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Tomorrow is the day of all days. The day when the honey bees come. This year, three additional colonies will be coming home with me. In the past when ordering bees, I’ve stuck with Italian honey bees, merely for the docile nature they possess. However, this time around, I am going to try my hand at tending to Carniolan honey bees.

The temperament of a honey bee has always played a big factor for me when deciding on what species I want to keep. I’ve steered away from Carniolan bees in the past because they tend to be more aggressive than Italian bees. However, there is good reasoning behind the aggressiveness. They are known to defend their hives more effectively, which in return, keeps pests and predators out of their home.

Montana has a short growing season, brutal winters and late springs. Honeybees go up against quite a bit when living in this state. Another reason I want to bring in Carniolans is because of their hardiness. This species of honey bee originated from Eastern Europe, meaning they are adapted to cold winters and long, hot summers. These ladies have a stronger ability to gather nectar on cooler and overcast days, more so than their more popular counterpart, the Italian honey bee. Because of this, the yield of honey increases by 15%. An increased honey yield offers a higher chance of surviving through winter.

The Carniolan honey bee can bring a lot to the table and I’m excited to not only increase the number of hives on the homestead, but I am also looking forward to getting to know a completely new species of honey bee as I spend the summer working with them.

Reach Miriah at [email protected].