showme,
Here is a link you may find helpful.
http://www.nsqba.org/typesofhoneybees.html
that is someones opion or experience.
Italian winter well even on Polar Circle.
You may get get bad stringers from every bee races. Like Michael says, it depends on breeding.
Some years ago I succeed to breed a killer Italian. It was really dangerous to me and to outsiders.
No crap finski.
Tell me what listing of bee characteristics is not an opinion or from a person's experience.
So why the comment that this listing is anything different than any other listing? Or any different than your opinion you throw around on this forum.
I personally have overwintered every type bee I could buy. If you actually read the comments about this listing of another person's opinion you would see that it also mentions that this listing is for comparison of bees that are not treated. Why compare one strain to another when it means little coming from a person like you who treats anyways.
I have for many years, had yards of Italians, Russians, carni as well as other strains all go through winter without treatments. And the strain that ALWAYS has the highest winter kill is Italians. For those that are not treating or are trying not to use traditional treatments, my "opinion" and best advice, is to at least start with the strain that gives you the best chances of success. And regardless of what you do at the polar circle, that is my opinion and advice to others.
The list I mentioned does little for those that will treat, and do everything for their bees. For those that want something different than your cookie cutter approach of treating bees, the list may be useful.
So it means little to dismiss my opinion in some denigrating manner of stating "This is just someones opinion" then follow that up with your own experiences, like you have all the answers and everyone else are morons.
Who cares what you do in the polar circle? You treat, feed, and of course can get many hives through winter. The link I gave comes from another angle you obviously do not follow, and do not understand. It clearly states all this if you took the time to read it.
Bashing another person contributions because they come to a forum and try to help, claiming other information in an "opinion". Geesh.....what do you think forums are all about? The forum is nothing but other people's opinions. Whether a person makes a list or not.
I always find it ironic when you suggest that you know because you keep bees near the polar circle, yet so easily dismiss other people's opinions who are giving advice to the beekeeper that lives right down the road, in the same climate, and same conditions. Perhaps I should constantly remind folks that keeping bees where they are, and what you do where you are, are very different than most beekeepers, making your comments nothing more than "opinion" at best. :roll: