Hi to all on BEE-L Keith Malone wrote: I was looking at some of my bees I got from Bolling Bee Co. and it seemed to me that some of the bees had wings that were longer than the bodies. Reply: You have seen it in no other bees you have ever gotten or kept? Is this the same for others on BEE-L? Keith also wrote: How far behind the end of the abdomen are the wings on your bees Dee? Reply: For the small blacks about a good tergit width, though some as the season progresses end right about there where the abdomen ends (for workerbees. With Drones it is consistantly longer. Also, on our hybrids we are trying to bring by breeding now, back to being simple hybrids, by reducing the number of subfamilies through use of out-of-season breeding, we are now starting to get constantly within range of the end of the abdomen and tergits with the wings, with some, but very little slightly longer. But it is harder here to do as yellow bee traits are at the furthest extent of range, wile the small blacks are at the beginning extent of range for temperate zone. Keith further wrote: Is it possible to see a picture of this about your bees? Reply: Our bees should not be unique, for this/these traits should be seen with any honeybee on a natural system within the the nautral sizing spectrum. I have pictures I could look thorugh, and others have been here taking pictures of our bees from here, that could look through what they have taken also to see, but to see the wings on paper for comparison in-general, so you can learn what to look for, for natural breeding selection stocklines, should not be hard to find IMPOV.If you need help let me know! Also as the wings are longer, I also look for the older markings of tigertails or what I call tootsie-roll queens Keith. These are bees striped yellowish with black and brownish banding markings, and black with brownish top tergit banding markings. You seen any Tigertails or tootsei-roll colouration queens Keith? If so, how do the wings match up? Regards, Dee A. Lusby __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com