There were several bees floating in our pool this morning and they looked exactly like honey bees (same size, shape, etc.)but they were black.
2006-07-21 05:37:41 · 2 answers · asked by pookyjones 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Yes, there are strains (actually geographical races)
of honeybees that are nearly black. The German
bees are very dark. They used to be fairly common in the United States because they were
more aggressive and active, therefore would be
likely to produce more honey, than the more
commonly raised Italian bees. However, they were
also more belligerent and likely to sting than the
Italian type, so beekeepers didn't like to work with
them. The dark strains have almost entirely
disappeared from commercial apiaries in the U.S.
However, with the introduction of Verroa mites
into the U.S. about 20 years ago all honeybees
have become less common. It is estimated that
the population has dropped by about fifty percent.
The bees you saw may have been one of the
native bee species (honeybees are not native to the U.S.) of which there are many kinds, that
happens to look very much like a honeybee.
2006-07-24 04:57:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I went camping this week and saw tons of those things -- but I'm not sure if they were honeybees. All I knew was to stay away from them if I didn't want to get stung. haha.
Well this is what I found:
Size: Honey bee adult worker is 1/2-5/8 in (11-15 mm) long; queen is 5/8-3/4 in (15-20 mm) long. The pointed abdomen extends beyond the wing, and has a smooth stinger. Drones are 5/8 in (15-17 mm) long, with no stingers.
Characteristics: Honey bees have hairy eyes; the first segment of the hind tarsus is enlarged and flattened.
Color: Orange-brown to sometimes black; body covered with pale hairs.
Guess they are honey bees.
2006-07-21 05:40:17 · answer #2 · answered by BeC 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are some darker strains of honeybees, but what you most likely saw was a type of solitary bee, like a mason bee or a leaf cutter bee. These bees are often very similar in size to honey bees, but can be very dark in colour. They pollinate flowers too, but do not live in colonies, unlike honeybees.
2016-10-01 16:37:45 · answer #3 · answered by Max 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some honey bees can be darker colored than the typical sandy colored variey. There are also many types of bees that are dark colored, so it may not be a honey bees, but possibly a mason bee or a leaf-cutter bee, or carpenter bee.
I attached some images below, they might match the dornees in your pool!
Good luck I hope that answers your question!
2006-07-21 05:45:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nah...I don't think so....not honeybees
2006-07-21 05:41:26 · answer #5 · answered by texasgirl5454312 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
perhaps you mistaken the black honey bees for a bumble bee.
2006-07-21 05:40:36 · answer #6 · answered by Maikeru 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋