Black Bees

[Bob D]

I installed my 1st ever package on April 16th. I'm starting to get my first "new borns" coming out. All of my packaged bees "looked like honey bees" as I've always known them. Now, however, as my new borns are emerging and taking flight, I have about 5+% pure black bees and about 2 to 3 % bees that are black, but do have the stripes on their abdomen, but they are a dark stripe.

Does this mean my "regular looking" Queen may have mated with a Russian Drone in one or more of her matings? Or, doe bees vary in color throughout a hive that drastically.

I know the package if bees weren't the daughters of my queen that came with the backage. I realize they grab bees and then give you a queen. So, it is possibly my queen was mated to a Russian Drone and that explains the coloring of the new bees?

[Michael Bush]

>Does this mean my "regular looking" Queen may have mated with a Russian Drone in one or more of her matings? Or, doe bees vary in color throughout a hive that drastically.

Russian, Carni, or Caucasian.

Here are some of mine.

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/BlackBees.jpg

I don't know their ancestory. They were just wild bees when I found them.

[VABeeKEEPER]

Mike: Those look like Caucasian to me. The depth of the black color (great picture BTW) make me think that.

[stonybrook]

Hey Y'all,

Have a look at this critter - she is one from a supposed russian queen I have:

http://lod.com/pics/black_bee2.jpg

And Michael - Thanks for the tip on using the boiled linseed oil - I'v e been using it on all my new woodware and it works like a charm.

-todd

[Michael Bush]

I see some bees that look like that with virtually all black, but most seem to have some stripes.