[log in to unmask] wrote:

> I have the European contingent of a U.N. of bees here and they're all
> different,  useful, and nice.  For instance, my Cordovans make no surplus
> honey but make loads of bees, but they are so good at nursing brood, and
so
> sweet to handle for these manipulations, that I will keep a colony of
> Cordovans just to raise queens from brood of other stock, and for a ready
> supply of bees and brood....

"Cordovan" is a genetic trait associated across breeds, it is not a breed in
and of itself.  There are Cordovan Italians and Cordovan Carniolans and
cordovan...  The cordovan trait is a genetic lack of color pigment, somwhat
akin to albino mice (white with pink eyes) or albino humans.  It is a
recessive trait, so it is hard to keep in open mated queens.  As such, it
can be a good indicator to determine if your cordovan queen has been
superseded.  The hive bees can change from a light golden color to a much
darker color when the progeny of the new queen emerges.

I keep a few cordovan hives in my bee yards as they make good show-n-tell
stories for visitors.  The foragers are also easily identified away from the
hive.  On can quickly tell that the bee on that dandelion came from my hive!

Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!