I've search, looked all over the web, but I still can't figure out how to identify what type of queens I have.
Your guess?
Here are some pics.
Queen #1
(http://tackletour.net/temp/images/picwinebarrel100904a.jpg)
(http://tackletour.net/temp/images/picwinebarrelhive100822a.jpg)
(http://tackletour.net/temp/images/picwinebarrelhive100815a.jpg)
(http://tackletour.net/temp/images/picwinebarrelhive100724a.jpg)
Queen #2
(http://tackletour.net/temp/images/pichaywardoverhill100904d.jpg)
(http://tackletour.net/temp/images/pichaywardoverhill100904b.jpg)
That is without question the queen of Apis Mellifera. :-D
As far as what country...most likely Italian, with possible strains of Russian, Carniolan, Cordovan, and/or possibly others.
I know, not very helpful. But coloration is only one variant, and varies quite wildly. The coloration of the daughter bees is actually more helpful than the queen's. And while Italians tend to be the "classic" look and Carniolans and Russians tend toward black, Russians and Carni's can also look like Italians. And most of the hybrids are...well...mixes of the different races of bees.
Other than color, other indications in the hive are 1) swarming tendancies 2) overwintering traits (large/small clusters) 3) buildup in the spring 4) propolis tendencies ....etc etc.
But outside of that .... if you are gathering swarms, Italians are still the most populous. If you are like me and get swarms and let your hives requeen themselves, then you have "mutts" :-D.
Rick
Ya, Apis Mellifra Muttus.
Quote from: AllenF on September 09, 2010, 11:17:28 AM
Ya, Apis Mellifra Muttus.
That is what they all are...... ;)
Yepp, mutts...but some really nice pics of mutts!
Scott
How old is she? Two of mine have fur on back, young?
Your queen is pretty! Very nice new comb also! :)
Mutts, ok. :) If bee mutts are like dog mutts, then they should have stronger traits.
I'm not sure how old these two queens are. Both are from cutouts this year.
Drones. You'll tell more about the genetics of the queen (from/by color) by looking at the drones, I think? Get some pics of the drones, if you can find any.
Most of the queens for quite a while have looked like the queen in the second to last pic. In the last two years I'm getting more that look like your other pictures. I call them tiger stripes. Mutts.
...JP
me to JP. i remember the few i have purchased and the were big, fat, and light colored. almost everything i have gotten from walls and trees are smaller, darker/striped. don't remember what was in the warms i picked up this year...but the last 3 were out of pollination hives. i'm guessing they are the big, fat ones. :-D
mutts are good!
Quote from: kathyp on September 10, 2010, 11:39:31 AM
me to JP. i remember the few i have purchased and the were big, fat, and light colored. almost everything i have gotten from walls and trees are smaller, darker/striped. don't remember what was in the warms i picked up this year...but the last 3 were out of pollination hives. i'm guessing they are the big, fat ones. :-D
mutts are good!
Really Kathy? So you're finding your queens are striped now? And yours used to be typically golden?
...JP
i have not found one golden queen from a capture. most have been striped. the one in my observation hive is almost black. the last one i purchased, which i think was last year, was very fat, very light colored, although i think she had some light striping.
i didn't pay much attention to the ones that i got from the berry farms. just checked to make sure she was there. now i wish i'd payed more attention :-D
I think every breeder I know in the north have carni or Russians. If it were not for the massive amounts of packages being brought in, all would be on the darker side. I have not bred a light queen in years and never plan too again. Many people in the north want strains other than mass produced yellow Italians, unfortunately, we have few producers.
I usually refer to the bees I catch as feral Italians. I use that term loosely as my state is really big on russian bees.
...JP
It is a "striped" queen...