Dark Color Bees

[DayValleyDahlias]

Hi Friends,

While I was looking at the swarm hive yesterday I was noticing how dark the bees are.  Is the dark color of the bees indicative of anything at all?  They look very healthy, no evidence of any diseases at all...

Thanks so much!

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I want to say a Russian gene pool but honey bee genetics confuse me very much.

[Cindi]

Sharon, the dark bees that you are seeing are just a different breed of bees than what you are used to seeing.  If your bees are really light in colour, they are probably Italian, the darker bees could be Russian, Carniolan, etc., etc. (or a cross even).  Colour does not mean that their might be something wrong with them. BEautiful day in this greatest of lives, keep smiling!!!  Cindi

[DayValleyDahlias]

Right, thank you all...I was wondering because I have read time to time about "dark bees" and I could not recall the information about them!

My humble thanks~*~

[Michael Bush]

>Is the dark color of the bees indicative of anything at all? 

Carniolan, Caucasian, or Russian genes.