Monday,
March 17, 2008
Those Honey Bees are Most Likely Italian !! ??
The
ANNOTICO Report
Incredulously,
considering the huge number of crops in the US that are entirely reliant on
Honey Bees, they only made their first appearance in the U.S. just
100 years ago (The U.S. has no native honey bees - they are all imported
from somewhere else).
There
are considered to be 5 types (Races) of Honey Bees: The most Common is the Italian,
yes from
The other two
races of bees ... the Caucasians
and the Russians
are somewhat different yet, though not very common And
of course, there are the Africans
.... and you dont want those at all.
Italian Honey Bees: Active, And Very Demanding Pollinators
The
Daily Green
March
15, 2008
By far the most
common honey bee type, or Race, as they are called, are
the Italians.
Originally from, yes,
If you are a
pollinator, or want to take advantage of early-season blooms in your area for a
honey crop then these are the bees for you. Italians are, generally, what
everybody thinks of when they think of a honey bee.
Their color ranges from a bright yellow with light tan stripes, to a husky gold
with black stripes but all forms tend toward the attractive side ... if you
appreciate how honey bees actually look. The queens are especially
attractive, with broad, golden abdomens, with few if any stripes. They
stand out among their daughters and are easy to find in a hive full of bees.
However, because
Italians rise early and stay up late, as it were, they can be very demanding
for food. They will eat you out of house and home if there isnt
anything blooming when they get hungry in the spring, and they can eat
everything in sight when they are cooped up for a long winter break up north. If youre on top of them Italians are a good race of bees to
have. If you get behind however, your bees can starve in a New York
minute and youre left with an empty stack of boxes and a mess. Living in
the south, or being ahead of schedule all of the time is what is required to be
successful with Italians.
The other common
honey bee race is the Carniolans, or Carnies. These
honey bees originated in the mountainous parts of eastern
Europe, and as a result take a whole different slant on how they interact
with their environment. Because spring comes fast in the mountains, and the
summer that follows is just as fast, you have to be ready for Carnies to get
going. But they can be just a bit too patient sometimes, keeping you guessing.
Because
mountain winters tend to be long, cold, snowy and in general difficult, Carnies
are really, really good at surviving in cold, winter locations. They dont raise
much, if any brood during the winter, thus conserving lots of food for the
coming spring, and having it at the ready when needed in the spring. The queen
will wait until resources are ready outside before she begins laying eggs but
then will rapidly, very rapidly expand the brood nest and the population of the
colony. If you are prepared as a beekeeper, this is an energetic race of bees
and you need to have your equipment ready before they are ready, or they will
swarm at the drop of a hat. Thats not such a good thing.
However, being
resource aware if you have a drought or a long rainy spell in the summer they
will then, too do the same thing...that is quit producing brood, quit using
their stored food, and more or less go on hold.
As far as gentle
goes ... Carniolans win hands down, but Italians are
so very gentle that winning doesnt mean much. Both of these races of bees are great to have in
an urban setting, and will do well for you. One big difference you will not
right off is the color ... Italians tend toward yellow/gold with brown/black
stripes on the abdomen. Carniolans, on the other
hand, are dark ... nearly black with only the hint of grayish stripes on their
backsides. Queen, too are dark, making them stand out less from their daughters
and a bit more difficult to find.
The other two
races of bees ... the Caucasians
and the Russians are somewhat different
yet, though not very common well cover those at
a later time. And of course, there are the Africans .... and you dont want those at all.
The
ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (With Archives*) on:
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Italia
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Annotico
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