WWhathat KKindind OOff QQueen?ueen? Italian, Carniolan, Caucasian, or Russian? Jennifer Berry

A Little Background syrup. In the past the Italians were bees were fi rst introduced the reigning monarch in the U.S. but into this country in the early 1600s in recent decades they’ve been chal- by settlers from Europe. The race lenged. The Carniolans along with the of bees that traveled by boat to the Russians are gaining in popularity. Americas was Apis mellifera mellifera, Carniolans, Apis mellifera car- commonly known as the Dark, Ger- nica, are a dark, grey bee that man, or Black bee. The German bee originated in Slovenia. The Carnio- was predominant for decades but lan gained popularity because of its cooler temperatures frames, lids, later lost ground to the imported Ital- gentle disposition and resistance to and inner covers cemented together. ian because of certain, un- brood diseases. The other advantage Caucasians are also inclined to drift, desirable characteristics. Beekeepers they have over the Italian is their and robbing behavior can be bother- were annoyed with the temperament ability to “flow with the flow.” In some. You won’t fi nd them very often of the German bee. It was defensive, other words they build up quickly in anymore for these reasons. nervous on the comb and would boil the late Winter in time for the Spring The newest arrivals on the scene out of the colony when disturbed. It fl ow then shut down brood produc- are the Russian bees which have was also very susceptible to Euro- tion when nectar and pollen become been growing in popularity over the pean Foul Brood, which swept the scarce. The Carniolans overwinter years. They are a mixed hybrid of Apis country in the early 1900s. Colony in smaller clusters and hence honey mellifera and come from Primorsky losses were severe enough to spark a stores are conserved. The only disad- region of far-eastern Russia. In the move towards the Italian honey bee. vantage is their tendency to swarm mid-1800s settlers brought European Today in the U.S., Apis m. mellifera is more readily when the brood nest bees, perhaps several races in all, to very uncommon and probably doesn’t becomes overcrowded. this area which were already inhab- even exist in its pure form. Sue Cobey’s breeding program ited by the native Indian honey bee, The Italian honey bee, Apis mel- developed the “New World Carniolan.” Apis cerana, the original host of Var- lifera ligustica, is still the dominant Over decades queens in her program roa destructor. It is believed that these player in the bee industry today. have been evaluated and selected initial populations of European honey When you order package bees and for their ability to resist pests and bees became infested with Varroa queens from commercial sources the diseases while still exhibiting impor- and over time developed resistance in bee you more than likely will receive tant traits like overwintering ability, order to survive. Hence Russian bees is the Italian honey bee: aka the gentleness, increased brood and have been exposed to Varroa mites “three banded Italian.” These bees be- honey production. longer than other races of A. mellifera. came popular for numerous reasons. Another , the In 1997 Dr. Thomas Rinderer, USDA First, they tend to be a semi gentle Caucasian, Apis mellifera caucasica, Bee Lab Researcher, imported these bee, not overly defensive or nervous originates from the high valleys of bees into North America. In 2007 on the comb. Second, Italians can the Central Caucasus. This is a the Russian Honey bee Breeders As- handle most of the climatic variety geopolitical region located between sociation was formed. The purpose of that the Americas offer. Third, they Europe, Asia and the Middle East. the association “is to maintain and don’t use a tremendous amount of The Caucasian is a race of gentle, propolis and fi nally, is not dark bees that aren’t bothered when on the top of their list. The main com- beekeepers open their hive. They plaint surrounding the Italian honey are slow to expand in the Spring bee is their propensity to produce a but eventually can reach fairly large ton of bees. This is fantastic while populations by mid Summer. They do plants are bearing nectar and pollen have a few negative attributes which but not so much when the blooms is probably what has kept them from have disappeared. Unfortunately, the gaining too much ground. Probably trend to produce wall to wall progeny the most annoying to beekeepers continues into the Summer and Fall. is their tendency to collect and use This equates to more mouths to feed propolis. Over the years beekeepers which in turn means dwindling honey have selected against this trait due to stores which translates to either less the diffi culty it added while working honey removed by the beekeeper or colonies; sticky hive tools, fi ngers, more trips to the to feed sugar or gloves in warm weather while in Battery Box.

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March2009.indd 37 2/26/2011 1:39:40 PM Individual out of the envelope and place a few Queen drops of water directly on the screen Cages towards the end where the candy is located. Not too much water, you don’t want to drown them. This will help the nurse bees consume the candy and feed it to the queen. Then place the queen back in the envelope and keep it out of direct sunlight and away from any heat source. If improve the various lines of Russian ure out which queen you want to pur- your queens arrive in a battery box, honey bees through propagation and chase you need to order her sooner lightly squirt water through the wired selective breeding.” than later. By now it’s March. Most opening to hydrate the bees; again The Russian bee is a dark bee early queens are already sold but they not too much. It is also a good idea to that overwinters in small clusters and should be available later in the year. place your queen(s) someplace where can withstand harsh Winter condi- If you prefer to re-queen in the Fall the cat, dog, ferret, gerbil, rabbit, or tions. They are good honey produc- you still have plenty of time. snake will not have access. I’ve heard ers but shut down brood production If you have never received queens numerous stories about the horrible earlier than Italians which is good for in the mail let me give you a few point- demise of queens due to a quick swipe conserving honey stores. Russians ers. Depending on who you purchase of the paw or snap of a jaw. are inclined to build numerous queen your queen from will determine how Before installing a queen it is a cells during the brood season and she arrives. If you are ordering a good idea to remove the attendants. can swarm more readily than some few queens they usually arrive in a Several years ago Wyatt Magnum other bees. sturdy, cardboard, postal envelope conducted research which showed Finally, I’d like to mention the or box. Holes are cut for ventilation acceptance rates increased when Minnesota Hygienic, which isn’t a race and the queens will be in individual queens were introduced without at- of bees but rather a line of queens se- cages (wooden or plastic) inside. If tendants. Removing these attendants lected for a particular trait. Developed you are purchasing a large number can be tricky if you’re not used to by Dr. Marla Spivak at the Univer- of queens they’re usually shipped handling bees/queens. If your queen sity of Minnesota, hygienic bees will in a battery box; a cardboard box is in a wooden cage, both ends will detect, uncap, and remove infected with wired mesh windows. Inside have a cork plug securely in place. or infested brood from the combs. the queens are securely housed in Remove the plug on the end without Bees with this behavior reduce the individual cages. The main differ- the queen candy and let the atten- incidence of diseases like American ence between the two methods is dants out. Preferably you want to foulbrood and limit reproduction and the location of the attendants. In the have the cage in some sort of clear therefore population growth of mites envelope, the attendants are placed bag, queen muff, or veil covering and small hive beetles. These queens inside the cage with the queen. In the because the queen may shoot out of are commercially available. battery box, they’re shook directly the hole and take off fl ying. This can While thumbing through the bee into the box and then sealed. Hence be disturbing when you watch your journals you will notice numerous there are live, free fl ying bees inside newly purchased queen fl y off into ads selling queens. To a new bee- the box but outside the queen cages. the wild blue yonder. If she escapes keeper this can be a bit overwhelm- It’s usually not a good idea to open the cage just carefully grab her by the ing. How do you know which queen is the box inside unless you like buzzing thorax and gently place her head into best for you, or your location? This is bees at windows and lights. The bat- the hole of the cage. She will be grate- when a local mentor comes in handy. tery box is supplied with queen candy ful to return to the cage if it means be- Talk with them or other members in which the attendants consume and ing released from the Giant Fingers. your club to see which queens they’ve then feed to the queens. Cages with Plastic cages have a cap but usually been purchasing over the years. You attendants have the queen candy the candy is in that part of the cage. will quickly fi nd out that beekeepers inside at one end. There is a second plastic cap that is can be opinionated, especially when it If you are unable to install your attached to the cage. Gently remove it comes to a race or line of bees they’ve queen when she arrives, take the cage and allow the bees to exit. If you are been keeping. Actually, if you stay in Adjusted long enough, so will you. Description 1876 price 2007 price Now, you may receive confl icting sto- 10 frame colony with imported $18.00 $346.55 ries about which queens to purchase Italian queen and hence your path becomes even more unclear. So experiment. Pur- 10 frame colony with a home $14.00 $269.54 chase several different queens from raised tested queen different breeders and make your own One queen tested specially $5.00 $96.26 decision. Another way to narrow the selection process is to fi nd a queen One queen tested specially with bees $15.00 $288.79 breeder that fi ts your particular bee- Tested queen from imported mother $4.00 $77.01 keeping philosophy. After you muffl e through and fi g- 4-full size nuc with warranted queen $6.00 $115.52 38 BEE CULTURE March 2009

March2009.indd 38 2/26/2011 1:40:12 PM brand spanking new at beekeeping I’m going to change the subject that the product is good. you may want to just leave the at- for just a minute, but I promise Where am I going you ask? Last tendants in the cage and install her. there is a point. Recently it seems year I was invited to speak at the Once you feel confi dent picking up our souring economy has been on Western Reserve Beekeepers Asso- queens then you can attempt this. If everyone’s mind. Turn on the radio, ciation, in Medina Ohio. One of the the queens are in a battery box you TV or computer and you’re bom- highlights of my trip was a tour of don’t have to worry about removing barded with doom and gloom: stock the A.I. Root Company; you know attendants. Just open the box next to market down again, raising unem- the place they make all of those the hive and insert the queen. ployment, foreclosures, failed bail- fabulous candles. I saw fi rst hand Here is how I introduce a queen. outs, company closures, corporate how votives, pillars, and tapers were Open the colony, fi nd the old queen thieves and increasing crime rates. made, colored and scented. It was a and remove her. Open one end of Driving around Athens, Georgia I fascinating tour. But more interest- the queen cage and remove the at- see the direct results of our failing ing was the building that A.I. Root tendants then replace the cork or economy. Folks standing on the road built back in 1869. It is still standing plastic cap. I take a small amount of side with large orange signs that read, and houses this amazing company. honey with my and touch “Going out of business, 60-80% off, While on the tour Kim Flottum, tour the corner of the screen. The queen everything must go.” It’s the topic of master and editor of this magazine, will usually immediately start to feed conversation at dinner parties and handed me the fourth issue of Glean- on the honey. When inserting the lunch socials. Friends in the restau- ings magazine dated 1876. I sat down queen cage, I prefer to put the queen- rant business are wondering how and gently began to thumb through candy side down. This way there is they can hold on for another month. it. One thing that caught my eye was no chance of the queen-candy melt- Houses still on the market for over a the advertisements for queens and ing and seeping down, entombing the year have new “for sale” signs reading bees. A few of those are in that yellow queen. Since there aren’t any atten- “Price Lowered.” chart. Just for fun, I converted the dants, no dead bodies could possibly With all this concern about the 1876 price to today’s (actually 2007) block the candy. After several days economy one would think that the to see if the industry has kept up I personally release the queen from interest in beekeeping would also with infl ation, which is where those her cage. I want to see the queen take a downturn. It doesn’t seem to numbers come from on the chart. emerge from her cage, walk out onto be the trend, so far. Maybe it’s due Now granted I’m over simplifying a the comb and be greeted, lovingly, by to all the headlines about CCD or the bit, but it seems to me that we’re her new court. If bees are balling the desire to save money by making one’s getting queens and bees today at a cage (layers of worker bees curled up own honey. Who knows? But we, as steal. Maybe our beekeeping dollar around the cage, biting and trying to consumers, are still wary of carelessly isn’t hurting so bad. sting the new queen) I leave her for letting go of our hard earned money. See ya! BC another day or two. Take care with Purchasing beekeeping equipment, this newest member. Remember bees and queens may still be on our Jennifer Berry is the Research Coordi- without her there’s no colony. list but we want more reassurance nator at the University of GA Bee Lab.

March 2009 BEE CULTURE 39

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