Italian Bee (Apis mellifera ligustica)

The Italian bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) is a honey bee subspecies originating from the Italian peninsula, with distinct yellow bands on its abdomen, a calm temperament and heavy brood production. It is the most widely used honey bee subspecies in the world and performs strongly in mild climates and in areas with long, uninterrupted forage. Its weak points are high winter consumption, stopping brood rearing late in autumn, and a tendency to rob.

Where does the Italian bee come from, and where has it spread?

The Italian bee takes its name from the Liguria region of northern Italy (ligustica). Its natural range is the Italian peninsula, starting south of the Alps; Sicily is home to a separate subspecies, the Sicilian bee.

From the mid-nineteenth century onwards, the Italian bee was taken to other European countries, to North and South America, to Australia and to New Zealand. Today it is the main subspecies in the commercial beekeeping of these countries. Its calmness, light colour and strong population have made it especially attractive to large operations.

How do you recognise an Italian bee?

• Colour: distinct yellow-golden bands on the abdominal segments; in good lines the first three segments are yellow.
• Hair: light yellowish hairs.
• Tongue: medium to long.
• Queen: usually light-coloured and large; easy to spot on the comb.

The light colour makes the queen easier to find on the comb, which is a practical advantage for beginners. However, yellow colour alone does not prove a pure Italian bee: Cyprus and Syrian bees and some Anatolian hybrids can also have yellow bands.

Strengths of the Italian bee

• Calmness: generally gentle; stays on the comb during inspections.
• High egg laying: the queen builds a large, continuous brood area and the colony reaches a strong population.
• Long-season activity: rears brood for as long as forage lasts; makes good use of long main flows.
• Good honey yield: high yields in areas with long, uninterrupted forage.
• Little propolis: frames come apart easily, making inspection and harvesting easier.
• Keen comb building: draws out foundation quickly; produces white, cleanly capped honeycomb.

Weaknesses of the Italian bee

• High winter consumption: goes into winter with a large population and needs plenty of stores. This is a drawback in long, harsh winters.
• Stops late in autumn: cuts brood rearing late, which both uses up stores and prolongs the varroa cycle.
• Poorly suited to intermittent forage: because it keeps rearing brood even when forage stops, stores run out quickly.
• Tendency to rob: when forage ends, it has a marked tendency to turn on other hives.
• Weak orientation: in closely spaced hives, drifting into neighbouring hives can increase; this also makes it easier for diseases and mites to spread.

Which regions is the Italian bee suited to?

Under Turkish conditions, the Italian bee only makes sense in coastal areas with mild winters and long-lasting forage. On the plateaus of Central and Eastern Anatolia, local Anatolian and Caucasian lines usually give safer results. Bringing bees of other subspecies into Artvin and Ardahan, the gene centre of the Caucasian bee, is prohibited.

Italian bee vs Carniolan bee

The Italian bee is yellow, builds large populations and keeps rearing brood even when forage ends; the Carniolan bee is grey, thrifty and adjusts quickly to forage, but is more prone to swarming. Italian bees are preferred more in mild regions with long seasons, Carniolans in cold regions with short seasons.

Management notes for Italian bees

1. Keep winter stores high: in autumn, calculate stores above the local average.
2. Take precautions against robbing when forage ends: reduce the entrance, leave no syrup or honey exposed, and keep inspections short.
3. Time varroa treatment according to brood status: brood ending late in autumn affects treatment timing; do mite counts.
4. Reduce drifting: set out hives facing different directions, spaced apart and in different colours.
5. Watch for feeding needs during summer dearth: a colony that keeps rearing brood when forage stops loses weight quickly.