Cordovian gene

[Oldbeavo]

for the breeding buffs,
Is the Cordovian colouring a single colour gene or if is it displayed then is the colouring linked to other bee qualities.
I have some Italian hives with some cordovain (known in Australia as Red Kelpies, which is a breed of dogs in Oz) bees but a normal coloured queen.
We also have one cordovain coloured queen.
The common belief amongst local BK's is that the cordovains produce a lot of bees, very docile but are poor at gathering honey, I have no opinion yet as I have only just started marking cordovian coloured hives.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Hello Beavo:  I currently have about 16 cordovan queen hives.  Description: queens have a slightly red head and thorax(chest) with high yellow abdomen.  My most gentle species, some very good at honey production, bad about robbing though.  I am in process of determining hygenic qualities:  approximately 30-40% are hygenic as determined by mite drop on screened white boards.

My cordovan queens yield 3 different kinds of  workers which depends on the drones the queen bred with.  My cordovan queens produce Italian, Carniolan, and cordovan worker bees.  All drones are Cordovan.  These pure cordovan hives are filled with yellow bees and I can see a color difference of the hive entrance bees at 50 yards. 

I have 3-4 cordovan queens that apparently bred only to cordovan drones and produce only cordovan workers.  These are a real jewel to work with: they remain calm on the comb when inspected, not flighty.

Not so sure about the genetics, as research is limited.  However, cordovan appears to be a recessive gene compared to dominant Italian and Carniolan.  I have read this by other beeks on Beemaster and judging by my cordovan hives, recessive gene(s) appears to be correct.
Blessings

[Oldbeavo]

Thanks for your reply.
Do you notice any difference in honey production between types of bees?

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

I have hives that are honey bound, Cordovan, I also hive hives that I am feeding do to poor honey production that are Cordovan also.  All 2017 queens.  Honey production varies from one hive to another, both in close proximity: that is same location only feet apart.

My understanding is Cordovan is just a recessive color variation of an Italian honey bee.

I purchased an expensive kind of rare, out of print book "Bee Genetics and Breeding" by Rinderer.  I purchased this book to learn more about Cordovan genetics.  What is funny is the word "Cordovan" is not even listed in the index.  Oh well, I tried.
Blessings

[Michael Bush]

While cordovan is just a color gene, most of the cordovan bees here in the U.S. are all from one strain of Italians and so they have very similar characteristics because of that, not because of their color.

[Oldbeavo]

Thanks for replies
As a recessive colour gene the other traits of the Italian strain will be the same.
People always look for easy indicators in breeding of animals that indicate good or bad performance, but it is not that simple.
Locally in my area the cordovan colouring is considered an indicator of poor honey collection, but no real measuring just opinion.
So I will continue with my few cordovan bees and see how they go as I have taken a liking to the red-yellow bees.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

MB: ditto:

Question to all:  is Glenn Apiries the original source of the cordovan honey bee.  I've tried to learn as much as I can about US cordovan bees.  Information, accurate information is hard to come by.  Most of the breeders that I have spoke with can trace their stock to Mr. Glenn.

Cordovan Italian honey bees are commonly used in bee studies, many experiments, due to their color difference.  However, detailed information,,,,, well I cannot find an accurate source.

I purchased a bee genetic book hoping to learn more about cordovan.  Well,,,, the word "cordovan" is not even mentioned in the index.  There are 23 different eye colors in honey bees as detailed in this book, I knew of about 3 different eye colors in honey bees, so what do I know?  Not much.
Blessings

[Michael Bush]

I seem to remember that they all came from some queen project, like Starlines or some other hybrid project originally.  Then several people were breeding them just for color.  But they all came from the same original stock.  I don't think Glen is the original source.  More likely the academics who did the work on the Starlines or Dadant who was breeding them before York too over.

[Dallasbeek]

They sure are pretty and easy to spot on the comb as a rule.