Queen colouring...

[RoseCottage]

So I wonder what actually happened here...

Original queen a dirty light brown - likely Carniolan...bees completely docile and slow moving on frames
Daughter queen a dirty light brown colour ... bees completely docile and slow moving on frames.
Grand daughter as above...bees completely docile (even when q-)

Great grand daughter much much darker almost black...bees much more flighty and interested and very active on frames, and queen literally running across frames.


Is it a case of finally breeding out the good gene pool? If it means the grand daughter mated with an out of strain drone for the eggs that made this queen then what strain may have produced this very dark but still banded queen?

All the best,
Sam

 

[Arfermo]

So I wonder what actually happened here...
Is it a case of finally breeding out the good gene pool? If it means the grand daughter mated with an out of strain drone for the eggs that made this queen then what strain may have produced this very dark but still banded queen?

Local mongrel? There's a lot of 'em about!!!

 

[For want of a better word]

some but not all of my second generation Carniolians have been bitches from hell

ReQueen with a friendlier one!

 

[Midland Beek]

That be Amm. You have probably got a BIBA member near you.

 

[huntsman666]

<....mated with an out of strain drone...>

Could just be getting back closer to native Apis millifera millifera.