# Do older bees get darker?



## SSmithers (Jul 2, 2009)

I'm worried about my hive being robbed and I'm trying to figure out if I have a big problem on my hands. After a frenzy which made me think that was the problem and ask some questions here, I noticed some yellow granules on the floor. So I reduced the entrance to the smallest possible and watched to see who was doing what.

I see golden bees with distinct butt stripes and also darker bees with similar butt stripes at the entranceway. i try to look to see if one is robbing, but after only 3 weeks I have a hard time distinguishing if they seem heavy or light and what the leg position is. i pulled out a frame of comb and open honey and saw mostly all golden bees. Since it was kinda cool and windy I didn't mess around with the brood box to see who was in there. I closed the hole in the top of the brood box, which hadn't been too busy, and noticed that mostly darker bees tried that one. Still no overt fighting.

Are the darker bees just older golden bees, and I'm being paranoid? Do all the bees in a hive look real similar (which would mean I have a problem) or could this be a natural variation, and I just don't know my bees.

I finally found the hardware cloth to make a robber screen and I'll try that next and see who's where in the morning.


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## beebiker (May 5, 2009)

hi SS
im not sure this will answer your question since you haven't said how long you've had this hive up and running. when i first got my package of bees they were virtually all golden with a small tip of black, nice light colored lines on their tails and quite uniform. its been about three months now and i can see a marked change in the type of bees comming and going from the hive, the majority of them are almost coal black. so black in fact you haft to take a second look to make sure they are not a blow fly :scratch:, so much for ordering italian bees :lpf:
i havent noticed a diffrence in their disposision or work ethic but the queen definitly had a variety of drones around to breed from that much is obviouse.
unless you see fighting at the entrance i would think that you are ok, test the granuals you see on the floor, it's probably wax and pollen that get dropped as they go about their busy day.
im sure others will have a better idea on this one, im new and still learning :lpf:

beebiker


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

Robber bees can look greasy or oiled down.
Ernie


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

As a bee gets older, it loses hair. The loss of hair makes them look darker.

Worker bee colors are influenced by the drone father. Since the queen mates with several drones, she can store sperm from many different colored drones. I've seen hives that had Italian looking workers and dark workers with gray stripes and no orange on them and all these workers from the same queen. 

So don't be concerned simply because you have different colored bees in a hive. If you have robbing, you will see other signs, such as hundreds of bees fighting and many dead bees.


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Yep...I have two hives that the queen makes three different colored bees.


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## SSmithers (Jul 2, 2009)

The frenzy at the front and the dead bee is a couple days past now. I might open the entrance to next setting and keep a watch. They weren't a package setup where you would expect bees and queen didn't start out together, they were a box my friend had been holding since spring for a lady who never called back. But I had never looked closely until I thought there was a problem. I thought some gold ones were quite different with a gold dot on their back , but that's just pollen from doing a flower, right?


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

As CB said, older gals lose their hair and look darker.
And they are ornery to be sure.


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## Nan3902 (May 18, 2009)

I am a new Beek, too, and I noticed LOTS of my bees weren't the fuzzy little friendly looking ones that came with my packaged bees in May. They looked bigger and darker, but maybe the dark colert made them look bigger. I wondered if the new queen I bought stayed with the Italian drones she was supposed to, or she had wild dates with who knows who ? Ha !

Nancy
Ovid, NY


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## Blossom (Nov 29, 2008)

*I'm new to beekeeping also but from my understanding the package of bees you get are NOT babies from your queen. We should all know that. They are just bees. She is the breed you ordered and bred already with drones of that breed. She is bred for her life already :s Her off spring will be what you ordered. She doesn't go flying off unless she is splitting. If you have a hive that requeens, that queen will have to fly to get bred and bred with whatever drones are around that area. I'm learning from someone with over 35 years in beekeeping and he knows his stuff. 

About robbing screen, - I just put mine on my 2 hives. They catch on right away of how to come and go now. I hope it works. Nothin' too good for my girls! *


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## Nan3902 (May 18, 2009)

So if an Italian queen flies off to mate and there are other than Italian drones in the area, do the Italian drones kill them off to get to their queen ?

Nancy
Ovid, NY


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

here is an interesting note, wide color varation in open breed bees, Not super bad but you can see it, However my AI queens from Glenns, ALL THE SAME>>>>> like darn clones.....

actualy kinda cool!


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## Blossom (Nov 29, 2008)

*No, she will breed with anything that is out there but when you order an Italian queen (or whatever) she is suppose to be bred with only italian drones so when you get her she starts laying italian eggs. When they start hatching you are getting her off spring. The bees you got with her are to take care of her off spring and you know how the cycle goes those bees die off.

I never ever dreampt I would be a beekeeper. I have so much to learn and there is so much to learn.*


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_So if an Italian queen flies off to mate and there are other than Italian drones in the area, do the Italian drones kill them off to get to their queen ?_

No. A queen prefers to mate with drones from other hives, and if the only Italian drones were from her hive, she would want to mate with a different breed of bee.

I've heard a queen can mate with up to 42 drones, so there isn't as much competitions between drones to be the lucky one. I've never heard of drones killing other drones to increase their chances of mating death. The 'lucky' drones die - the unlucky virgin drones get to live another day.


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## Blossom (Nov 29, 2008)

:lpf:*Those drones are dying to have sex... Personally, I don't think it's worth it.....*


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

Yes, darker bees do get older.


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