The Carniolan
The Carniolan honey bee is the subspecies of the Western honey bee that has naturalised and adapted to the Kočevje (Gottschee) sub-region of Carniola (Slovenia), the southern part of the Austrian Alps, Dinarides region, southern Pannonian plain and the northern Balkans. These bees are known as Carniolans, or "Carnies" for short. Carniolan bees are incredibly gentle and easy to work with. Due to their region of origin, they are more likely to forage on cold, wet days than other types of bees and rank among the best for overwintering.
The Caucasian
A Caucasian bee is simply another name for the honeybee subspecies Apis mellifera caucasia, a medium‑sized, moderately temperamental honeybee native to the Caucasus region. Its adaptability and decent winter hardiness make it useful in many beekeeping contexts, especially where forage diversity matches its natural habitat.
The Italian
The Italian honey bee is thought to originate from the continental part of Italy, south of the Alps, and north of Sicily. Italian bees can easily adapt to most climates. They are less prone to disease, they produce minimum propolis and they keep a clean hive. These honeybees reproduce quickly and keep a large colony over the winter. The downside to this is that they need more honey and pollen stored to survive the winter.
Carniolan bees are incredibly gentle and easy to work with. Due to their region of origin, they are more likely to forage on cold, wet days than other types of bees and rank among the best for overwintering.
In addition, they create very little propolis and build up their numbers rapidly in the spring. Carniolan bees are also adept at handling dearths and rapidly adjust brood production based on the availability of food. They are a little more likely to swarm than Italians, so it’s important to be sure they have plenty of room.
When it comes to hive diseases and pests, Carniolan bees tend to be quite capable of fending off parasites and show good resistance to some diseases.
Italian bees are excellent honey producers, show a gentle temperament that makes them the most popular race of honey bee in North America, they have a moderately low tendency to swarm, and have a bright yellow color that makes queens easy to find. But, Italian honey bees are susceptible to two deadly parasitic mites, the tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) and the varroa mite (Varroa destructor), which were introduced into the United States in 1984 and 1987, respectively. Colonies can contract these mites through equipment sharing and overcrowding, and, once infested, entire colonies can succumb within one or two years.
The Caucasian honey bee is a race of honey bees native to the foothills of the Ural Mountains near the Caspian Sea in eastern Europe. This stock was once popular in the United States, but it has declined in regard over the past few decades. Its most notable characteristic is its very long tongue, which enables the bees to forage for nectar from flowers that other bee stocks may not have access to. They tend to be a moderately colored bee and, like the Carniolan honey bees, are extremely docile. However, their slow spring buildup keeps them from generating very large honey crops, and they tend to use an excessive amount of propolis—the sticky resin substance sometimes called “bee glue” that is used to seal cracks and joints of bee structures—making their hives difficult to manipulate.
Info provided by NC State Extension
