Type of bees?

[Janemma]

All I know about my bees is that they are from New Zealand.  Can you tell what kind they are from looking at them?  I ordered late as I wasn't planning on getting any until next year originally, but luckily managed to get two packages on the last pallet this year at a local place.

Could anyone have a look at the pictures on my blog (link below) and be able to tell from the pictures what kind of bees they are?  Is it possible to tell from pictures the kind of bees they are?

Thanks :)

[KONASDAD]

Most beee sold are italians and yours look like them. usually, a retailer would ay they are something else if they are not italians. Italians are the most common bee here in the states. this includes the hygenic varities and survivor types  as well.

[Janemma]

Thanks - thats interesting.  I just read a little about them online and I'm wondering why they would sell these here in Canada if they aren't ideal for northern climates and very cold winters like we have in Canada.  It says they don't over winter well.  They don't cluster well.  Seems an odd type of bee to supply in a Canadian climate like Alberta. 

[Brian D. Bray]

Thanks - thats interesting.  I just read a little about them online and I'm wondering why they would sell these here in Canada if they aren't ideal for northern climates and very cold winters like we have in Canada.  It says they don't over winter well.  They don't cluster well.  Seems an odd type of bee to supply in a Canadian climate like Alberta. 

Bee aclimatize over time.  Tropical bees in Alberta would almost be a sure over winter loss as the bees wouldn't be used to building sufficient stores or the cold temps as tropical bees have forage year around and never cluster--they might huddle but they don't cluster.  I would take about 2-3 years to climatize tropical bees to Alberta winters if babied enough to survive that long.  Local bees are always better from a aclimatized standpoint and second best is bees from an area that has seasonal weather as close to your own as possible.  Bees and queens from the Northern US would be fine but I wouldn't expect much success with bees south of the Mason-Dixon line.  JMO.