Olympic Wilderness Apiary

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PACIFIC NORTHWEST BRED QUEENS

VSH* / RUSSIAN / WILD

SURVIVOR STOCK

HYGIENIC - MITE RESISTANT

SELECTING FOR NOSEMA RESISTANCE

Isolated Mating Yards

Hardy - Work @ Cooler Temperatures

*VSH = Varroa Sensitive Hygienic Behavior/ (previously known as SMR = Suppressed Mite Reproduction)

WE DO NOT CARRY PACKAGE BEES - QUEENS ONLY

ALL QUEENS AVAILABLE- JULY THROUGH OCTOBER

Now accepting prepaid orders for:

2010 Production Queens

Also accepting limited reserve orders for:

PNW Wild Survivor Breeder Queens by special arrangement

All our queens are naturally adapted to damp, cool conditions, and open-mated in isolated locations.

Visit our price page for further information

OR CALL TOLL FREE 866-204-3426 to place your order

Olympic Wilderness Apiary has recovered from a series of events which combined in 2008 & 2009 to produce the far-reaching nosema ceranae scourge identified in the spring of 2008, which severely impacted Pacific Northwest beekeepers.

Cool damp weather throughout the summer of 2007 caused severe pollen shortages, sending nutritionally depleted bees into that winter with low fat reserves.

Colonies were further affected by a cold wet spring persisting into mid June of 2008, followed by an even worse long cold winter.

These combined circumstances left our own untreated colonies particularly vulnerable to these devastating effects.

A review of events has brought about some very positive results in our apiary management for 2009 & 2010

The following are steps we have taken since these heavy losses from the n.ceranae:

Began in-house microscopic laboratory testing to quickly identify disease.
Improved nutrition with an increase of additional pollen supplements
Implemented a rigorous routine to sterilize spores on our equipment, including the use of 10% bleach solution on surfaces, and propane torch on woodenware.
Implemented an improved hive system based on the observance of survivor colonies in bee trees (see our modified Bee Tree Hive system)
Began experimenting with applications of Nozevit (an organic oakbark derivative) to gradually replace Fumagillin B in production colonies.
WE STILL DO NOT USE ANY TREATMENT IN OUR BREEDER COLONIES

Additionally we are pleased to report that results from the February 2009 independent lab reports confirm that our TOTALLY UNTREATED BREEDER COLONIES have over-wintered showing NO PRESENCE of N ceranae.

OWA QUEEN BREEDING SELECTION CRITERIA:

ALL STOCK OFFERED FOR SALE HAS PASSED OUR RIGOROUS REQUIREMENTS OF:

Hygienic Behavior - minimum of 95% removal of killed brood in 24 hours
Varroa Resistance - 5% or below: UNTREATED.
Nosema Resistance - Below 1 million spores/bee: UNTREATED.
Gentleness - Able to work without gloves.
Hoarding Behavior - Able to collect adequate stores to overwinter.

Click here to read what our customers have to say!

Click here to read our Queen Introduction Checklist.

Click here to view our new MODIFIED BEE TREE hive management technique

OWA has been featured in THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL

and

BEE CULTURE MAGAZINE for the work we are doing with the WILD SURVIVOR STOCK of The Olympic Peninsula...

Read all about the OWA in the news...click here