Over the past few months we have been sampling and assessing colonies throughout queen breeders operations. We looked at colony size, weight, brood pattern, bee color and queen status. I had a chance to photograph some different Italian queens (Apis mellifera ligustica) and Carniolan queens (Apis mellifera carnica).
Both species are usually gentle and can be kept in areas with people without problems. There are many differences between the two subspecies of bees; some say the Carniolan queens are better for colder climates. Despite these differences, queen breeders generally breed for some of these characteristics below. I have also included photographs of some of these queens.
Gentleness
Spring Buildup
Pollen Hoarding
Honey Production
Temperament of the queen on the frame
Brood pattern
Colony size out of spring
Resistance to Varroa and tracheal mites
Resistance to disease
Uniformity in worker size
