Dark Bee

Dark Bee gathering nectar (Daniel Wöcke / mellifera.ch, Verein Schweizerischer Mellifera Bienenfreunde)

Origin and development

The Dark Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) is a very old breed of honeybee. During the last ice age, which ended around 12 000 years ago, the Dark Bee retreated to the warmer Mediterranean region. It subsequently recolonised – and for millennia was the only honeybee in – Northern and Central Europe. Only in the mid-19th century was its dominance threatened by imports of southern breeds, such as the Carniolan honeybee or crosses such as the Buckfast bee; today, it is less commonly found in a purebred form. As bee mating involves nuptial flights, controlled breeding is difficult if drones (male bees) of other breeds are also present in the area. The canton of Glarus found a political solution to this problem, by permitting only the Dark Bee to be kept. Alternatively, there may be isolated areas in which only one breed of bees is kept.

Description

Characteristic of this breed is its dark, round abdomen with long overhairs and no yellow segments. In a cold mountain climate, the dark colour is advantageous, enabling the bees to warm up more rapidly in the sun. Indeed, the Dark Bee is noted for being extremely cold- and winter-hardy. Like all bees, the Dark Bee produces not only honey but also beeswax, propolis (resinous “bee glue”) and pollen – a popular dietary supplement.

Young Dark Bee queen with her colony and brood (Linus Kempter / mellifera.ch, Verein Schweizerischer Mellifera Bienenfreunde)

Breeding objectives

h Health h Gentleness h Yield

References

mellifera.ch, Verein Schweizerischer Mellifera Bienenfreunde (www.mellifera.ch) apisuisse (www.bienen.ch) ProSpecieRara (www.prospecierara.ch)