Available Starting April 27, 2023

Carniolan Queens

The Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica Pollman) is a subspecies of the western honey bee. The Carniolan honey bee is native to Slovenia and to some others regions of the former Yugoslavia, southern Austria, and parts of Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. These bees are known as Carniolans, or “Carnies” for short, in English. At present this subspecies is the second most popular among beekeepers (after the Italian bee). It is favored among beekeepers for several reasons, not the least being its ability to defend itself successfully against insect pests while at the same time being extremely gentle in its behavior toward beekeepers. These bees are particularly adept at adjusting worker population to nectar availability. It relies on these rapid adjustments of population levels to rapidly expand worker bee populations after nectar becomes available in the spring, and, again, to rapidly cut off brood production when nectar ceases to be available in quantity. It meets periods of high nectar with high worker populations and consequently stores large quantities of honey and pollen during those periods. They are resistant to some diseases and parasites that can debilitate hives of other subspecies.

Benefits of Carniolans:

• Considered to be gentle and non-aggressive
• Can be kept in populated areas.
• Sense of orientation considered better than the Italian honey bee race
• Less drifting of bees from one hive to a neighboring hive
• When compared to the Italian race, they are not as prone to rob honey
• Able to overwinter in smaller numbers of winter bees; honey stores are conserved.
• Able to quickly adapt to changes in the environment
• Better for areas with long winters
• Rhythm of brood production very steep. Brood rearing is reduced when available forage decreases
•  For areas with strong spring nectar flow and early pollination
• Forage earlier in the morning and later in the evening, and on cool, wet days.
• Workers live up to 12% longer than other breeds

Orders are not considered placed until payment is received.

Call “Bob the Bee Guy” 734-748-2185
E-Mail bob@bobilinhoney.com