Some Scary Looking Bees

Dubhe · September 27, 2007, 01:54:35 PM

New beek here just getting back from watching the hive entrances. Noticed for the first time, a good portion of the girls with shiny, black abdomens. They're mutt Italians, & some are turning black at the distal end of the abdomen and some have comepletely black abs. Is the queen getting to some new spermazoa & laying a different race or is this normal aging? I haven't seen anything like this before.

Cindi · September 27, 2007, 02:10:43 PM

Dubhe. I have seen these "black" abdomen bees too. I think that they are just the older ones that are going to be at the end of the lives soon.

On the other hand, I have read also that robber bees' abdomens get really shiny and dark looking too. But, I wouldn't worry too much about it, not a new breed, plain and simple, aging. Have a wonderful day, best of this great life. Cindi

CBEE · September 27, 2007, 03:37:55 PM

So far I think it is normal. I have the same thing happening with my Italians. They are a deep gold and half of the abdomen is solid black.

Scadsobees · September 27, 2007, 05:11:53 PM

I noticed that a lot of the bees cleaning out some cappings look that way. I think they get the hairs worn off and then polished from age or from other bees kicking them out. Sorta like my dad's head only his head is mostly pink with a few liver spots. :roll:

Moonshae · September 27, 2007, 10:05:33 PM

Really? I've never heard of bees darkening with age...I would think that different genetics would be more likely. The true test would be to look at the dark bees themselves and see if they are old bees (fuzz worn off, worn wings) or young bees. If they're young, age isn't the causative factor.

Brian D. Bray · September 27, 2007, 10:43:00 PM

Different genetics will produce different colored bees. I have bees that range in color from all Yellow to all Black and everything in between. I even have some that appear to be black with orange stripes.

Duhbe; being a retired cop I love your avatar.

super dave · September 27, 2007, 11:25:47 PM

my older russians are all black--they amost look like wasps-- i should get a pic

Dubhe · September 28, 2007, 06:28:42 PM

I don't know....
I just finished a 3 week course of Miteaway & I'm seeing a fair amount of activity at the entrance of 1 of my hives. If my bee math is right, I should have a break in bee orientation flights, yet I'm seeing a cloud of bees, a large number with strange, black, abdomens. Maybe they are getting robbed out. I'll try screening off the entrance & see if anyone shows up in the morning....

JP · September 28, 2007, 09:55:27 PM

My take is different genetic traits showing up in the gene pool. A mixture is very common in my neck of the woods.

Dubhe · September 29, 2007, 04:40:14 PM

JP, you nailed it. Kept the hive closed this morning & nothing. Nada. So I guess it ain't robbers. Boy, the girls were like 15000 happy, goofy, labrador retreivers when I opened em back up.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Old Timer · September 30, 2007, 07:40:09 PM

>On the other hand, I have read also that robber bees' abdomens get really shiny and dark looking too

their may be some truth to that, but not entirely. some strains of bees have a higher propensity to robbing than others, mostly the darker colored bees. but that does not mean that a hive of golden italians will not rob a weak hive.

>Noticed for the first time, a good portion of the girls with shiny, black abdomens. Is the queen getting to some new spermazoa & laying a different race or is this normal aging?

all bees look a little blacker and shinier as they age and lose their fuzzy newbee hair. with you having a mutt italian of questionable lineage which was most likely open mated with whichever drones from whatever hives could keep up with her, it is most likely that she is laying eggs from a few different strains. under these conditions it is common to see bees of different colors in the same hive.