As a way to identify and converse about the many types of living things on our planet we give everything a name. Years ago a scientist developed a naming system, called taxonomy, as a way to catalogue the various forms of life  around us. So we now have common names as well as the scientific names of all biological life. These fall into branches, or families, then subfamilies, tribes, genus, species and subspecies.

Our beloved honey producing insects are from the Tribe Apini - or commonly called Honey Bees.
A quick Google search (see image below) will produce a wide range and types of bees - shown here for reference.



Within the Genus Apis we have the popular Species mellifera - Apis.mellifera a.k.a. The Western Honey Bee
Others include, A.cerana, the Asian cousin and more as shown above.
While there are others, most beekeepers prefer the Western verities.

They fall into several subspecies:

• Subspecies ligustica - Italian Honeybee
• Subspecies carnica - Carniolan Honeybee
• Subspecies mellifera - Black Honeybee
• Subspecies scutellata - African Honeybee
• etc.

There are several different named strains of bees from different parts of the world. Each evolving to adopt to their surroundings over many years, therefore they are most suited to their own environments. Some adapt well in other areas, some not so much. Extreme temperature variations, for example, and other conditions make one race favorable over another in different areas and parts of the world.

Here is a list of some of the more common and well known types:
Italian, German, Carniolan, Buckfast, Caucasian, Russian and the infamous Africanized Hybrid honey bee. There are numerous additional hybrid stocks currently available with more being worked on constantly.

Since we understand that not everyone has the same preferences, here at The Bee Place, we offer more than one type or "race" of bees, when available. We are also aware of some of the reasons that someone may chose one type of bee over another. For example, when starting out in beekeeping the average person prefers to work with bees of the most gentle and docile temperaments. For this reason, the Italian lines are the most popular for first year beekeepers. As with most things, as more education and experience is gained, with beekeeping, the more confident one becomes handling bees and less intimidated by more defensive colonies.

So depending on where you are on the road of your beekeeping adventure or who you ask, one type of bee may be preferred over another. This graphic from the good folks at Eversweet Apiaries offers an overview of the different races and their traits. An internet search for "Different types of honey bees" will return this and many more results offering a description with pros and cons for each race. Please keep in mind that as with most things beekeeping, there are about as many different opinions as there are beekeepers and not all are in agreement. A particular trait, fast builders for example, is considered by some to be a good trait (because they want their bees to build up fast in the spring) and a bad trait by others because they may swarm if they are not provided adequate growing room in a timely fashion. Or, the more defensive the race, the more pest (mite and beetle) and predator resistant they are, but they are not a race you can work without a good suit and gloves. So they all have their pros and cons. It may be several seasons before you discover which race is right for you and will perform best in your area.

(Click the image for a larger view)

Types Available

We think our Texan bees deserve good marks in production and survival rate in a modern day bee's world filled with numerous obstacles. You will need a veil and gloves to work them, but they will produce and require less maintenance.

Please visit the Bees For Sale page to order bees

Comparison of bees and their traits

* AFB = America foulbrood
** EFB = European foulbrood