Today I've done some research into different honeybee species, specifically focusing on Western honey bees. I found this:
http://beesource.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/table1beetraits.pngIt states that the Apis mellifera ligustica, or Ligurian, Italian honeybee is the most productive honey production wise. Is this thought to be true? All things considering, it seems this subspecies would be best for me. The disadvantages of excessive brood reading seems like it could be largely mitigated with some forethought and maybe sugar feeding. Do you guys have much thought on comparing different subspecies of Apis mellifera in environments with winters that don't reach freezing levels, and that don't have Varroa or much pests/diseases in general?
@eltalia
I've done some reading into the impact of feral honeybees on the local Australian environment. My reading did not mention anything regarding certain bee subspecies causing more damage than others. From what I gathered, feral bees cause issues two ways:
1) They set up hives in trees that other animals, mostly birds, need to survive. With feral bees taking up these hallow trees, these other animals are having issues finding a home and with it, surviving. From what I've gathered, this is the most damaging factor feral beehives are having, which isn't relevant to me because my bees are in supers rather than trees.
2) They compete with other animals, mostly native Australian bees, for resources such as nectar and pollen. Wouldn't any species of honeybee do such?