Curious About Visual Identification of Honeybee Types

[DayValleyDahlias]

When I am out in the garden and see the various HB's buzzing around, I try to discern whether they are bee for our hive or not.

I was told that they are Russian Bees, and most of them look dark not very golden...I googled, but haven't been successful in finding images of the various types...

Thanks*

[JP]

I thought I heard that carnis are dark as well. Our feral hives look mostly Italian, with some black bees in the mix. Usually its like 95% Italian, 5% dark bees, Russian or carnis I guess.

[Deb-Bee]

Our first hive came from a swarm and they are definitely dark bees.  Can't tell if carniolans or caucasians, though.  The difference was especially obvious when we bought two packages of Italians this past spring.  The Italians are much lighter and golden.  I can't positively identify our dark bees but I can sure tell they aren't Italians.

[TwT]

Glenn's has some good pic's http://members.aol.com/queenb95/ , but unless you bought a Breeder queen your queen was open mated and could through any color, most will be like the queen but some will not, my hives look like a coloring book, about every hive has dark bee's or golden bee's but each hive will have more of one color either way,

[DayValleyDahlias]

Ah Twt..Thaks I was curious about the varying coloration of the bees in our hive...that may well explain it...

Muchas Thanks

[qa33010]

    One of my five russian hives, nuc this year, has about one out of ... a bunch are golden.  The other four are all black and grey, feral hive is predominately golden upper and black lower abdomen.  All mellow.  Still trying to figure out what the two hives of brown bees are.  Hopefully will have pics after tomorrow, if I remember the camera AND the battery is charged.

[Michael Bush]

Basically if they are gold people call them Italians.  If they are black, they call them Carniolans.  If they are some mixture they call the Carniolans.

:)

[jl]

What do the russians look like?

[DayValleyDahlias]

Why thank you MB  :-D

[Michael Bush]

Of course, they are all mixed up.  :)

[qa33010]

   Here's one of mine...  (Russian)




Hope this makes it through.

This was the only one with wings like this that I saw.  From a package that wasn't building until just last week.