Saskatraz Bees

Saskatraz Bees are a remarkable breed, boasting high honey production, good wintering ability, and increased mite resistance. Whether you're a hobbyist or a commercial beekeeper, these bees can be an excellent addition to your apiary, contributing to increased honey yield and a healthier bee population. 

The genesis of Saskatraz Bees traces back to Saskatchewan, Canada, where they were bred by Meadow Ridge Enterprises, under the leadership of CEO Albert J. Robertson. The Saskatraz project, initiated in 2005, aimed to develop a strain of bees with superior traits, specifically high honey production, good wintering ability, and resistance to mites and brood diseases. Through recurrent natural selection, varroa tolerance in productive colonies with economic traits was selected. However, it was discovered that varroa tolerance is a highly variable trait, with the daughters of selected breeder queens showing considerable variability. Given this, high VSH lines were crossed with naturally selected colonies over the last 3-4 years to enhance the stability of the varroa tolerant trait. The innovative breeding program has resulted in a line of Saskatraz queen bees noted for their impressive honey production, good wintering ability, and increased varroa tolerance and resistance to brood diseases.

Saskatraz Queen Bees

Saskatraz queens are exclusively produced by Olivarez Honey Bees (OHB), located in Northern California. These queens are bred using Saskatraz breeder queens from Saskatchewan, Canada. They are then open mated with unrelated drone populations in the Orland area, producing colonies with genetically diverse workers. This diversity boosts the vigor of the colonies and results in fast spring build-up and increased honey production. The Saskatraz queens lay a large number of eggs and larvae, enabling them to build up their population earlier in the spring to bring in large amounts of pollen and nectar. They maintain a robust workforce throughout the summer due to their high brood-rearing ability, resulting in excellent foraging ability and high honey production during the honey flow.

Characteristics of Saskatraz Bees

Saskatraz bees are exceptional for several reasons. First, they exhibit high honey production. Their strong workforce and excellent foraging ability enable them to produce a large amount of honey. Secondly, they show exceptional wintering ability. They can easily adapt to most climates and overwinter well. They also have good mite resistance, although it's crucial to note that no bee is completely mite resistant, so regular mite treatments should be conducted every spring and fall. One more fascinating characteristic of Saskatraz bees is their minimal production of propolis and their tendency to keep a clean hive with lots of worker bees.