Multi-state field trials of ARS Russian honey bees - 1. Responses to Varroa destructor 1999, 2000

Field trials of Russian honey bees (ARS Primorsky stock) propagated as quee n lines from queens imported from the far-eastern province of Primorsky wer e conducted in 1999 and 2000 in Iowa, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Varroa de structor populations in Primorsky colonies grew more slowly and hence, had fewer numbers than they did in domestic colonies. Colonies of six Primorsky queen-lines evaluated in 1999 averaged about half the number of mites foun d in domestic control colonies. In 2000, colonies of 10 Primorsky queen lin es in Louisiana supported an average V destructor population growth of 2.5 fold increase across 91 days, far less than the 17.3 fold increase predicte d from growth models derived for domestic colonies. Most colonies of the sa me 10 Primorsky queen-lines in Iowa and Mississippi bad no (150 colonies) t o very few (48 colonies) detectable V destructor three months after being i noculated with about 100 mites. Hence, in all trials, ARS Primorsky honey b ees showed strong resistance to V destructor. Variance within and between q ueen lines indicates good potential to further increase this resistance thr ough selective breeding.