what do you guys think?

[sherriwat]

ok so now that i look at my pastel female a little more she looks normal to me, but i have never seen a pastel in person only in pictures. my girl does seem to have more black markings which is what i loved about her so maybe thats what got me scratching my head. i did see the big mama pastel at the guys house and she was same coloring. think im worrying but she just looks alot like a couple normal babies iv had. will her colouring become brighter as she has sheds? she is very very young think she hatched late august.
what do you guys think?

[sherriwat]

Here's the pics. I have posted this on a thread already but best I have.

[Kaetlinv]

So far as I can tell she looks pastel to me. White lips, faded color on head, brighter coloring on bottom half of the sides and major blushing along the back + some flames up the sides.

Are her eyes brightly colored, or a dark color to the point where you have to strain to see the pupil?

[sherriwat]

i havent looked close at her eyes. i held her for like an hr at breeders but sicne home only to put in her tub and tonight for 2 seconds too roll up dirty paper towel and throw in already cut clean papertowel so max 2 minutes. im feeding ehr on friday so i plan on handling her a bit before i feed her to check her out a bit more.

theres alot of morphs i can loo at and say thats ......... no problem but i find pastels and normals look similar and just nervous cause iv never seen pastel in person makes it hard for me. im sure shes fine just wanted opinions as i got ehr specifically to breed with my bee for killerbees. (i want a killer bee)

[Kaetlinv]

Well here is my male pastel Ashanti;
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/386088_10152067552245472_1396048178_n.jpg

and in similar lighting here is my normal female, Valentine;
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/392028_10152084596125472_536129815_n.jpg

Not side by side, but they were in similar lighting. Does that help any? (and look at Ashanti's eyes, that's what I mean by 'bright')

[sherriwat]

Ya that helps i knew normals had alot of brown and that pastels could have same markings but lighter where the brown would be.

[Kaetlinv]

Yeah, Shanti's 'brown' areas are tan, and then he's got a nice banana yellow color. His 'black' has a brownish tint to it.

Valentine is ebony black... it just astonishes me how dark the black on her is, in contrast to her green-browns and yellows + whites.


I learned the key traits of Pastels in comparison to normals are the ones I described before;

White 'lips'
Faded color on head
Blushing / flames
Less 'dark' colors
Brightly colored eyes (so you can clearly see the pupil)

Valentine is a normal, but has some stellar traits that I'm hoping will be hereditary or influential later on when I am able to breed Ashanti to her.

[sherriwat]

that does help. i thin its was only cause i havent handled her since the breeders and the room i have them in is darker. i worry about everything though. im constently double checking temps and humidity on all my critters. lol i drive my kids nuts cause im worst with them lol.

[Kaetlinv]

just means you care :)

[Kavyrie]

Your baby definitely looks like a pastel to me!

[Aaron_S]

It's a pastel. A really dark pastel. Afraid she'll continue on that path and be a pretty drab looking pastel. Doesn't mean she wouldn't produce awesome looking bees or killerbees though.

[mykee]

Yup, definitely a pastel but no offense, a really dark C Grade one.