Apis mellifera mellifera is the native honey bee subspecies of northern and western Europe. The British Isles, Ireland, Scandinavia, northern Germany, the Netherlands, northern France and western Russia are its natural range. It is also known as the dark bee.

Names such as British, Irish or Nordic bee describe local strains of this subspecies; they are not separate subspecies.

Appearance

• Dark, mostly near-black brown; yellow bands absent or very faint
• Large and broad in build
• Dense hair on the abdomen
• A shorter tongue than other subspecies

Strengths

• Frugality: It uses winter stores economically; winter consumption is low
• Adaptation to cold, wet climates: It flies at low temperatures and in overcast weather
• Small winter cluster, slow opening: The risk of starvation in early spring is low
• Long-lived winter bees: Overwintering success is high
• Local adaptation: Selected over centuries to regional conditions

Weaknesses

• Slow spring build-up: It may miss an early flow
• Can be defensive: There is wide variation between lines; some are markedly bad-tempered
• Restlessness on the comb: Running and dripping off the frame when it is lifted makes inspection harder
• Swarming tendency: High in some lines

Historical background

After the heavy colony losses in Britain in the early twentieth century there was extensive importing. Crossing with Italian and other subspecies became widespread and pure lines declined.

Today work to conserve the dark bee and produce pure lines is under way in several European countries, with protected mating areas and breeders' associations at the centre of it.

Who it suits

It suits beekeepers working in cool, damp regions with short flow periods, who put reliability of overwintering ahead of honey yield. Local adaptation and low winter consumption are the main gains.

For beekeepers aiming to exploit an early, intense spring flow, or with a low tolerance for defensiveness, the choice of line is critical; variation within the subspecies is wide.

Summary

The dark European bee is a subspecies built on hardiness and frugality rather than yield. Its value comes from being adapted to the climate in which it is kept — which makes it of interest for local beekeeping.