Italian bee

Apis mellifera ligustica, classified by Spinola, 1806 - the Italian bee.

The Italian bee is light colored and mostly leather colored, but some strains are golden.

African honey bees are leather colored, difficult to distinguish by eye from darker strains of Italian bees.

Italian bees are gentler and more chic than the Austrian variety.

Among the races of the Western honeybee the Italian bee has been identified with an especially strong tendency to rob.

Large single loads of nectar may weigh 70 mg for Italian bees.

It is very similar to Apis mellifera ligustica, the Italian bee.

He was responsible for introducing Ligurian or Italian bees to Britain in 1859.

At present this subspecies is the second most popular among beekeepers (after the Italian bee).

Breeders of Italian bees, as well as other honey bee races, look for certain beneficial characteristics.