The Carniolan Honey Bee.
(Apis Mellifera Mellifera)
Characteristics of the Carniolan Honey Bee.
The Carniolan bee of Slovenia and Austria is the nearest relative of the Italian, but it is larger and darker, the characteristic yellow rings of the Italian bee being replaced by dark bands. The Carniolan bee territory covers a large area of south-eastern Europe, and there are numerous regional variations. The characteristic brood rhythm is a rapid build-up in spring, followed by a slow decline and an early cessation of brood rearing in the autumn. It is particularly suited to an early spring honey flow. Like the British Native Bee it can survive hard winters with a small winter cluster.
Carniolan bees are said to be more prone to swarming than Italian bees , but that this tendency can be reduced by selective breeding. In recent years selective breeding has also been used with great effect in both Austria and Germany to improve the productivity of the bees.
Carniolan bees are reputed to have better homing ability than any of the other major races, and are much less prone to drifting (and presumably to robbing from other beehives). These bees are sparing in the use of propolis.
Carniolan bees have a well deserved reputation for gentleness and quietness on the comb, but their hybrids with both their British and Italian bees are said to be particularly vicious.
The Italian Honey Bee
(Apis Mellifera Ligustica)
The British Bee has fewer swarms and replaces the queen approximately every 3 years. It has many important qualities that have evolved in the strain over thousands of years, making it entirely suited to our climate, over other imported sub-species and have been found to be easy to handle and docile.
The Caucasian Honey Bee
(Apis Mellifera Caucasica)
The Caucasian honey bee is indigenous to the mountains and southern valleys of the Caucasus, to the Black Sea coast in Anatolia. The climate varies from subtropical on the coast to cool of the mountains, mountain bees are larger and darker, with longer overhair, than those from the lowland region
The British Honey Bee
(Apis Mellifera Mellifera)
The British Bee has fewer swarms and replaces the queen approximately every 3 years. It has many important qualities that have evolved in the strain over thousands of years, making it entirely suited to our climate, over other imported sub-species and have been found to be easy to handle and docile.
