What Type of Bees Are Used in Beekeeping?

Like many animals, honeybees come in a variety of breeds called "stocks."

Honeybees come in a variety of breeds. These breeds, or "stocks," have specific traits that make them suitable to specific environments and better at fighting disease. Beekeepers find that certain stocks survive better in temperature extremes. If bees struggle to thrive, trying a different type of bee helps increase the strength of a hive.

Buckfast Bees

After British bees succumbed to disease in the 1920s, a monk at Buckfast Abbey created a new disease-resistant species of bees. The Buckfast bees withstand cold, damp climates. They groom themselves and the hive continuously to keep mites from infesting the hive. The bees aren't a bright shade of yellow, yet they're darker than Italians. On the downside, they're one of the more aggressive breeds.

Carniolan Bees

Carniolan bees differ from other breeds because they show more black than yellow. The bees seek pollen early in the season making it easy to collect honey more than once per season. This also gives you more wax for candles and cosmetics. Carniolan bees show little aggression, even if you don't smoke the hive before opening it. They do multiply quickly, creating a problem with swarming. Beekeepers must prevent overcrowding to keep the bees from leaving the hive.

Caucasian Bees

Caucasian bees suit warmer climates. These bees rarely survive harsh winters. The bees are medium to dark gray. Beekeepers enjoy working with them because they are gentle and rarely aggressive. They don't venture out to collect pollen until late in the spring, so honey production isn't plentiful. The bigger problem with Caucasian bees is their susceptibility to disease.

German Bees

German bees have a dark brown or black body with narrow yellow stripes. They do survive very cold winters making them a favorite variety for below-zero climates. However, this breed is aggressive and needs careful handling. For this reason, many beekeepers avoid them.

Italian Bees

Italian honeybees have light- to bright-lemon coloring without black stripes. They're popular with beekeepers due to their mild temperament during handling. Italian bees reproduce well and create ample stores of honey. The downfall to this bee variety is their prevalence to tracheal and varroa mites. Beekeepers must be proactive at mite prevention. Another problem with Italian bees involves their tendency to eat honey from the supers. Beekeepers should remove honey-filled supers regularly.

Russian Bees

Russian bees have a darker gray body with a little yellow. Benefits to this bee variety include their resistance to disease and their ability to survive long, cold winters. One unique feature with Russian bees is that it adapts to the environment. If the bee senses the pollen supplies are low, it stops breeding.

Crossbreeds

Some professional beekeepers create crossbreeds. The goal of crossbreeding is to combine the best traits from multiple varieties, usually disease resistance and demeanor. These crossbreeds include cordovan, midnight, Minnesota hygienic, SMR and starline bees.

References

• North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: The Different Types of Honey Bees
• North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: A Comparison of Russian and Italian Honey Bees
• University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Races of Honey Bees

Resources

• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension: Beekeeping Basics