Author Topic: black bees  (Read 1799 times)

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Offline vvand111

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black bees
« on: April 22, 2020, 01:00:56 pm »
Hello to ever one. Its been awhile since I have been here. I have been bu with all kinds of stuff including bees.
I started 5 ears ago and Idee helped me tremendously during my first 2 ears. Thank you Idee and Keith for helping me develop my on beekeeping beliefs and habits. There is always a lot to learn. Man more of ou had a grat influence on me as well. Perry and Jen thank you.

I started with Waynes bees and all of my bees I now consider to be waynes bees descendants. They are a gentle group and I have done as Idee asked and not treated them. I have  lost several hives in 5 years thanks to either my negligence or plain stupidity. Been very fortunate and lucky but try to work at it. I started with 2 hives and got up to as many as 20. Too much work for this guy these days. I have combined downward  to get down to 10 now. That is at least manageable for now.

I was observing one of my hives yesterday and saw some commotion going on. There were 2 bees trying get in hive and my bees did not want to have any part of it. In a closer look these 2 bees trying to get in were a little bigger and were black on the back  Almost solid black. They did not make it after many trys.

I looked this bee up and I think It is a western European honey bee. 

I have never seen 1 and wonder if anyone else has expiernced this in the south. I am in Georgia.  ???

Thanks 

Offline iddee

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Re: black bees
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2020, 04:47:18 pm »
Not familiar with the bee you are describing, but it sounds more like a solitary bee looking to steal larva for protein for their offspring.  That, of course, is just a guess.

PS. Good to see you back.
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Offline Jacobs

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Re: black bees
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2020, 06:21:01 am »
Older bees that may be involved in robbing often will have little hair left and appear to be black or dark.  My guess is probing that is being dealt with.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: black bees
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2020, 06:59:46 pm »
I've dealt with a couple hives of "Black Bees" and someone always says they were old or not honey bees... they were honey bees straight up, and almost pure black, not to mention mean as hades.. the queen actually had some gold coloration around where he legs and wings attached to her body.. she was gorgeous, but unfortunately very dead when I found her after spraying/fogging the hive just so I could get close enough to cut it out...   I should have sent a sample in, but I didnt think they could do anything to tell me about them after they had been fogged. At the time I was pretty angry with them.. they didn't act like honeybees should act. I have even helped deal with africanized bees in Del Rio, and they were not as bad as the black devils.
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Offline Beagle

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Re: black bees
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2020, 12:55:29 pm »
Hi

I'm in England and I have a colony of Medieval British Blacks





https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/apr/18/black-honeybees-rediscovered-in-britain

Could be that some of these have made their way to the US?

Nice to work with, similar to Buckfasts but slightly psychotic on the rare occurrence that they get angry. Very hardy, I've had a colony of them for 5 years and unusually I still have the original queen present, still laying well.
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Offline Zweefer

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Re: black bees
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2020, 07:07:22 pm »
Haven't seen any stateside (or in my neck of the woods anyhow).  thanks for sharing! 
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: black bees
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2020, 08:05:48 pm »
Beagle.. THAT is exactly what I was talking about. The bees I had to deal with are exactly what you have pictured. THANK YOU for sharing!
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Offline Zweefer

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Re: black bees
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2020, 08:33:42 pm »
I take back my statement.  we apparently DO have them stateside.  :D
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: black bees
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2020, 08:53:52 pm »
We have a member, Brooksbeefarm, that posted often about his MEAN black bees.  He said that was the sub species that he grew up with and continued to keep them.  He's from SouthWest Missouri.  I haven't seen him around for a couple of years.  Hope he's doing well.

Offline RAST

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Re: black bees
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2020, 05:12:13 pm »
 I remember Jim Bakersdozen, coincidentally two solid black ones caught my attention yesterday, cleaning up honey burr comb in the bed of my truck.

Offline rober

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Re: black bees
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2020, 03:25:06 pm »
i see some black bees from time to time. some of the old time beekeepers in this area tell me they are german bees brought here in the mid to late 1800's. those genetics have to be fairly watered down but the black color still persist.  kinda' makes sense as st louis & some nearby communities had a big influx of german immigrants in the mid & late 19th century. some germans i know tell me that the franklin county landscape along the missouri river resembles the rhine valley.

Offline Jen

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Re: black bees
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2020, 06:38:19 pm »
Could it be simply pure carniolan bees? Carniolan queens are pure black, so beautiful!


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