The black bee is "apis mellifera mellifera", and the blonde bee is
"apis mellifera ligústica".
        The black bee, is something larger than ligústica, 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 ligústica 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 (35º south
lattitude) we have a stabilized hybrid  between both races, which is very
resistant to mites and we have apiaries with 3000 bees whicn are doing no
treatmente against varroa.
 
        Regards:
 
 
        CARLOS APARICIO        
 
        
 
 
At 10:20 PM 16/08/1998 EDT, Richard Spiekhout wrote:
>I am in So central Ky.  these bees are(to me) the same size as the familiar
>brown or golden honey bee.  I read today thet many wild bees are black and
>some of the first brought here from Germany were black.  I have no Idea where
>they live but seem gentle while working the basil in my garden.
>richard
>
>