11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

The Common Races of Honey Bees

Course Progress
21.21%

The Science of Bees

Why Bees Rock!

The Incredible Diversity of Bees

The Anatomy of Bees

Honey Bee Genetics

How Honey Bees Reproduce

The Honey Bee Life Cycle

Exploring the Process of Pollination

The Secrets of Honeycomb

How Bees Use Pheromones

Why Bees Can’t Fly?

The Common Races of Honey Bees

Section Test : 1.1 The Science of Bees

The Life of Bees

The Role of the Drone Bee

The Role of the Queen Bee

The Role of the Worker Bee

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 1/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

Inside and Out of the Beehive

How Bees Sense and React to Their World

Why and How Bees Forage

How Do Bees Make Honey?

Sticking with Propolis

Understanding The Honey Flow

Fat Bees and the Winter Cluster

Why and How Bees Swarm

Section Test : 1.2 The Life of Bees

About Beekeeping
The Philosophy of Natural Beekeeping

Beekeeping with Kids

The Growth Urban Beekeeping

Understanding Bee Stings

Finding Beekeeping Clubs and Mentors

Beekeeping and The Neighbors

Top Beekeeping Books For Your Bookshelf

Responsible Beekeeping

Section Test : 1.3 About Beekeeping

What is a “race” of bees?

A race of bees is akin to a breed of dogs. They have names like Italians, Russian,
Cordovan or Buckfast. As a beekeeper, you have a considerable number of choices
and, over time, you will likely establish your own preferences.

But what exactly is a race of bees and what are the differences?

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 2/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

All honey bees have similar traits and are therefore classi ed in the same taxonomic
genus and species. The differences that occur below that level are what lead to races
or breeds of honey bees, just as the differences in K9s de ne the different breeds.

The characteristics that differ among the various races of honey bees are subtle, but
can make a difference in the success or failure of your hive.

The factors at play include:

Whether they are docile

Likelihood to swarm
Tendency to raise brood late in the year, thus requiring more honey reserves for
the winter
Suitability to the local environment
Resistance to diseases
Production of honey
Production of propolis
Ability to cope with cold weather

It isn’t too dif cult for someone with a trained eye to identify the different kinds of
bees based on their physical appearance. Let’s look at some of the more common
races.

Races of Bees
Italian

Photo Credit: Eran Finkle

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 3/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

Description
Italian worker bees are light in color, while the queen is a bit darker, which makes her
easy to locate. Workers bees also have alternating stripes on their abdomen.

History
Originally from the Apennine Peninsula in Italy, Italian bees were introduced to
America in 1859 and quickly replaced the original black or German bees brought over
by the rst colonists.

Characteristics
Italian bees are the most popular bees to order in North America. They are known for
being gentle and good honey producers. They are typically reared in the south and
have dif culty in colder climates, as they need to consume extra food to compensate
for not forming a tight cluster the way other honey bee types do. Italian bees are
strong foragers and do a great job keeping their hive clean.

On the down side, Italian bees tend to swarm and their sense of direction isn’t as
strong as other bees, so they may drift from one colony to another and frequently
rob. This can contribute to the spread of diseases between hives.

New to beekeeping? Consider Italian.

When starting out, you can’t go far wrong with Italian bees. Their gentle nature
and productivity provide a great way for new beekeepers to become
comfortable around bees.

Russian
Description

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 4/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

Russian bees are dark brown to black in color and the yellow part of the abdomen is
paler.

History
Russian bees originated in the Primorsky region, which is also home to Varroa and
Tracheal mites. As such, they’ve developed a natural tolerance to these hive pests.

Due to this tolerance, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) brought
them to the US in June 1997 to breed mite tolerance into US bee stock. They went on
sale to the public in 2000.

Characteristics
Russian bees are highly resistant to mites and accustomed to cold climates. As such,
they overwinter well. Unfortunately, they also tend to swarm, so it’s important for the
beekeeper to provide extra space in the hive to prevent unwanted swarming.

Russian bees are highly sensitive to the amount of nearby foraging resources
available. They will regulate the production of brood in times of dearth, which may be
bene cial in climates where the amount of food available is heavily is dependent
upon the seasons.
https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 5/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

Russian bees tend to be slightly more aggressive, although this doesn’t always mean
stinging. They’ve been observed engaging in head butting rather than stinging
potential threats and guard their hive vigilantly, making them less likely to be
robbed.

Russians are a good bet for the new beekeeper.

They do have one or two characteristics that should be carefully considered,

such as the local foraging situation through the year. They do well in cold
climates.

Cordovan

Description
Cordovan bees are technically a subset of Italian bees with more yellow coloring.
They’re also gentler than their Italian cousins and slightly more likely to rob. They are
quite striking to observe, with their bright yellow bodies and lack of stripes.

History
It is not clear what caused the Cordovan bees to veer off from Italian strains and
become their own race of bees. In theory, this could happen with any of the different
bee types, but thus far in America it’s only been observed with Italian bees.

Characteristics
Other than being somewhat gentler and more prone to robbing, these bees behave
just like the Italians from which they evolved. They are rarely available in a package of
bees, unlike Italians, so are often considered wilder.

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 6/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

Cordovan bees are a close relative of Italians.

They do well in warm weather. In such environments, they are a ne choice for
the new beekeeper, if available (they are not always available as a package and it
may be necessary to catch a swarm).

Caucasian

Description
Caucasian bees are silver-gray to dark brown in color. They have a longer tongue
than many other bee types and are therefore able to take advantage of more nectar
sources.

History
Caucasian bees are originally from the high valleys of the Central Caucus region. This
region is between the Black and Caspian seas, making them highly cold tolerant.

Characteristics
Caucasian bees are known for high propolis production. The propolis they produce is
soft and sticky, which can make it hard for beekeepers to inspect the hive. They stop
producing brood in the fall and tend to overwinter quite well. In addition, because
they are from a cold region they can forage on colder days than other bee races.

Caucasian bees show some resistance to European Foul Brood and are not overly
inclined to swarm. Due to their high propolis production, they are not known for
being honey comb producers and tend to conserve their honey stores as a result.

Finally, they are susceptible to Nosema and tough to nd in packages, though it is

possible.

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 7/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

Caucasian bees are another reasonable choice for the new beekeeper

Their tendency to produce great volumes of propolis can create a few

challenges. They are not generally considered the greatest producers of honey.

Carniolan

Description
Carniolan bees are dark with brown spots or bands on their abdomen. They’re
slightly smaller than other races of bees, but that doesn’t seem to correlate to their
ability to forage and bring pollen and nectar stores back to the hive.

History
Carniolan bees come from the Austrian Alps, Yugoslavia, and Danube Valley regions.
They can be found across much of Eastern Europe including Hungary, Croatia, and
Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Characteristics
Carniolan bees are incredibly gentle and easy to work with. Due to their region of
origin, they are more likely to forage on cold, wet days than other types of bees and
rank among the best for overwintering.

In addition, they create very little propolis and build up their numbers rapidly in the
spring. Carniolan bees are also adept at handling dearths and rapidly adjust brood
production based on the availability of food. They are a little more likely to swarm
than Italians, so it’s important to be sure they have plenty of room.

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 8/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

When it comes to hive diseases and pests, Carniolan bees tend to be quite capable of
fending off parasites and show good resistance to some diseases.

Carniolan bees are an excellent choice for the new beekeeper

They are particularly so for those more interested in helping bees than
harvesting honey or in cold climates.

Buckfast

Description
Buckfast bees are yellow to brown in color and resemble what many people consider
when picturing a honey bee.

History
Buckfast bees are a hybrid. They were developed in the 20th century by Brother
Adam of Buckfast Abbey in southwest England. The stock was imported to the
United States, by way of Canada, and is now readily available in the US.

Characteristics
Buckfast bees are resistant to Tracheal mites and do well in cool climates. They are
very gentle, easy to work with and are excellent honey producers. They have a low
tendency to swarm and are economical in the use of winter stores.

Cold, wet winters are the norm for Buckfast bees, so they’re accustomed to building
up the hive size quickly in the spring.
https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 9/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

Consider Buckfast bees for cold, damp climates.

Buckfast bees are a great choice for backyard hobbyists who’d like to get a little
honey out of the deal.

Africanized

Photo Credit: Jeffrey W. Lotz

Description
Africanized honey bees are fuzzy and brownish in color. They look like their Italian
counterparts, making it tough to know if a hive has been taken over by Africanized
genetics.

History
Africanized honey bees are actually a hybrid. They were created in Brazil by crossing
the African bee with Italian bees in the 1950s to increase honey production.

In 1957, 26 of these experimental swarms escaped quarantine and quickly took over
South America. In 1985, they made their way to the US and have since spread
through most of the south.

Characteristics
Africanized honey bees are known for being highly aggressive and, unlike their more
docile cousins, will chase a person up to a quarter of a mile if they perceive a threat.

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 10/11
11/27/2018 The Common Races of Honey Bees - PerfectBee

There are more than 1,000 documented cases of Africanized bees killing humans and
other large animals, such as horses.

They begin foraging younger than other honey bee types and frequently produce
more honey. They also reproduce faster than other honey bees, meaning they require
more food.

Africanized bees are NOT a good choice for the new beekeeper.

Just don’t!

Summary
With the many different types of bees available, it can be tough to know where to
start. Based on the individual characteristics of each type of bee, some races of bees
are better suited to new hobbyist beekeepers than others.

What are the best bees for beginners?

In general, Italian, Carniolan, or Buckfast bee stock are the great choices for
beginning beekeepers, depending on climate. But there are many choices.

Mark Complete

https://members.perfectbee.com/lesson/common-races-of-honey-bee/ 11/11