We need bees that are more resistant to varroa mites and diseases that are causing increasing colony losses.
Sunbelt queens and bees that are not well adapted to Illinois conditions are more likely to suffer major winter losses.
Queens ordered from distant states are often stressed during shipping, resulting in reduced rates of acceptance and survival.
In the past decade Illinois beekeepers have experienced problems with out of state packages
Mishandled queens that survive shipping can experience heat stress which has a direct negative effect on drone seman.
Illinois raised queens won’t bring in new diseases nor will they suffer long distance shipping stress.
In the past decade Illinois beekeepers have experienced problems with out of state packages
Illinois queens and nucs have greater survival potential, because they are better adapted to our climate conditions and our biological conditions-including disease organisms.
The queens raised by Illinois Queen Initiative producers have greater survivability and adaptability to local conditions for Illinois beekeepers.
With honeybees disappearing at alarming rates, it is now considered normal for beekeepers to lose up to 30 percent of their hives each year. Some beekeepers can even lose from 50 to 70 percent in a winter,
according to Illinois beekeeper Stu Jacobson. Part of the problem is that most honeybees are reared in California and the South, where they are bred for their ability to produce honey but generally not to withstand diseases and the harsh winters customary in many of the places where they are shipped. This video was produced in 2015 and knowledge about the Varroa mite has expanded. Some of the information stated in this video has been superseded since then.
If you are concerned about killing your queen or have too many hives to spend time looking for her consider using CO2 gas for speed and safety.
At the 2012 NCR-SARE Farmers Forum Stu Jacobson presents, “Increasing Production of Locally-Adapted Disease and Mite Resistant Honey Bees”
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The IQI will pursue these goals through the following activities:
To produce queens and bees that are more disease and mite resistant and have greater survival and productivity characteristics under Illinois conditions. By producing them locally they are better adapted to each area in the state.
We seek to do this through educational programs, cooperative exchange of breeding stock, member exchange of ideas and methods of testing stock, cooperative purchase of supplies, and promotion of Illinois-produced queens and bees to our state’s beekeepers.
Here are our constitution and by-laws to support the mission
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