Different Coloured Bees in the Same Hive?

[PhilK]

G'day, sorry for all the annoying questions!

Did a hive inspection the other day and all looking good. One hive I saw lots of eggs and brood of all different stages, the other hive seemed to have much less brood but way more workers and field bees going and returning... interesting. Dodgy queen?

My question is about the difference in bees in the same hive. Most bees are a yellowy gold colour, but numerous bees also seemed ot be quite dark with very little yellow. If they're all daughters of the same queen, why would there be differing appearances between the bees?

[iddee]

They are also daughters of 15 to 25 different drones. That's reason enough to look different.

[Maggiesdad]

http://www.americanbeejournal.com/site/epage/132573_828.htm

This article had a wonderful chart to explain just that question... but alas, it's an excerpt.

[BeeMaster2]

Having many different colored bees is a good thing. If your bees were a pure stock of only one type of bee, they probably would not survive all of the problems that we have thrown at them the last 15 years.
Jim

[Lancej]

Received a call today, we have bees in our compost bin, they have only been there for up to three days. Open up the bin, it has capped brood, a few more days than three. The bees are from a pale yellow with nearly transparent bodies to yellow stripes to a brown/black. Sizes from fairly large bees to a bit bigger than a house fly. These bees look like they've crossed with every thing.

[GSF]

ditto what Jim said

[little john]

Having many different colored bees is a good thing. If your bees were a pure stock of only one type of bee, they probably would not survive all of the problems that we have thrown at them the last 15 years.
Jim

Bit of a circular argument there ...

The dissimilar strains of honey bee we see today evolved over millions of years in various regions of the world in order to survive the climatic conditions prevalent within those regions.

In due course human beings came along and began importing bees from one such region into another - the result of which has been a significant mongrelisation of the various sub-species of honey bee, with the effective loss of much genetic material. This material remains, of course, but is now so contaminated that it would take a huge effort to restore phenotypes to anything approaching the situation prior to human interference.

You have made a value-judgement that mongrelisation is both 'good', and that it is probably now necessary in order for such mongrel honey bees to survive.

This circular argument reminds me of the situation which used to exist with phenylbutazone (it still might - I've been 'out of the therapeutic loop' for some years now) - a medication which used to be given to alleviate headaches.
But - one of the side-effects of phenylbutazone IS that it can cause headaches. And so to alleviate those headaches, one would prescribe even more phenylbutazone, and so on ... ad infinitum.

Mongrelisation is NOT good - it is in no way a natural phenomenon: it only occurs when two or more sub-species which would not normally be in contact with each other, do so. It is evidence of historical and ongoing human interference and viewed as a 'fait accompli' by those beekeepers who either cannot see any means of changing the status quo, or seek (what they see as being) the advantages of hybrid vigour.

Fortunately, there are still commercial breeders and groups of amateur breeders around the world who continue to expend much time and energy to ensure that quality queens of specific sub-types - with known characteristics - are available for purchase. If they didn't do this, then all that would be available would be mongrels - with all the behavioural uncertainty that this would entail.

LJ

[Acebird]

Little John, don't you breed the "pure breads" starting from the mongrels?  Success of a species is based on mongrels not on pure breads.  Utopia is breeding a bee that is a mongrel that has tendencies to produce honey and not swarm.  Isn't that what makes it a purebred?

[BeeMaster2]

LJ,
If pure breads were so great, why is it with dogs, most pure breeds have significant genetic problems which rarely show up in mutts. 
Jim