From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 08:37:38 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: laying workers again

Hi to all on Biological Beekeeping:

Clay wrote:

> Just checked two more laying worker hives today. Wonder why so many this
year? One hive of black type bees has produced a queen again. The other
hive was italian and did not produce a queen. Gave some brood, will add a
nuc to this colony. Why black bees and not the yellow type?

Reply:

Interesting Clay should see the above results. In 1995 I wrote in Apiacta,
an International Technical Magazine of apicultural and economic information
XXX, first quarter, 1995, pages 20-29, the following concerning THELYTOKY --
"Have not been able to accomplish with either yellow-mix or large dark
castes."

See: http://www.beesource.com/pov/lusby/apiacta1995.htm Titled: Field
Breeding Basics for Honeybees Using Colony Thermodynamics Within the
Transition Zones.

I, like then, still believe, that only small blacks are capable as the
go-between between tropical and temperate extremes. If indeed seen in
yellow-mix it would be the black subcaste doing the work and yet no one will
answer the question.Yet yellow-mix is not Italian as found true in nature
although many assume yellow mix is italian.

Now in my archives of information I DO HAVE references located, stating that
Italian early on did exhibit this trait! But Italian of early 1900s is not
the Italian of today, which is artificially changed by man, and looks and
behaves differently!

Also, something else I would like to state now up front. Yellow race bees do
not in Nature live in Northern Climates except where hot termal zones
permit. Likewise, Black bees do not live in the Tropics except where cold
and high altitude permit. Where the two come together you have naturally
occuring simple hybrids, of which Italian bees are. A true thoroughbred
simple hybrid occuring naturally in Nature and not by man's hands.

Also to add fuel here for thought. It was stated early on that bees were
found in the Americas that were both yellow and black just like the bees of
the home (Europe) by early explorers. Because of this I believe in Native
American Bees! It has never been disproven by research also by the way!

Getting back to subject. Clay! Great job you are doing! Keep going........

We need more trying to see and do what Clay is doing so we all can learn and
survive with our bees.

Dee