Honeybee Controversy

Honeybee Controversy

In the Austrian state of Carinthia, which borders Slovenia and Italy, there are strict laws about what type of bees are allowed to be raised in apiaries. These bees have light-gray abdominal rings and are known as Carniolan honey bees. They are better adapted to living and thriving in the snowy, alpine climate and are also known to be unassertive and compliant with beekeepers. Controversy has arisen because beekeepers who have intermixed hives or bees of a different strain are threatened with heavy fines and the destruction of their apiary in an effort to keep Carinthia a Carniolan-exclusive zone.