To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology              <[log in to unmask]>,
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From: Carlos Aparicio <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: black bees
 
The black bee is "apis mellifera mellifera", and the blonde bee is
"apis mellifera lig=FAstica".
 
The black bee, is something larger than lig=FAstica, their tongue is
shorter, their colonies are more uniforms (larger winter colonies) and
is stronger for hard winter conditions. When the better time for blonde
bee is mid summer, for black bee is late summer.
 
The natural environment for black bee is Atlantic shore of Europe,
and for lig=FAstica is the mediterranean weather, more benign than the
former.
 
Some people found black bee more difficult of work for a hard
character, and tendency to sting.
 
More important, is than black bee, is stronger for diseases, mainly
mites.
 
To day, there is several organisations in England and France who are
going back to dark bee (Information on Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders'
Association can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary Albert Knight
([log in to unmask]).).
 
Here in Uruguay (South America) with a temperate weather (35=BA= south
lattitude) we have a stabilized hybrid between both races, which is
very resistant to mites and we have apiaries with 3000 bees which are
doing no treatmente against varroa.
 
Regards:
CARLOS APARICIO