Hello O. M. Watson,

Albino bees are basically,  3 banded white striped Italians,  popular in 
the late 1800‘s.

I had the ‘albino bees’ article from 1891 saved in my ‘to be edited 
files’, slated to be posted on the ‘Historical Honeybee Articles’ site.  I 
gave it top priority so I may post the article here first.

Please be aware that the historical articles I post are meant to give an 
understanding of the “beekeeping knowledge and beliefs at the time“.  Here 
on Bee-L, as is customary, the article may be picked to pieces 
for ‘terrible errors’ it may contain.  But keep in mind that I post it 
as 'beekeeping knowledge and beliefs at the time', and perhaps it should 
be simply accepted as such in all it‘s historical beauty.
  
On the Historical Honeybee Article site, I refrain as much as possible 
from commenting on any articles posted, instead, allowing the reader to 
interpret the information as their understanding permits, be it a tall 
tale, embellished material or factual.  

But I would like to take rare exemption from this policy to ask the reader 
to please take note that, ’at the time’ they describe the Albino bees as 
being “good defenders of their home”  as well as having the “gentleness” 
trait.  Interesting that in the time, they felt important that bees need 
the trait of gentleness as well as defensive behavior,  two traits that 
perhaps beekeepers now a days might be assumed in conflict. 


Homestead, The
Friday, December 11, 1891 Des Moines, Iowa

Albino Bees.

MR. EDITOR :—Many have expressed a
desire to know something about the habits,
color and origin of the Albino bees.
Our observation and experience with
these bees corroborates the opinion that
they are a strain of the Italians, or that
they sprang from an Italian sport. The
honor of bringing out this now race is
claimed by A. Pike, who says that
late in the fall a queen was reared from
a colony of Italian bees and allowed to
remain with the colony until spring,
when it was found that about one-half
of her working progeny was mildly marked
Italian bees, and the other half were
marked in the following manner: Beginning
at the waist they first have three
distinct yellow bands, then three distinct
white bands. The white is pure, not
muddy or dirty, the wings are finer and
of a bright silvery color, and their shoulders
and under part of the abdomen are
very thickly coated with white hair. 

As soon as this was noticed the breeding
out process was commenced, using
the greatest care to get them pure, if
possible. They were removed to a place
where they were not likely to come in
contact with other bees, and kept there
until they reproduced themselves with
all the markings of the pure Albino.
Then by close watching and careful examinations
until no Italian bees, or any
bees bearing any other marks than
those of the Albino were found among
them, it was considered that they were
in their purity and would not breed back
to Italians. Their habits are somewhat
the same as the Italians, but for gentleness
they surpass the Italians, being
very quiet and easy to handle, requiring
very little smoke. Instead of taking
fight on the removal of a comb from the
hive they cluster close to it, thus showing
no desire to leave it, and if the combs
are not too carelessly removed the
queens, instead of hiding, proceed with
their laying, showing no signs of being
disturbed. As a usual thing the queens
are largo and beautiful. They are a
bright reddish yellow and generally have
the white hair as described in the workers.
As to their breeding, the queens
are very prolific and fill the combs very
compactly with brood. These bees are
good workers, good defenders of their
home, strong of wing, as well as good
providers for winter stores.

Since introducing the Albinos into my
apiary in 1884 I have never found it
necessary to feed them for winter, while
my Italians and Blacks have several
times had to be fed that they might winter
safely. The drones are large, red-banded,
and covered with white hair
underneath. The Albinos differ from
Italians in color by approaching nearer
purple about the eyes, and by having
white or Ivory colored rings around the
body, which gives them a silvery appearance
and which caused Prof. Eastman to
remark, "What a fine, silvery appearance
they have."

These bees are less inclined to swarm
than the Italians, which is a commendable
trait. I can say as S. Valentine remarked,
that for beauty, gentleness,
honey gathering and all that is desirable
in a bee, the Albino has no superior
known to the American apiarist.
Sheffield, Illinois.         A. L. Kildow.

(Mr. Kildow is one of the most extensive
breeders of these bees in the United
States.—EDITOR). 

==== I also found a supplier for Albino Bees ;) ======

San Antonio Light, The
Saturday, May 24, 1884 San Antonio, Texas

NOTICE!

Swarms of Bees and Queens for Sale.

One Italian or Albino Queen, $3.50
One purely mated Albino Queen, $4 00.
Packing swarms $1 00 extra. None
but guaranteed pure gold.
P. P. LINNARTZ.
Orders for above, also for extracted
honey, to be left at Nie Tengg’s.

==========

Best Wishes,

Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA   
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles

“Keep plenty of cows and bees, as
the surest way of having milk and
honey. Confine your cows with a
good fence but let your bees go at
large.” -American Farmer, 
‘Hints to Farmers‘ - 1831

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