BASHKIR BEE

BASHKIR BEE, the Bashkir population of European dark bee. It differs from other breeds by its dark grey colour and larger size. The B.b. population is known for its ‘swarmy’ lifestyle, i.e. up to 80% of bee colonies have swarming impulse; the number of queen’s cells is 5 to 7, sometimes it reaches 20. It is characterized by good winter endurance skills, capability to stay in the hive for 6—7 months without leaving it, and resistance to bee diseases. It is adapted to harvesting honey in mono‑floras (buckwheat, linden). A distinctive feature of the B.b. is the creation of additional honey caches above the brood nest. In terms of the capacity of wax production and stored beebread, it surpasses all other breeds. It is still preserved in natural and artificial habitats (tree trunk hollows, wild hives, loggum hives) and some bee yards within Burzyansky Raion and adjacent lands of Beloretsky, Zilairsky, Ishimbaysky, Kugarchinsky, Meleuzovsky raions, also in Tatyshlinsky and Yanaulsky raions. As a rare species, the B.b. is included in The Red List of the RF. The genetic pool of this unique bee is preserved in Shulgan‑Tash Nature Reserve.  The  B.b.  was  awarded a silver medal at the 20th International Bee‑Breeding Congress (Bucharest, 1965).