yellow and brown

[Andrey]

I purchased two queens from a local beekeeper one was yellow like I used them to see but another one was darker, almost brown. What is the difference between these two queens? Are they different race?

Thanks, Andrey.

[Dee A. Lusby]

Andrey

You wrote:
I purchased two queens from a local beekeeper one was yellow like I used them to see but another one was darker, almost brown. What is the difference between these two queens? Are they different race?

Reply:
Yes and no. Bees have a spectrum of color, mongrels especially as once mixed they range from yellow to black.

Bees follow plant genetics in breeding, so if you mix a yellow with a black strain/race, you would end up with some yellow, some black and some inbetween.

Similar to what is called Italians which are originally from a true mixing hybridization area in Nature in the Mediterranean of lower Italy.

So you can have yellow to middle range brownish/leather color to black range. but the darker of your two colors would be a more middle ground.

For more information on this, pull up "Mendel" under search engines on the internet.

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby

[Andrey]

Is it true that darker one may have batter acceptance?