Evaluation of utility and biological traits of a Carniolan honeybee line

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the functional and biological characteristics of the Carniolian breed of the Bielka 1 line. The research material consisted of queens subjected to stationary evaluation in ten consecutive feed seasons (2009–2018). The analysis covered such features as: honey yield, winter hardiness, spring development, swarming behavior and the behavior of bees indicating their mildness or malignancy. A statistically significant or highly significant influence of the year of evaluation was found on all the analyzed functional traits of the Bielka 1 line Carniolian bees. The bees of this line were characterized by a very good honey yield. There were positive and significant correlations between this feature and the others. No significant relationships were observed between the behavior of the Bielka 1 bees and their tendency to swarm and spring development. The bees were characterized by good winter hardiness, creating strong colonies and dynamic spring development. The good qualities of the bee colonies of this line are calm and gentleness. Moreover, they are characterized by low swarming behavior and usually received maximum scores for this feature. The Bielka 1 line can be useful in large apiaries focused on intensive production, but also in home, amateur apiaries.