In message <[log in to unmask]>, Robert Brenchley <[log in to unmask]> writes >Could this be a case of >a queen having mated with drones of different races, and producing different >coloured offspring? This is quite common here in West Cornwall (UK). Hives with mostly black bees may have a % with 1 or even 2 orange stripes. I have mostly pure black with some colonies having up to 1/3 and others as little as under 10% one stripe. I take this last to mean there was one drone father from mixed race out of the 14 or so drones she mated with (average for the race) the rest being black. I have most of my colonies sited in pairs on a double stand 6 ft long (2m) separated by 10 or more yards (10m) so drifting should be minimal. I have seen colonies with 3 yellow bands and black bees roughly 50:50. We had an indigenous black bee population augmented by imports mostly of Italians with a few occasional Carniolans. Now with varroa, we will presumably have a higher % mixed, unless some wild colonies survive with the ability to keep varroa down. Some of us prefer the black bee and are prepared to cull yellow queens or any that are badly mixed. (We have to look at the sizes of segments to select the Carniolans out). I put mating nucs at sites where my bees at least are as black and as good performing as I can get. Yes, there is a drone mix which bad weather sorts out!! Dark queens and drones fly at lower temperatures and in wetter weather, well, drizzle actually. So matings tend to be better IMHO. It is interesting to see colonies where queens mated very quickly and race away and others where queens seem to take ages to produce offspring. I am able to cull/combine to suit my preference for near-native characters. -- James Kilty