indicates the overall average for all colonies. Queen lines with no indicated breeder queen have been culled from the program.

Fig. 4 -  Relative honey yield of individual ARS Primorsky honey bees selected as breeder queens in 2000 to produce daughters for stock propagation or release and the average honey yield of domestic control colonies.  The Z-score or relative rank in comparison to group average for Primorsky and domestic colonies in apiaries was used rather than absolute honey production.  This permits the comparison of colonies or groups of colonies in different states and apiaries.  The dark circles indicate queens selected for breeding based on both honey production and resistance to V. destructor.  The rectangle indicates the overall average for all colonies.  Queen lines with no indicated breeder queen have been culled from the program.

 

Reference to full article:

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T. E. RINDERER, L. I. DE GUZMAN, G. T.  DELATTE, J. A. STELZER, V. A. LANCASTER, J. L. WILLIAMS, L.D. BEAMAN, V. KUZNETSOV, M. BIGALK, S. J. BERNARD and H. TUBBS. 2001. Multi-State Field Trials of ARS Russian Honey Bees:  2.  Honey Production 1999, 2000.  American Bee Journal 141:726-729.