~ VSH Queens ~

Our Queens are produced from breeder Queens purchased from Glenn Apiaries and VP Queen Bees. We currently run two lines, one is a VSH Italian and the other is a purebred VSH.  VSH stands for Varroa Sensitive Hygiene, a naturally occurring trait of honeybees. This behavioral trait causes the worker bees to detect, uncap and remove varroa infested brood. Disrupting the reproduction of the varroa mites in this way effectively limits the population growth of the mites, often eliminating the need for miticide treatments.    

~ POLINE HYGIENIC ITALIAN ~ 

THE Pol-line hygienic Italian queens have a combination of the best traits required for pollination and high honey production. They were developed by the USDA to express Varroa Sensitive Hygienic behavior (VSH) to an optimum degree to control mites and brood disease, while maintaining the high productivity required in today's challenging enviornment.    

~ PURE VSH ~ 

The development of the VSH line of bees by the team of scientists at the USDA Bee Breeding Lab in Baton Rouge, is a true scientific success story. Through careful observation and experimentation, they painstakingly came to understand the natural defenses that the bees had hidden away in their genome. Selection for these beneficial genetic traits over many bee generations has resulted in not only resistance to Varroa mites, but also to American Foulbrood and Chalkbrood. The hygienic behavior of VSH bees, even extends to defense against wax moths and small hive beetles.