Carniolan Queens

[Aleks]

Hello!
Did any one had experience of keeping a Carniolan Bees and what do you think about them. Are they more gentle than Italian Bees?
Another question I have is why Breeder Queens are sold with clipped wings? Aren't' they going to be replaced by the colony after one season?

Thanks

[tom]

Hello

   I have three hives of carniolans plus i have two more coming in april and three packages of caucasians in may. The carniolans i have are very gentle and came tru the winter real good and are building up so good i had to put supers on two of them. I use to dael with italians and i really do not see any diference in the twoi had italians that were as gentle as the carniolans i have and then i had some that was just paln mean. But i have NWC carniolans i would not trade tehm for nothing they winter better and build up fast.

Tom

[Michael Bush]

Any bees can be gentle, including the Carnis.  They fly in colder weather, overwinter in smaller clusters and do well in cold climates.

[Dale]

  I have had good and bad experiences.  I know if carnys are crossbred with something else, the first generation can be down right mean.  I had some that went postal on me!  But all in all, if bees are not stressed out, they can all be gentle.

[CWBees]

I have a Carniolan queen in my observation hive. I think she has some NWC in her. They seem to handle mites real well since I have not seen any mites lately.

[Michael Bush]

>Another question I have is why Breeder Queens are sold with clipped wings?

2 reasons.  So they don't fly off.  So they can be positively identified even if the dot of paint is worn off.

> Aren't' they going to be replaced by the colony after one season?

Why?  I've had clipped queens that layed for four years.  I know because they were not only clipped but marked with the color of that year.

[Mici]

i think he mixed clipped wings with clipping leg for supercedure-IF it works.

[kgbenson]

three packages of caucasians in may. 

Where did you get the caucasians?

Keith

[Michael Bush]

I've also seen queens with a bum back leg lay for a couple of years, so I have my doubts about clipping a leg...

[tillie]

Bill Owens, a well-respected Georgia commercial beekeeper who only uses small cell in his hives, has a picture on his website of a wingless queen who is one of his best layers....note: he was going to replace her because she was wingless and didn't because she was such a fabulous layer.  Here's his website and her picture:

http://www.owensapiaries.net/

Linda T in Atlanta where it is unusually cold today

[Michael Bush]

She must have lost them after she mated... very interesting.

[kgbenson]

Bill Owens, a well-respected Georgia commercial beekeeper

Thanks!

Keith

[beekuk]

 I have also had queens with a paralysed back leg that have carried on laying,and laying well for a couple of seasons. Only ever had one with no wings at all,real methusela,brilliant queen,raised more queens from this one, and none turned out anywhere near as good.

[brooksbeefarm]

I have several hives of carniolans, I agree with most of the above. They don't seem to want to rob like the italians do. Mine are easy to work with, and good honey producers.

[BjornBee]

Aleks,
I love carni's.

If you took a scale from one to ten, and rated honey, you would have Italians on one end (lets say 10 being the best) and Russians on the other end (That being 1).

Then take another scale from one to ten for mite resistance, you would have italins at 1 being the worst, but you have Russians at the other end being a ten

Carni's to me are not as good as Italians with honey production, say an 8. And they are not as good as Russians with mite resistance, but they are an 8. They may not be better than either of the other two bees in their own top categories, but overall, they are close enough on the items I suggested, to make them a very good overall bees. Good in both honey and mite resistance.  And my best bees are hybrids between the Russian and carni.

One thing to keep in mind. Labels for bees should be used for generalized comments. There are good Russian breeders and less than adequate. The same goes for carni, Italian or anything else. Quality queens still comes down to a quality breeding program. You can but 10 different Russians from 10 places, and see drastic differences.

So pick out a good stock you would like to to try, then spend 5 times the research seeking a breeder. Ask questions. 

[dpence]

  And my best bees are hybrids between the Russian and carni.

Cool, that's good to know.  I have two hives of Carniolans, and I was going to try crossing them with my Russians both directions.  The Carni hive I plan to graft from is so gentle you can work them without a veil.  My Russians aren't hot but a little more lively than Italians.  Both a good producers.  The Russians I are excellent comb builders.  Every hive has a different personality.  It could get interesting though...

David

[comb]

i have carni italian mutts went to outyard today someone was so nice to take covers off 2 hives found covers under 2 feet of snow . 1is dead 1 is still suckin air i love mutts just my 2 cents

[Camp9]

[

   I have three hives of carniolans plus i have two more coming in april and three packages of caucasians in may.
Tom
[/quote]

Tom,   Where did you order Caucasians from? 

Camp