The Carniolan honeybee (Apis mellifera carnica) is a subspecies of Western honeybee. It originates from Slovenia, but can now be found also in Austria, part of Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... Suborders Apocrita Symphyta Many families, see article Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of Insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. ... Subfamilies Apinae - Honeybees Bombinae - Bumblebees Euglossinae - Orchid bees Meliponinae - Stingless bees Nomadinae Xylocopinae - Carpenter bees The Apidae are a large family of bees, comprising the common honeybees, stingless bees (which are also cultured for honey), carpenter bees, and bumblebees. ... Apis Species Categories: Stub | Insects ... Binomial name Apis mellifera The species called Western honeybees (Apis mellifera) are honeybees comprised of several subspecies or races. ... Trinomial nomenclature is a taxonomic naming system that extends the standard system of binomial nomenclature by adding a third taxon. ... Binomial name Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 The Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) is a species of honeybee comprised of several subspecies or races. ... Serbia and Montenegro  â€“ Serbia      â€“ Vojvodina      â€“ Kosovo (UN admin. ...

Origin

The bee is the subspecies of the Western honeybee that has naturalized and adapted to the Kranjska region of Slovenia, the Southern part of the Austrian Alps and North Balkan. These bees are known as Carniolans in English. At present this race (i.e., subspecies) is the second most popular among beekeepers (after the Italian honeybees). 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. Families Andrenidae Apidae Colletidae Halictidae Megachilidae Melittidae Stenotritidae Bee collecting pollen Bees (Apoidea superfamily) are flying insects, closely related to wasps and ants. ... Binomial name Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 The Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) is a species of honeybee comprised of several subspecies or races. ... Carniola (Slovenian Kranjska, German Krain) is a region in Slovenia. ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... ... Apis mellifera ligustica is the Italian bee which is a sub-species of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera). ... Honey honey comb A capped frame of honeycomb Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honeybees and other insects from the nectar of flowers. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), hollyhock (Sildalcea malviflora), lily (Lilium auratum), primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ...

Anatomy and Appearance

Carniolan honeybees are about the same size as the Italian honeybee race, but they are physically distinguished by their generally dusky brown-grey color that is relieved by stripes of a subdued lighter brown color. Their chitin is dark, but it is possible to find lighter colored or brown colored rings and dots on their bodies. They are also known as the ‘Grey Bee’.

Carniolan bees are nearly as big and long as the Western European black bees, though their abdomens are much slimmer. Furthermore, the Carniolan bee has a very long tongue (6.5 to 6.7 mm, which is very well adapted for clover), a very high elbow joint and very short hair. Trinomial name Apis mellifera mellifera Linaneus, 1758 The European dark bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) was domesticated in modern times, and taken to North America in colonial times. ...

Source: The Hive and the honeybee, published by Dadant 1975

Character and Behavior

beneficial

• considered to be gentle and non-aggressive
• can be kept in populated areas.
• sense of orientation considered better than the Italian honeybee 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
• able to quickly adapt to changes in the environment
• better for areas with long winters
• rhythm of brood production very steep
• small use of propolis
• resistant to brood diseases
• for areas with strong spring nectar flow

Propolis is a wax-like resinous substance collected by bees from tree buds and used as cement and to seal cracks or open spaces in the hive. ... Common diseases, parasites, pests, and ailments of the honeybee include: // Varroa mites Varroa mite on a honeybee larva Main articles: Varroa destructor Varroa destructor and Varroa jacobsoni are parasitic mites that feed off the bodily fluids of adult, pupal and larval bees. ... -- see Discussion -- // Northern nectar sources for honeybees The nectar source in a given area depends on the type of vegetation present and the length of their bloom period. ...

not beneficial

• more prone to swarming
• low ability to produce wax and build comb (not uniformly accepted as fact)
• low ability to thrive in hot summer weather

Honeycomb on a Langstroth frame A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal wax cells built by honeybees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen. ...

External links

• Slovenian beekeeper webpage
• Carnica Royal Jelly Research
• Slovenian beekeeping portal