Content
- 1 Description of the Central Russian breed of bees
- 2 Disease resistance
- 3 Recommended breeding regions
- 4 Breed productivity
- 5 Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
- 6 Breeding features
- 7 Features of breeding Central Russian bees
- 8 Content tips
- 9 What problems do beekeepers face when breeding bees?
- 10 Conclusion
The Central Russian bee lives on the territory of Russia. Sometimes it can be found in the adjacent, neighboring territories. There are purebred insects in Bashkortostan, where untouched forests have been preserved near the Ural Mountains. There is a reserve for the natural habitat of this breed. Due to their biological characteristics, Central Russian honey bees became the progenitors of varieties that thrive and winter in the northern regions of the country.
Description of the Central Russian breed of bees
The breed is characterized by the following features:
- Large insect, weight 110-210 mg.
- Solid dark gray color without yellow and red color.
- Proboscis length 6-6.4 mm.
- Bees are shaggy, hairs 5 mm.
- They are characterized by wide paws and high cubital index.
- Families are swarm. A swarm can include up to 70% of bees with two-year-old queens.
- They are distinguished by an evil disposition and aggressiveness.
- They hibernate from mid-autumn to early May.
- The consumption of forage for wintering is 1 kg per street.
- A small amount of propolis is observed in the nests.
- The honeycombs formed by the Central Russian bees have no membranes.
- Easily adaptable to northern climates.
- They have high immunity, rarely get sick.
- Insects are able to work at temperatures from + 10-40 ° C.
- Not capable of stealing honey. Weakly protect their reserves.
The external features of the Central Russian bee can only be seen in a close-up photo.
How Central Russian bees behave
A distinctive feature of the Central Russian breed is activity when examining the nest. When the frame is extended from the hive, they run down. Hang in bunches on the bar. At the same time, they behave very excitedly, take off, quickly move around the honeycomb. The uterus is not easy to find. She tries to move to the other side of the frame. Hiding in a club of other bees.
Such activity makes it difficult to work with them. In the absence of honey collection, even personal protective equipment does not help from bites: a face mask, a dressing gown. Smoke treatments are not beneficial.
How wintering is carried
Northern bees prepare for winter early. The uterus stops laying eggs. The whole family is going to the club. The concentration of carbon dioxide in it is about 4%. Due to such high indicators, the club turns out to minimize the metabolic rate, thereby saving energy.
Winter peace is reliable. Even short-term thaws or sudden rises in temperature will not provoke the uterus to lay eggs prematurely. In cold winters, early awakening is detrimental to bees.
The Central Russian breed begins to awaken later than other subspecies. Spring development begins when it gets completely warmer and the threat of frost has passed. However, it occurs more intensively due to the active process of egg deposition.
What qualities does honey have?
Finished honey is sealed with wax caps. Thus, an air gap forms between the wax and the liquid product, a space for ventilation. At the same time, the honeycomb remains dry. And they are moist when honey directly comes into contact with the wax seal. Then the bee product has a high moisture content and a characteristic shine.
The honey of the old Russian breed is always dry, and the seal is white.This distinctive feature is characteristic only for this subtype.
Disease resistance
Insects of the Central Russian breed are extremely rarely exposed to nosematosis and dementia toxicosis. The waste for the spring-autumn period is only 3-5%. This is a good preservation. Some beekeepers working on the breed achieve 100% safety. The main enemy of old Russian bees is varroatosis, infection with the Varroadestructor mite.
Recommended breeding regions
The formation of the Central Russian bee breed began in typical forest conditions. Initially, the insect developed the territory of the Eastern Urals. Later, with the help of people, the area expanded further. Two centuries ago, the variety appeared in Siberia.
The development of the breed in difficult climatic conditions influenced the further survival ability of insects, cold resistance, and disease resistance. Hot countries are not suitable for breeding. As bees become unproductive, immunity decreases, weaken and die.
Breed productivity
The bees of the Central Russian breed are distinguished by high productivity and efficiency. They work all day long, regardless of the weather. Collect nectar in summer heat or during spring coolness. Unsuitable conditions for insects - wind and heavy rain.
The maximum productivity from bees of the Central Russian breed can be obtained if fireweed, linden, buckwheat, maple, acacia, willow grow nearby. The honey activity lasts from May to July. The amount of honey is gradually increasing from 10-30 kg. Since August, productivity has been reduced by 3 kg per month. This is due to the partial absence of honey vegetation. The average rate of collected honey from a family for the summer period is 90 kg.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
The photo shows the Central Russian breed, which is in demand in beekeeping due to the following qualities:
- disease resistance;
- in the presence of a scanty honey harvest, insects are able to feed the whole family;
- quick collection of nectar;
- fertility of queens;
- low consumption of forage during wintering;
- intensive development in the spring;
- valuable qualities of honey.
Disadvantages:
- Resentment and aggressiveness. If the beekeeper manages the farm in an improper way, then the insects react violently and sting the person.
- Attention must be paid to swarming.
- They switch poorly from one melliferous plant to another.
- In forbs, they lose to other varieties in collecting nectar.
Breeding features
The Central Russian bee has a weak genotype. As a result of crossing it with other varieties, weak offspring are obtained. According to the certification carried out by the Research Institute of Beekeeping and the All-Russian Research Institute of Livestock in 2011, this breed is the smallest. In total, there are 30 subspecies of the Central Russian bee.
Honey insects reproduce well. Under favorable conditions, the uterus is capable of laying 1500-2000 eggs per day. Accordingly, the number of families is growing rapidly. Such active fertility of the bee lasts for 3-4 years in a row, after that the indicators noticeably decrease and at the age of 7 they finally fall.
Features of breeding Central Russian bees
It is possible to place an apiary with bees of the Central Russian breed throughout Russia, with the exception of the Far North. It is preferable that it be as close as possible to the honey collection. The distance of the apiary from the field should be no more than 2 m.
The instinct of bees is sharpened to find honey quickly. Collect it until the end of July. Insects of the Central Russian breed are not picky, pollinate buckwheat, linden, but do not fly away long distances in search of other plants.
A hive of this breed does not differ significantly from others. However, the social organization has its own differences:
- During the period of active pollination of plants, the queen limits the number of eggs laid, allowing more bees to be involved in the process.
- When the number of inflorescences decreases, individuals that do not collect honey are preparing for wintering.
In the southern regions, the evidence is placed in the shade, in cold areas, on the contrary, in the sun. The proximity of the apiary with livestock farms, reservoirs, fields of cereals, coniferous forests is undesirable. According to the research conducted, mobile clues that change their location several times per season bring twice as much honey as stationary ones.
Content tips
Working with bees involves the use of a protective suit, especially if the beekeeper is a beginner. If mishandled, bees can sting. The Central Russian breed does not tolerate if the economy is run carelessly. Also, sensing danger, insects can attack.
If it is not possible to transport them, then you should take care of insulation.
When making honey, insects deposit nectar in the store top and brood part. You cannot pump out honey from two parts at the same time. There is a chance of leaving the brood without feed in winter.
What problems do beekeepers face when breeding bees?
The main difficulties and problems that often arise on the path of the beekeeper:
- It is not worth buying bee packages of a Central Russian bee on the Internet from unknown suppliers. It is important that the beekeeper is experienced, can advise if necessary and vouch for the quality of the breed.
- Aggressiveness of insects. It manifests itself with improper care or inexperience of the beekeeper. If the bees see confidence in their actions, they will be less angry.
- Swarming of the breed. It is rather difficult to switch bees from swarming state to work. During this period, insects forget about the brood, stop rebuilding combs, and do not effectively use honey collection.
Conclusion
During the evolutionary period, the Central Russian bee acquired distinctive features. First of all, it is survival rate during long wintering. This quality is due to the natural habitat. Equally important is the presence of good immunity and the ability to collect nectar in a short summer. Not surprisingly, foreign beekeepers are interested in this subtype.
