Black beauty!

[birdsandbees]

Hi all,

I was observing the front of my TB this evening and spotted this young bee on guard duty, she is very dark! (Top left)

This colony ( collected swarm this year) were struggling so I have added brood from another source and they have since superceded the old queen with a very dark one, she's almost black with a dark brown band on her abdomen, the current population are mixed in colour with old queen offspring and added brood from another source but I'm hopeful the new bees will all be this dark.

Also, should add that there is a wild colony 1/2 mile away I an old oak tree, could be what the queen mated with.

Would love to do some morphology tests on them to check AMM genetic content.

 

[masterBK]

Suggest that bee has Chronic bee paralysis virus syndrome 2

 

[birdsandbees]

Suggest that bee has Chronic bee paralysis virus syndrome 2

Oh dear! Have just read up on it, excuse my ignorance of CBPV I will certainly keep an eye on them, maybe I'll get them that dark properly one day without the assistance of a virus

 

[Jonathan]

Why would you want to? Black bees aren't always good. In fact in my experience it's almost always the opposite.

 

[REDWOOD]

Suggest that bee has Chronic bee paralysis virus syndrome 2

my thoughts to

 

[For want of a better word]

Suggest that bee has Chronic bee paralysis virus syndrome 2

The Amm we have are dark, but healthy looking, not anything like the ones in your image I am afraid.

The stripe pattern seem to appear to be leaning more towards one of the hybridised type of Mediterranean bee.


Yeghes da

 

[Dogwednesday]

Does anyone have proven 100% Apis mellifera mellifera in the U.K.?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Does anyone have proven 100% Apis mellifera mellifera in the U.K.?

Yes.

 

[Beefriendly]

Does anyone have proven 100% Apis mellifera mellifera in the U.K.?

Colonsay and Oronsay have them. Both designated as reserves for the native honey bee.
I have a couple of Irish Amm queens, about 90% by DNA analysis. Great bees to work with, although the ones I have are prone to chalk brood and not very productive honey wise. Depends what you want out your beekeeping whether you want to try some.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've heard the Colonsay ones are prone to chalkbrood as well