ITALIAN HONEY BEE

The Italian honey bee is thought to originate from the continental part of Italy, south of the Alps, and north of Sicily. It is the most widely distributed of all honey bees, and has proven adaptable to most climates from subtropical to cool temperate, but it is less successful in humid tropical regions. .

Italian honey bees are less able to cope with the “hard” winters and cool, wet springs of more northern areas . They do not form such tight winter clusters. More food has to be consumed to compensate for the greater heat loss from the loose cluster. Noted beekeeper Thomas White Woodbury first introduced the Italian bee to Britain in 1859, and regarded it as vastly superior to the Old British Black.

Italian honey bees are the most popular bee for a beekeeper to have in their hives, and they are known for making great honey.

Although we do have different varieties of bees in our yards, such as Russian, Carniolan, and Caucasion, we specialize in the sale of Italian honey bees and Italian queens. Italian honey bees are docile in nature, so they are a favorite among beekeepers and perfect for new beekeepers.