On Mon, 28 Oct 1996 20:46:15 -0800 apis <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>RICHARD BARNES wrote:
>>
>> Fellow Bee-L'ers, I have a question?
>>
>> How many different patterns of colors do you find in your hives?
>>I ask the above question because these bees have many different
patterns of stripes.  Some are the standard 6 striped italians,
>> some have only very light stripes but the stinger end of the bee is
>dark
>> nearly a third up the thorax.  I even have some bees with no
>noticable
>> stripes just what at eye site appears to be a yellow bee the drones
>are
>> solid dark and about 10% of the workers are solid dark.  The bees
>seem to
>> all be getting along.
 
   This sounds like a queen that has mated with different strains of
drones.  I have not always requeened with the same kind of bees, and when
one of mine supersedes, it is an integrated hive!  I can see italians,
carniolans, and whatnot.  The cross-strain hybrids seem to be stronger,
other things being equal.
 
 
Gerry and the other Visels at
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