The primary purpose of the organization
is to maintain and improve the genetic
lines of Russian honey bees through
progation and selective breeding.
Our Plan in PDF format
Russian Queen Project Chronology
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The table below is a year-by-year listing of activities associated with the Russian Honey Bee Queen Breeding Project since its inception.
Year Activity Russia Block "A"

Block "B"

Block "C"
1994 Trip to Russia to investigate the possibilities of Varroa resistant bees.  Make contacts and meet cooperators in the Primorsky Territory of Far-Eastern Russia.

Set up 5 year research agreement.

    

 Year

 Activity

 Russia

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
1995 Run a concurrent test in Baton Rouge with domestic Queens. A "Road Trip" in the Primorsky Territory, collecting 50 Queens from various local beekeepers.

Set up resistance test in the Primorsky Territory of Russia.  

      

 Year

 Activity

 Russia

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
1996 Mite test with domestic Queens in Baton Rouge. Identical test with Russian Queens in the Primorsky Territory of Russia.      

 Year

Activity

 Russia 

  Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
1997

Phase I

First Queen importation to U.S. for Program.  Queens go into  quarantine on a barrier island in Louisiana.  

 Collect and propagate selected  Queens from the test plus additional untested Queens from different area beekeepers.  Import 100 Queens to USA in July.      

 Year

Activity

Russia 

  Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
1998 Evaluate and test all 100 imported Queens after 6 month quarantine.  Propagate selected lines for long term resistance test. Collect new untested Queens from different area beekeepers for inclusion in ongoing evaluation test in Russia.       

 Year

Activity

Russia 

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
1999 24 lines selected from early data in long term resistance test to be propagated for field trials.  Lines set up in "Blocks"
"A", "B", "C"

Long term resistance test continues

Second Queen importation from Russia to Quarantine

 Collect selected  Queens from the test plus additional untested Queens from different area beekeepers and take to USA in June.

Collect new untested Queens from different area beekeepers for inclusion in ongoing evaluation test in Russia. 

 BLOCK "A" field trials started.  Six selected Russian lines from the long term resistance test are propagated using drones from the remaining 18 lines in Block "B" and Block "C".

Test yards set up with cooperators in IA -M. Bigalk
MS - H.Tubbs
LA - S. Bernard

3 lines are selected for release in 2000
99A-719: Blue
99A-752: Purple
99A-747: White

    

 Year

Activity

Russia 

Block "A"

Block "B"

Block "C"
2000 Evaluation and selection of Queens from second importation (1999) to be included in the test blocks 

Third Queen importation from Russia to Quarantine

 Collect selected  Queens from the test plus additional untested Queens from different area beekeepers and take to USA in July.

Collect new untested Queens from different area beekeepers for inclusion in ongoing evaluation test in Russia. 

 Release Breeders selected in 1999 field trials:
99A-719: Blue
99A-752: Purple
99A-747: White

Maintain selected Block "A" lines.

 BLOCK "B" field trials started.  Eight selected Russian lines from the long term resistance test are propagated using drones from  lines in Block "A" and Block "C".

Test yards set up with cooperators in IA -M. Bigalk
MS - H.Tubbs
LA - S. Bernard

3 lines are selected for release in 2001
00B-795: Blue*
00B-716: Green
00B-775: Yellow

  

 Year

Activity

 Russia

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
2001 Evaluation and selection of Queens from third importation (2000) to be included in the test blocks 

Fourth Queen importation from Russia to Quarantine

 Collect selected  Queens from the test plus additional untested Queens from different area beekeepers and take to USA in July.

Collect new untested Queens from different area beekeepers for inclusion in ongoing evaluation test in Russia. 

 Propagate and maintain Block "A" lines.  Use selected Block "B" and  Block "C" drones.

Incorporate selected Queens from evaluation of second importation (1999).

 Release Breeders selected in 2000 field trials:
00B-795: Blue*
00B-716: Green
00B-775: Yellow

Maintain Selected Block "B" lines.

 BLOCK "C" field trials started.  Eight selected Russian lines from the long term resistance test and the 1999 importation are propagated using drones from  lines in Block "A" and Block "B".

Test yards set up with cooperators in IA -M. Bigalk
MS - H.Tubbs
LA - S. Bernard

3 lines are selected for release in 2002
01C-806: Orange
01C-896: Purple*
01C-893: Yellow*

 Year

Activity

Russia 

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
2002 Evaluation and selection of Queens from fourth importation (2001) to be included in the test blocks 

Fifth Queen importation from Russia to Quarantine

 Collect selected  Queens from the test plus additional untested Queens from different area beekeepers and take to USA in August.

End of  5-year research in Russia

 Second round for BLOCK "A" field trials.  Eight  selected Russian lines from maintained "A" lines and the incorporated Queens from the second importation (1999) are propagated using selected drones from Block "B" and Block "C".

Test yards set up with cooperators in IA -M. Bigalk
MS - H.Tubbs
LA - Lab

2 lines are selected for release in 2003
02A-933: Purple*
02A-557: Yelblue

 Propagate and maintain Block "B" lines.  Use selected Block "A" and  Block "C" drones.

Incorporate selected Queens from evaluation of third importation (2000).

Release 
01C-806: Orange
01C-896: Purple*
01C-893: Yellow*

Maintain Selected Block "C" lines.

 Year

Activity

Russia 

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
2003 Evaluation and selection of Queens from fifth importation (2002) to be included in the test blocks.  Nothing at this time

Release
02A-933: Purple*
02A-557: Yelblue

Maintain Selected Block "A" lines.

 Second round for BLOCK "B" field trials.  Eight  selected Russian lines from maintained "B" lines and the incorporated Queens from the third importation (2000) are propagated using selected drones from Block "A" and Block "C".

Test yards set up with cooperators in IA -M. Bigalk
MS - H.Tubbs
LA - Lab

2 lines are selected for release in 2004
03B-226:
Blue/Red+
00B-795: 
Blue/Blue+

 Propagate and maintain Block "C" lines.  Use selected Block "A" and  Block "B" drones.

Incorporate selected Queens from evaluation of fourth importation (2001).

 Year

Activity

Russia 

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"
2004

Evaluation and selection of Queens from fifth importation (2002) to be included in the test blocks. 

Conclusion of Phase II  Russian Queen Tests

 Nothing at this time Propagate and maintain Block "A" lines.  Use selected Block "B" and  Block "C" drones.

Incorporate selected Queens from evaluation of fourth importation (2002).

 

Release
03B-226:
Blue/Red+
00B-795: 
Blue/Blue+

Maintain Selected Block "B" lines.

 Second round for BLOCK "C" field trials.  Eight  selected Russian lines from maintained "C" lines and the incorporated Queens from the fifth importation (2002) are propagated using selected drones from Block "A" and Block "B".

Test yards set up with cooperators in 
IA -M. Bigalk
MS - H.Tubbs
LA - Lab

Selected for release in 2005
01C-864: 
Yellow/Green+
04C-132:
Yellow/DkBlue

 Year

Activity

Russia 

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"

 2005

Beginning of Phase III 
Russian Queen Selection

 Nothing at this time

 Daughters from 6 selected Group "A" breeder Queens are propagated and set up in yards for evaluation, selection and release in 2006 

Test yards set up with cooperators in 
IA -M. Bigalk
MS - H.Tubbs
LA - C. Harper

Selected for release in 2006
05A-618: 
White/Orange
05A-663:
White/DkBlue

 Daughters from 6 selected Group "B" Queens are propagated and set up in yards for long term evaluation.  Breeders will be selected in the fall of 2006 for release in the spring of 2007 

Release
01C-864: 
Yellow/Green+
04C-132:
Yellow/DkBlue

Daughters from 6 selected Group "C" Queens are propagated and set up in yards for maintenance 

  Year

Activity

  Russia

  Block "A" 

   Block "B"

 Block "C"

 2006

  

Continuation of Phase III 
Russian Queen Selection

 Nothing at this time

Release
05A-618: 
White/Orange
05A-663:
White/DkBlue

Daughters from 6 selected Group "A" breeder Queens are propagated and set up in yards for maintenance 

  The Group "B" long term evaluation continues.

Selected for release in 2007
06B-694: 
Lt. Blue/Blue
06B-735:
Lt. Blue/Red

  Daughters from 6 selected Group "C" breeder Queens are propagated and set up in yards for long term evaluation.  Breeders will be selected in the fall of 2007 for release in the spring of 2008 

 Year

 Activity

 Russia

 Block "A"

 Block "B"

 Block "C"

 2007

  Continuation of Phase III 
Russian Queen Selection

Assist in the establishment and 1st meeting of the Russian Queen Breeders Association.  Members receive drone stock in preparation for propagation, maintenance and selection of queens.

 Nothing at this time

  Daughters from 6 selected Group "A" breeder Queens are propagated and set up in yards for long term evaluation.  Breeders will be selected in the fall of 2008 for release in the spring of 2009 

 Release
06B-694: 
Lt. Blue/Blue
06B-735:
Lt. Blue/Red

Daughters from 6 selected Group "B" breeder Queens are propagated and set up in yards for maintenance 

 The Group "C" long term evaluation continues.

Selected for release in 2008
07C-589: 
Yellow/Blue
07C-500:
Yellow/Purple

* The use of a Queen color in any given year DOES NOT indicate that this is the same line from year to year. 
There are a limited number of primary colors with which to mark the Queens for testing purposes. 
When referring to a particular line, use release year and color, i.e. "I have a 2002 Purple, and a 2001 Purple." 

+ In order to avoid confusion in lines from year to year, the following color scheme has been implemented beginning
with the release of breeder Queens in 2004:  Groups will have a base color and lines will have their individual line colors.

    GROUP "A" - WHITE + line color
    GROUP "B" - LIGHT BLUE + line color
    GROUP "C" - NEON YELLOW + line color

The purpose of Phase I of the Russian Queen project was to determine if there was Varroa resistance in Russian Queen lines.
  The purpose of Phase II was to test this resistance in field conditions, and to add more genetic material to the resistant pool
by continued importation and evaluation of queens from Russia.  At the end of Phase II, permanent queen lines were established.
  Six lines each from Group A, B, C.  Phase III will continue to evaluate and improve these lines and the "Best of the Best" will be
released to the industry on a yearly basis by group.

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