Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 Western Australia, Series 3
Volume 8
Number 6 November - December, 1959 Article 6
12-1959
Race of bees Race of bees
R. S. Coleman
Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3 Part of the Apiculture Commons
Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Coleman, R. S. (1959) "Race of bees," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3:
Vol. 8: No. 6, Article 6.
Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3/vol8/iss6/6
This article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agriculture at Digital Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 by an authorized administrator of Digital Library. For more information, please contact library@dpird.wa.gov.au.
RACES OF BEES
From a Broadcast talk byR. S. COLEMAN, Officer-in-Charge, Apiculture
V7"OU have probably seen bees of various colours working the flowers in your garden.
••• Some have yellow stripes others have orange stripes some have no stripes a t all, and are a uniform grey or brown. These colours are the main differences between t h e
main races of bees.
The insects we call the honey bees are spread over the world now, but in the ancient times they were to be found only in Europe a n d t h e bordering countries.
There are other insects belonging to the same family and very closely related to the honey bees in Africa and Asia. These insects collect a n d store honey.
Until quite recently, t h a t is only a little more t h a n a century ago, there was almost no movement of hives and breeding stock from country to country. The few hives t h a t were shifted h a d no effect on the local bees. The bees t h a t were native to any area were adapted to their district and all had their good points but compared with the modern bee, they were poor honey- producers.
North of the Alps, and in France and Britain, lived a bee t h a t has been called the European Brown Bee. South of the Alps and around t h e Mediterranean, lived a bee with yellow stripes. To the North- East of Europe there was a bee t h a t tended to be grey r a t h e r t h a n brown a n d in the main groups there were many local varia- tions.
Two things started the dissemination of breeding stock. First was the increased knowledge of beekeeping which facilitated t h e breeding of different strains and races.
The other was the advent of acarine mite into Europe where susceptible stocks were often wiped out.
The first bees to be used in t h e breeding of better stock were t h e Ligurian bees from the Italian Alps. They were outstanding for their quietness and working ability and it was on this race t h a t all work on the production of better bees is based. So much so, t h a t while m a n y different races were used in building up t h e modern strains, most bees are still called "Italian"
if they have yellow bands. The three main races in use today, a r e the Italian, Car- niolian a n d t h e Caucasian.
The Italian bees still carry t h e three or more yellow stripes, of their Ligurian a n - cestors. They usually are high-producing bees but because of their mixed forebears, some are poor producers.
A characteristic of the Italian bee is t h a t they have wet cappings, they fill t h e cell to the top and leave no air space behind the cappings. They are prolific breeders a n d very strong hives are the rule r a t h e r t h a n the exception. This is a good point, be- cause the larger the hive, the more honey it will store, everything being equal.
The main exception is when the worker bees are short-lived, in which case a hive can be filled with brood a n d nurse bees and yet have very few bees in the field.
The other two races, t h e Caucasians a n d Carniolians are related to each other, as they belong to the grey-brown Eastern Europe group.
The Caucasians come from the Cauca- sian Mountains, and the Carniolians from the mountainous area between Austria a n d Yugoslavia, in fact all t h e s t a n d a r d races originated from mountain country. T h e Caucasians a n d the Carniolians have t h e same grey-brown appearance, and are very much alike in temper as well. Both are exceptionally quiet, arid can be worked on a flow by a beekeeper wearing shorts a n d a h a t without a veil or any real protection, with little fear of more t h a n an occasional sting.
They both have good producing strains and in general, there is little to choose between them. A point of difference is t h a t the Caucasians build a shield of propo- polis over the entrance to the hive to keep out enemies and the weather, a n d t h e Carniolians do not.
If at any time you have occasion to choose bees for breeding stock remember t h a t it is the strain t h a t is i m p o r t a n t n o t the race. All can be poor or good producers and all can be particularly quiet.
657
• Journal of agriculture Vol. 8 1959
THE BOOK THAT THE HOME GARDENER HAS BEEN WAITING FOR
A GUIDE TO
VEGETABLE GROWING
By Officers of
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
PRICE:
3s. 6d.
a t Counter or
4s. 5d.
Posted Obtainable from THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE, ST. GEORGE'S TERRACE,
PERTH
DON'T MISS THIS BOOK
G U I D E TO
Vegetable browing,.
wnxMnmm or Asiamme or warm tosmu*
N& mitm m mo
It contains 156 pages and 110 illustrations telling:—
* How to Prepare the Soil.
* How to Select Varieties.
* How to Sow the Seed.
* How to Feed the Plants.
* How to Avoid Losses from Pests and Diseases.
P l e a s e m e n t i o n t h e "Journal of Aoriculture, W . A . , " w h e n w r i t i n g t o a d v e r t i s e r s
Journal of agriculture Vol. 8 1959
