The Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association

The primary purpose of the Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association is to maintain and improve the genetic lines of Russian honey bees through prorogation and selective breeding.

The Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association received its' Articles of Incorporation in 2007 and held its first annual meeting on November 1st, 2007, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The purpose of the association is to maintain and improve the various lines of Russian honey bees through propagation and selective breeding.
 
The initial Board of Directors of the group was made up of Charles Harper, CRADA holder and cooperator with the USDA Russian bee program, as well as Hubert Tubbs and Manley Bigalk, also both longtime cooperators with this program. As other members began to contribute to the maintenance and selection of the various lines of bees these members were certified by the Board of Directors as Russian Honey Bee Breeders.

This breeding program requires an extensive effort.  As the number of RHBA members grows, so do the number of colonies that are put into the selection process.  This will contribute exponentially to the genetic pool available for selection.  Following the breeding program as set up by the Baton Rouge Bee Lab, the RHBA will assure that Russian queen lines will continue to improve and be a sustainable resource far into the future.