the summer industry gentleness a willingness to enter supers tendency to collect flower honey rather than honey dew (of value only in countries where the colour of the honey determines the price) Weaknesses lacks vitality inclined to excessive brood rearing susceptibility to disease high consumption of stores more prone to drifting and robbing than the other principal races of Europe. the strong brood rearing disposition often results in large food consumption in late winter or early spring that causes spring dwindling and hence slow or tardy spring development brood rearing starts late and lasts long into late summer or autumn, irrespective of nectar flow tends to forage over shorter distances than either carnica or mellifera, and may therefore be less effective in poorer nectar flows for cool maritime regions for areas with strong spring flow for areas with periods of dearth of nectar in the summer Foraging behavior A. m. ligustica are more concerned with nectar processing behaviors, honey storage, and adult maintenance over brood expansion when compared to the African honey bee, A. m. scutellata. Selective breeding Breeders of Italian bees, as well as other honey bee subspecies, look for certain beneficial characteristics. Depending on the breeding goal, one or more of the following characteristics may be emphasized: Gentleness or excitability Resistance to various diseases including tracheal mite and Varroa mite Early spring buildup in population Wintering ability Tendency to limited swarming Ability to ripen honey rapidly Honeycomb cappings are white Minimal use of propolis Availability and queen cost Color Source: George Imrie's pink pages Worldwide distribution 1853 introduced to Germany 1854 introduced into the Poland by Dr. Jan Dzierżon 1859 introduced into the United Kingdom 1859 introduced to the United States 1862 introduced to Australia, on 9 December into Victoria aboard the steam ship Alhambra There is strong evidence that the subsequent Italian virgin queens hybridised with the English 'black' bee previously imported (source: Barrett, P. "The Immigrant Bees, 1788 to 1898", Vol. IV). Wilhelm Abram brought several queens from Italy to Sydney in December 1880 but it's probable they reached New South Wales through other hands earlier on. 1866 introduced to Russian Empire 1880 introduced to New Zealand 1884 (Easter) introduced to Kangaroo Island in South Australia, sourced from Brisbane where they were previously imported in 1880 from Italy by Chas. Fullwood. Jas. Carroll received a hive of Italian bees in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1877 when Angus