Author Topic: Bee ID (Read 7245 times)

ArmucheeBee · « **on:** October 13, 2008, 07:57:16 pm »

Here are some pics of a queen I captured in a swarm at my house on Sep. 23. My other queens are golden in color but this one is particularly black and so are many of the workers. They have already draw two PF frames and one is full of honey, yes I am feeding. Brood is already capped too. They are going gang-busters. So does this look like any varieties of queens you know of or is she a possible feral? I had suspicions of ferals this August while watching bees fly off a feeding station in the direction of our woods-opposite to the hives. We own about 30 acres of 60+ year old hardwoods, so there are plenty of cavities. I did find out their is another beek about 1 mile from me, but in the opposite direction of the woods! He's a recluse and does not talk to anyone so I have no idea what he is raising!

Shawn · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2008, 08:23:37 pm »

Did you paint the queen? If not does the beek in your area use that kind of paint?

ArmucheeBee · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2008, 10:13:07 pm »

Dude, of course I painted the queen. I would not ask if it might be a feral queen if she came to me painted. Are you messing with me?

johnnybigfish · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2008, 10:29:54 pm »

:-D :-D :-D :-D
Sorry, but I was wondering the same thing about the painted queen. I was first thinking that since she was painted you must have really gotten a good one!

your friend,
john

sc-bee · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2008, 10:42:47 pm »

Did you paint the queen DUDE :-D ;)!

rdy-b · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2008, 10:44:26 pm »

she is a Italian hybrid cross got some carni in her -and from the looks of the progeny id say she mated with a italian-RDY-B

ArmucheeBee · « **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2008, 11:16:18 pm »

You California guys are all crazy! :mrgreen:

rdy-b · « **Reply #7 on:** October 13, 2008, 11:23:41 pm »

:-D RDY-B

Michael Bush · « **Reply #8 on:** October 14, 2008, 07:36:42 am »

Actually I'd call that one striped or tiger striped. I have some that from the top are quite black, some that are tiger striped and some that are mostly yellow. It seems typical of the feral survivors I've been finding.

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

ArmucheeBee · « **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2008, 08:47:50 am »

Thank you MB for that dignified reply :roll:. You other wiseguys should take note!! A painted feral--indeed!!! Although I did tell my grandmother that queens come out of the cell with that blue, she thought that was really cool.

I had heard from others that ferals were black or darker. Do hybrids revert back to a feral color if left to raise there own queens over several generations? Domestic pigs will revert back to a "boar" type hog after about 10 generations in the wild. If that's not cool I don't what is!

Keith13 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2008, 11:48:05 am »

Quote from: Shawn on October 13, 2008, 08:23:37 pm

Did you paint the queen? If not does the beek in your area use that kind of paint?

Best question ever on the forums :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Keith

Shawn · « **Reply #11 on:** October 14, 2008, 02:45:59 pm »

Sorry dude that was just the first thing that came to me when I saw the picture. I was not trying to be a smartie.

ArmucheeBee · « **Reply #12 on:** October 14, 2008, 03:42:53 pm »

I know. I thought it was funny. I like bustin' chops. :evil:

rast · « **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2008, 08:10:30 pm »

Interesting, besides being funny. I went over and bought a queen Sat. I was asked if I wanted yellow or black. Told him I didn't care as long as it would lay. On the way home I thought I should have have asked him what was the difference. Of course he could have said "Dude, two different colors"

Michael Bush · « **Reply #14 on:** October 14, 2008, 08:16:54 pm »

>I had heard from others that ferals were black or darker.

The ferals here have gotten darker in recent years. Back before the tracheal mites and the Varroa mites they were more leather colored and Italian looking around here.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2008, 08:45:30 pm »

Quote from: Michael Bush on October 14, 2008, 08:16:54 pm

>I had heard from others that ferals were black or darker.

The ferals here have gotten darker in recent years. Back before the tracheal mites and the Varroa mites they were more leather colored and Italian looking around here.

I've noticed the same thing, I think the varroa resistance gene is tied to the darker color trait. That would help explain why Russians and Carnies have a better natural resistance than Italians.

ArmucheeBee · « **Reply #16 on:** October 14, 2008, 10:21:35 pm »

Now this is coming from the biologist in me: so if we want colonies that are more resistant to these pests, it seems we should let natural selection (nature) take its logical course and allow our colonies to raise their own queens. Sounds like I should not be buying anymore queens. Just take my best colony, take out a frame, nuc it and allow the workers to make a queen from that??? Now I know that is what most breeders do, but it would be more fun for me to do it myself and save some dough! The speed with which this queen and small colony drew out two frames and brood and made stores during a dearth is quite amazing to me. So I'm thinking I want more of the same. Ya'll thought this was some bogus thread--two pages already!!!

rdy-b · « **Reply #17 on:** October 14, 2008, 11:01:07 pm »

> So I'm thinking I want more of the same.<
there is one concern you might want to think about -swarming is not something that helps the beekeeper -only the bee benifits from this trait- RDY-B

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #18 on:** October 16, 2008, 09:24:02 pm »

Quote from: rdy-b on October 14, 2008, 11:01:07 pm

> So I'm thinking I want more of the same.<
there is one concern you might want to think about -swarming is not something that helps the beekeeper -only the bee benifits from this trait- RDY-B

A trait that can be used to advantage by the beekeeper. Swarming also helps the beekeeper as it can replace died out hives.

rdy-b · « **Reply #19 on:** October 16, 2008, 11:03:58 pm »

Quote from: Brian D. Bray on October 16, 2008, 09:24:02 pm

Quote from: rdy-b on October 14, 2008, 11:01:07 pm
> So I'm thinking I want more of the same.<
there is one concern you might want to think about -swarming is not something that helps the beekeeper -only the bee benifits from this trait- RDY-B

A trait that can be used to advantage by the beekeeper. Swarming also helps the beekeeper as it can replace died out hives.

ARE those swarms or is that your honey crop flying away -swarms comeing in are very cool yes-swarms flying out not so cool -best increase method is splits from good stock -RDY-B