These Queens are Special: These Queens are coming from McFarline's Apiary in Vermont. I learned about Tim McFarline a few years back when I had the opportunity to visit his operation. Tim has been treatment free for mites for 15 years. That means he has used natural selection as a means to breed a better bee to fight mites. He will tell you that he still looses bees to mites but the selection process is rigorous.
These queens will be marked and mated.
I am excited to add these genetics to my apiary. Place your order early, these are limited.
Check out his site: http://www.mcfarlineapiaries.com
Our breeding program is unique.
First of all, we don’t EVER treat with anything! I am committed to this path because to me I am following what I see as the natural order of things.
To my teachers, and they are many, thank you for inspiring me. This includes beekeepers (customers as well), mites, diseases, bears and the bees themselves all of which have mentored me and put me in touch with natural cycles.
Our bees are located in Benson and West Haven, Vermont as well as on the NY side of southern Lake Champlain between the foothills of the Adirondack’s to the west and valley meadow, wetlands, and Lake to the east.
I value the uniqueness of my bee yards as diverse plant life provides nectar and pollen supply for almost all of the growing season.
In contrast, our winters can confine the bees for 5 months or more (November – Early March) with subzero temperatures for 7-10 days at a stretch a normal pattern.
Such a long winter has a way of culling tracheal mites, heavy varroa loads, Nosema, dysentery, poorly laying queens, bees that eat too much( a symptom not a cause), etc.
The culling process can then be accomplished by mites, secondary viral and bacterial infections, and environmental stresses (i.e drought, long winters, extreme temperature fluctuations) to mention a few.
Our breeders are selected from the gentlest, most productive colonies that successfully survive two winters and have no disease occurrence.
