# General beekeeping > Native honeybees >  Photos of Apis mellifera mellifera

## beequest

Hello beekeepers,

I am looking for photos of _Apis mellifera mellifera_. Photo of worker bee, queen, drone.

Can you help please?

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## Jon

I don't have a close up of a drone but I have a photo of a frame of them.
Actually, just noticed there are 3 drones beside the queen in the first picture.

galtee queen.jpg bees-col-44..jpg drones on frame.jpg

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## Hors

Hi friends, I have here a picture of my Belgians A. m. mellifera
PICT5035.jpg

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## Jon

They look quite similar to mine.

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## prakel

> Hi friends, I have here a picture of my Belgians A. m. mellifera
> PICT5035.jpg


Hi Horst, are these bees common in your region or do you need a rigorous breeding plan to maintain your line?

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## Hors

Hi Prakel
No, the bee is very rare in our region. Carniolan and Buckfast bees are common and country bees.
I'm going to mate after Belgien-Virelles/Chimay. Purity checked with ApiClass.

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## Jimbo

Had a quick look at the ApiClass web site. It looks interesting. It is similar to Drawwing, however the bit I have found interesting was the data base to identify the AM sub-species is based on 5000 samples from the various species that has also been checked by DNA analysis. Any comments

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## Jon

Do you know this guy from Belgium, Hubert Guerriat. He is a well known AMM breeder

http://www.mellifica.be/en/livre/

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## Hors

@Jimbo
I recommend Apiclass, but is a clean process the wings behind glass important. A good addition to the visual method.
@Jon
Yes I know Hubert Guerriat personally, am a member of the association.

1221H003_Bee.jpg

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## prakel

> Hi Prakel
> No, the bee is very rare in our region. Carniolan and Buckfast bees are common and country bees.
> I'm going to mate after Belgien-Virelles/Chimay. Purity checked with ApiClass.


Hi, thanks for your response. Please forgive my extra questions but it's always interesting to learn what other people are doing (as Fidan found out!).

When you refer to 'country bees' are you describing general mongrel crosses between Carniolan and Buckfast, or, is there 'local' amm content in the mix?

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## Hors

> When you refer to 'country bees' are you describing general mongrel crosses between Carniolan and Buckfast, or, is there 'local' amm content in the mix?


Our country today is a mixture of bee carnica, Buckfast and mellifera caucasica also. Shares difficult to determine, cubital index 2.3 on average.
I have bees land F14, they are very peaceful, lots of honey, little swarm and no chalkbrood.
In Germany there is no station for mating the queens dark bee.

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## keith pierce

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## keith pierce

If you want more and in full pixels, then send me your email address and i will forward a few on to you.





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## keith pierce

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## Hors

Hi, Beautiful pictures, I love drone (bee-bulls) What is a bee?

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## Mellifera Crofter

Yes, I agree - lovely photos and a beautiful queen.  I like the term 'bee bulls', Hors - but I can't see any in Keith's photos.

I suppose with your question, 'what is a bee?', you are referring to the workers.  The castes are called queen, worker, and drone.
Kitta

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## Hors

> Yes, I agree - lovely photos and a beautiful queen.  I like the term 'bee bulls', Hors - but I can't see any in Keith's photos.
> 
> I suppose with your question, 'what is a bee?', you are referring to the workers.  The castes are called queen, worker, and drone.
> Kitta



Hi Kitta, Figure 1 shows a lot of "bee-bull´s" drones. Question: what race-Amm?

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## Jon

yes, Keith is an AMM breeder and a member of the Native Irish Honeybee Society.

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## Mellifera Crofter

> Figure 1 shows a lot of "bee-bull´s" drones.


Are you sure, Hors?  I can't see a single blunt abdomen belonging to a 'bee-bull'!  Maybe one ...
Kitta

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## Jon

There are more than 20 drones in the photo in post 12

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## Mellifera Crofter

Thanks Jon.  I'm humbled, and feel a bit frustrated because I still can't see any blunt sting ends, and all the eyes are set wide apart.  I can see a nice downy newly-hatched bee - but no drones!
Kitta

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## Mellifera Crofter

Oh sorry Hors and Jon - I was looking at the wrong photo!  I was scrutinising the second picture in post 13.  I don't know why I made that blunder.  Apologies.
Kitta

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## Jon

Phew. Thank goodness for that. I thought one of the two of us had gone completely bonkers and I was worried that it might be me!

Try this one of mine. If you can't see a drone it is definitely a case of Houston we have a problem.

drones on frame.jpg

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## keith pierce

Hi kitta. 
           How about this one.



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## Mellifera Crofter

> Phew. Thank goodness for that. ]





> How about this one.


Yes, me too: 'Phew!'  I was beginning to feel seriously embarrassed - but I'm not in the all-clear yet.  Was I right to say there are no drones in that photo I scrutinised (the second photo in post 13)?

Thanks for posting this new photo of those lovely drones, Keith.  My, don't they have big eyes and blunt tails!
Kitta

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## Jon

can't spot a single bee bull in that one!

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## Mellifera Crofter

Thanks Jon.  Another 'phew'.  I'm in the clear now.
k

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## drumgerry

Keith - would you consider allowing me to use your images for our new association which is going to have the rearing of AMM queens as a big part of its activities?

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## keith pierce

100% yes and any other photos that you need.


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## gavin

LOL!  That's a cracker!

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## drumgerry

Keith - you're a gem!  And a damn good photographer as well!

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## drumgerry

Oh and of course I'll be sure to give you full credit where they get used

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## keith pierce

> Keith - you're a gem!  And a damn good photographer as well!


Thanks for the compliment, but not really. I always have a small pocket digital camera with me, and just take loads of shots of the same image and hope that some of them turn out alright. I have a fancy camera and cant use it to its abaility. I do a small bit on the beekeeping lecture circuit and am always looking for photos to match up with what i am talking about. Beekeeping is a practical subject and a picture says a thousand words. 


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## Jon

Keith, I might well have to tap you for a few photos for the UBKA conference in March.
I don't know exactly what I will need yet as I have not put pen to paper with regard to the talk
Did you know there is a whiskey promotion from one of the sponsors on the Friday night?
I ordered 63 of those Payne poly nucs you are fond of for association members earlier today. £22 each including the eke.

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## gavin

Good view of the furry bum of an Amm there.

I should explain.  The long hairs of the final segments so typical of that particular race of honeybee.

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## drumgerry

Your pocket digital must have a really good macro function Keith to be getting images of that quality.  I have a nice digital SLR but can't afford a macro lens for it!

Jon - those Paynes nucs are great.  The only issue is where you want to feed them fondant but the eke takes care of that.

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## Jon

Some of us were discussing that you could likely get a full block of fondant in that eke earlier today.
nearly £1500 on the credit card, gulp. need to get the cheques in from purchasers by March

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## keith pierce

> Keith, Did you know there is a whiskey promotion from one of the sponsors on the Friday night?
> .


Thats not very fair. I have to give two talks the next day.

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## Jon

Mine is not till the afternoon!

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## keith pierce

here is one that is slightly more in focus


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