6 bee races from European Breeds.
Honeybee Race
The most widely kept honeybee in the world, and for good reason. Italians are gentle, productive, and build up quickly in spring. They are the default recommendation for new beekeepers and the backbone of commercial pollination in the United States. Their one real weakness is a tendency to rob neighboring hives when nectar flow drops off.
$120 - $200 per package (3 lbs with queen)
Honeybee Race
A dark, gentle bee from the Alps and Balkans. Carniolans overwinter in small clusters, eating far less honey than Italians through the cold months. They explode in population when spring arrives, which makes them excellent for areas with a short but intense nectar flow. The tradeoff is a stronger swarming impulse that requires management.
$130 - $220 per package
Honeybee Race
Brought to the U.S. by the USDA Baton Rouge Bee Lab in the late 1990s from Russia's Primorsky region, where they coexisted with Varroa mites for over 150 years. Russian bees show measurably better mite resistance than most other stocks. They are thriftier with stores and adjust brood rearing to match available forage, but they can be defensive and are slower to build up in spring.
$140 - $250 per package
Honeybee Race
Originally from the high valleys of the Caucasus Mountains. Known for exceptionally long tongues that let them reach nectar in deep-tubed flowers other bees cannot work. Very gentle, sometimes almost sluggish. Their biggest drawback is heavy use of propolis, which can glue everything in the hive together and make inspections a sticky chore.
$140 - $240 per package
Honeybee Race
The original honeybee of northern Europe. German Blacks were the first bees brought to North America by colonists. They are extremely cold-hardy and can survive long winters on minimal stores. However, they tend to be nervous on the comb and more defensive than other European races, which is why most beekeepers switched to Italians and Carniolans decades ago.
$140 - $260 per package
Honeybee Race
A color variant of the Italian bee with a recessive gene that replaces black pigment with reddish-brown. Cordovans look like bright copper pennies in the hive, which makes finding the queen much easier. They share all the Italian traits, including gentleness and strong honey production. Mainly kept by hobbyists and queen breeders who value the visual appeal.
$130 - $220 per package