WHO’S THAT GIRL?

In my quest to identify my queen bee with my husband, and hum Madonna, I began searching for a live reference chart rather than relying on drawn illustrations. 

 At first glance, a drawn chart seemed to suggest that my beautiful queen bee’s coloring resembled the Africanized bee —wait, that can’t be right! The hive was buzzing, but not aggressive. Rather than jumping to conclusions, I dug deeper, investigating various breeds and their traits. What I uncovered was fascinating, and if I ever purchase more queens, I now have a better idea of which breeds I’d like to experiment with. Most excitingly, I may have finally identified our own queen bee. 

As I continued my research, I realized that each breed not only has distinct coloring tendencies, but also specific behavioral tendencies—how they build their hive, their inclination to stay or leave. Instead of focusing solely on appearance, I considered how this queen behaved and in relation to her hive’s dynamics. 

Now, let’s talk about the hive she is in, the Tish hive. We named it after our friend, Tish, from whom we purchased it in July 2023. Tish is fabulous by the way, and if you’d like her newsletters, definitely reach out.  

To know a little more about our Tish hive setup: We are located in Beautiful Northern Texas at the tip of the hill country. Yes! Our land actually has some contour, which we absolutely love. We also have a river runs through it, seasonal creek named Contrary Creek. 

Our usual and preferred hive setup consists of two deeps—a system we prefer because it allows for easy splits. We're not in beekeeping for honey production (although we do extract excess honey- more on that reasoning in a different write up), but rather for the joy of raising more bees for the planet and deepening our understanding of these incredible creatures. My husband is also embracing beekeeping as a new learning experience. With this approach, we find that using two deeps, followed by a queen excluder and a super on top, keeps the hives healthier and provides ample space. This setup reduces the need for frequent checks while minimizing the risk of swarming. 

My husband while suiting up and physically inspecting the hives lovingly films the experience so I can check out the hives, indoors,  at my leisure. During my ‘inspection’ of the Tish hive, I made a particularly noteworthy discovery. On a single frame in the bottom deep, I spotted five queen cups supersedure cells^{1 cell}—all positioned in various placements mid frame. We examined them more closely to determine whether they contained larvae.  They were empty so this was just good defensive housekeeping by the bees. Even more surprising was finding even more multiple queen cups on the upper deep box frame.  WOW what a significant number! Typically, we only come across one or two, but this time there were seven. Very distinct housekeeping difference than what we are used to seeing. 

This inspection has certainly deepened my understanding of my hive and its new natural queen.  Natural meaning, we did not color dot , nor purchase her. This hive produced her naturally.  I’m eager to continue observing and learning. Have you ever encountered this many queen cups at once? It makes me wonder what might be unfolding inside the colony. 

My husband happened to call me while I was investigating. In an attempt to play, ‘find the queen bee type’ with me he typed in google, based on color, for he figured she was a bit darker in color than we usually had in that hive. I already knew color didn’t matter too too much as I have found different colorways within each breed of honey bee.  But it’s fun to play with my husband and who knows? We might find our something new we didn’t know before. Turns out, BINGO! We did find out a fun new interesting fact: Queen bee development at lower temperatures can lead to darker coloration, while warmer temperatures tend to produce lighter queens. Huh! Interesting.  

Our last queen was a beautiful golden Carniolan queen bee¹, but her actions were not like our new queen. So I kept looking and found a Russian cross that is prevalent in beekeeping. I summarized and bulleted key differences below.² 

I think we might have a Russian, mainly because of all the supersedure Queen cups and the fact that the last time I physically inspected the hive with my hubby, I had quite the experience! 

We opened the hive and unexpectedly, the hive was a bit more active in its response than usual before brooding season. Then again, it had more brood than we were expecting for the beginning of brooding season. The girls were not overly aggressive but definitely letting us know their displeasure at being disturbed. I was pinged several times on my facemask.  

Now people, please for the love of all things, please, ALWAYS check your facemask. My worst nightmare is a bee getting in my facemask- I just shiver at the thought. Well guess what? Yepp. One got in my facemask and buzzed my ear quiet a few times as I worked really hard to walk away calmly and humming.  “What a beautiful bee , I love you so much.” Hoping she wouldn’t sting me. About halfway to dark garage safety, where I could take off the suit and let her fly out, she finally gave up and stung my check. I’m guessing the sting was probably in exasperation to not figuring out how to get back out of my headgear and likely not as enamored by my off tune humming strategy as I had hoped. At first I thought maybe my humming pleasantly with happy thoughts, kept her at bay, but now reading the Russian tendencies, I likely lucked out with their inherent nature and their tendency to hesitate before stinging. My experience fits their profile.   

^{1 cell} Supersedure vs. Swarm Cells: Key Differences 

A supersedure cell is created when a colony needs to replace an aging, ill, or missing queen. Multiple supersedure cells are often produced to increase the chances of raising a strong new queen, with the first one to emerge typically taking over. Beekeepers can find these cells extending downward from the comb face, with most colonies producing one to three at a time. 

A swarm cell, on the other hand, forms when a colony is preparing to swarm due to overcrowding. These cells produce new queens, with the strongest one staying behind to lead the remaining hive while the old queen leaves with a portion of the colony. Swarm cells tend to appear along the edges of the comb, and beekeepers often find several at varying developmental stages. 

Regardless of the type, it's common to see multiple queen cells in a hive. Bees may create up to ten cells to ensure a healthy queen emerges. Understanding the differences can help beekeepers manage hive health and prevent unnecessary swarming. 

¹Carniolan Queen Bee, the gentle giant of beekeeping: Gentle, Productive, and Hardy  

Carniolan Queen Bees are highly regarded for their calm temperament, exceptional honey production, and ability to thrive in colder climates. Their gentle nature makes them ideal for both beginners and experienced beekeepers, allowing for easier hive management with minimal stress during inspections. 

These queens lead strong, efficient colonies known for their impressive foraging ability, quickly building populations that maximize honey yields. Their Eastern European origins have shaped their excellent winter hardiness, enabling them to regulate colony size based on available resources—expanding in favorable conditions and conserving energy when food is scarce. This adaptability reduces winter losses and supports healthy spring growth. 

They can also coexist with other bee varieties, though each species has unique behaviors and needs. 

For those new to beekeeping, Carniolan queens are a fantastic choice. Their balanced traits of gentleness, resilience, and productivity make them a reliable option, especially for colder climates.  

Management Challenges:  

While Carniolan bees can have a higher tendency to swarm due to rapid spring buildup, proper hive management—such as monitoring space and performing timely splits—can help prevent this.  

Fast facts:  

Early Brood Production: Carniolans kick off their brood production swiftly in early spring, ensuring a robust start to colony growth.  

• Gentle Temperament: Their gentle disposition and minimal aggression make Carniolan bees a preferable choice for densely populated areas. 

• Winter Endurance: These bees overwinter successfully, displaying resilience in the face of colder months. 

• Disease Resistance: Carniolans boast a natural resistance to brood diseases, promoting the overall health of their colonies. 

• Foraging Prowess: Carniolans have an extended foraging window, being active earlier and later in the day, even in wet conditions. 

• Less Prone to Robbing: Their ability to defend their hives makes them less prone to robbing. They’ll famously attack parasites for the sake of keeping their hives safe. 

²Russian Honey Bee Traits & Challenges: Russian bees are moderately gentle but can be more defensive than Italians. Their behavior varies by strain and hive. They are highly resource-aware, scaling back brood production during food shortages, making them well-suited for climates with seasonal forage. 

Unlike other breeds, Russian bees often raise queens without swarming, possibly as a precaution against queen failure. While most queen cells are destroyed before emergence, about 20% of colonies allow two queens to coexist, a rare trait among honey bees. 

Pest Resistance & Mite Control 

Russian bees exhibit strong resistance to tracheal and varroa mites, as well as some resilience against American foulbrood and small hive beetles. Their varroa defense mechanisms include: 

• Brood cycle adjustments to disrupt mite reproduction. 

• Varroa Sensitive Grooming (VSG)—actively biting mites. 

• Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH)—uncapping brood to remove developing mites. 

While they still require occasional mite treatments, their natural defenses make them one of the best choices for mite-resistant beekeeping. 

Management Challenges 

Due to their rapid colony expansion, Russian bees require careful hive management to prevent swarming. Beekeepers should monitor space and provide adequate drawn comb for egg-laying. Requeening a colony can be tricky, especially when introducing a Russian queen to an Italian hive—acceptance may take up to 16 days. 

Fast Facts 

• Dark brown or black with pale yellow stripes. 

• Imported by the USDA in 1997 for mite resistance. 

• Available for purchase in the U.S. since 2000. 

• Often head-butt threats rather than sting. 

• Purebred Russian bees retain desirable traits better than hybrids.