Carniolan Bees & Queens

For centuries, monastic apiaries prized the Carniolan bee (Apis mellifera carnica) above all other races. Originating in the cold alpine valleys of Eastern Europe, these dark-bodied bees are genetically hardwired for cool, variable climates similar to Oregon’s Tualatin Valley.

Unlike southern strains that burn through honey stores during warm winter spells, Carniolans strictly regulate their winter cluster and conserve stores. When early spring bloom arrives, the queen rapidly expands her brood nest, allowing Carniolan colonies to harvest early nectar flows from native berries, orchard blooms, and field flora that other bees miss.