My melliferas took up residence of their own accord – hence I do not know their breeding. Is there a visual method of determination (Russian, Italian, etc.), or must one start with a known (a purchased queen) to determine this? (I have already tried listening in on them ... :) ) Might someone have a link to a good photo comparison?
Not that it probably matters all that much, as I love them all the same... But just curious.
I think most races are dark color. Italians are yellow. I think Africans are yellow too.
Thanks, Mine are definitely yellow - almost sand-yellow.
Quote from: bee-nuts on September 03, 2009, 04:21:29 AM
I think most races are dark color. Italians are yellow. I think Africans are yellow too.
I have two hives that are Italian and both queens are jet black. Color doesn't mean much. From what I've been told before, unless you knew where they came from it's pretty much impossible to know what race they are.
Sean Kelly
"I have two hives that are Italian and both queens are jet black. Color doesn't mean much. From what I've been told before, unless you knew where they came from it's pretty much impossible to know what race they are."
How did you end up with these queens? Boughten, superseded, ten years later? I have never heard of black Italians. I have to remain a skeptic.
They were started from packages several years ago and were very dark then but have been superseded a couple times, each time getting darker. I haven't requeened and just let the colonies relpace their queens naturally.
Sean Kelly