She looks so Russian!

My bees are Russian, so called because they are from the Primorsky region. I decided to try this particular variety because it is known to have natural resistance to varroa mites, which often plague hives in North America.

In reading the beekeeping forums, I've learned that Russian queens can be hard for some people to find. I'm not sure why though- she is very distinct! She has a really long black abdomen that is unlike any other bee in the hive.

When Ellie and I inspected the hives together, we spotted the queen in Droogie 2, the hive which isn't doing very well. Here is a picture of the frame with her on it. Can you spot her?


Here's the same picture with her circled:



And here you can see her walking around of the frame. Ellie provides some color commentary.