Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: beefree on June 21, 2004, 02:28:18 pm

Title: two types of bees in same hive?
Post by: beefree on June 21, 2004, 02:28:18 pm

went to check on the hives yesterday.   One of them had the usual brown w/gold striped Italian bees flying in and out, and also a lesser number of smaller black bees with pale yellow stripes.  they were not fighting, both kinds were happily nosing the guard bee and then walking on in.  what is going on?  are Carniolians smaller than Italians?  Could they have superceded and the queen mated with a feral German?  the hive was just as laid back as usual, no noticiable change in temperament.  has anyone else had this happen?  
beefree

Title: two types of bees in same hive?
Post by: Robo on June 21, 2004, 04:31:12 pm

This is not uncommon at all, especially if you have an open mated queen.  During their mating flight, a queen will mate with 10-15 different drones, and depending upon their race,  your queens offsprings could be amixed bag.  It is quite fascinating to see golden and dark bees in the same hive, your  first instinct is that something is wrong.

Title: two types of bees in same hive?
Post by: snowzerdog on June 21, 2004, 06:07:48 pm

When I pickedup my nuc and installed it I noticed the same thing.  Was told the same thing also.

Title: two types of bees in same hive?
Post by: hobbee on June 21, 2004, 06:36:50 pm

Now I understand, I have the same mystery. Gold striped Italian mixed with smaller black bees, with pale stripes, and both of them happily doing bee things together. I always taught how funny. So count me too, I got the same thing.

Title: glad to know i'm not the only one!
Post by: beefree on June 21, 2004, 11:13:52 pm

well, then, i'll stop worrying about it, and just enjoy watching them happily doing their thing together...people could learn something from this...
beefree