Study and conservation of biodiversity of honey bees in Russia

Abstract

Middle Russian, Bashkir, Carpathian, Gray Mountain Caucasian and Far Eastern bees are bred in Russia. As a result of selection based on selected material, the following breed types were reared: “Priokskiy”, “Orlovskiy”, “Tatarskiy” and “Burzyanskaya Bortevaya” of Middle Russian; “Maykopskiy” and “Moskovskiy” of Сarpathian; and “Krasnopolyanskiy” of Gray Mountain Caucasian breeds. Work was carried out at farms-originators of breed types “Priokskiy” on the apiaries of Federal beekeeping research centre, “Tatarskiy” – selective centre “Tatarskiy”, “Burzyanskaya Bortevaya” – State nature reserve “Shulgan-Tash”, “Krasnopolyanskiy” – Krasnopolyanskya Experimental station of Beekeeping. The materials of approbation of breeding achievements of the Bashkir and Far Eastern breeds and breed types “Orlovskiy”, “Maikopskiy” and “Moskovskiy” were analyzed. The research was guided by the “Method of conducting tests for distinctness, uniformity and stability”. Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)” and “Methods of research work in beekeeping”. The characteristics of the morphometric features of bees, queens and drones, as well as the ethological features of bee colonies of reared breeds and breed types are presented. Reserves, sanctuaries and breeding farms are indicated that are engaged in the conservation, selection improvement and reproduction of selected queen bees and families of a certain origin, as well as their sale in breeding zones for further reproduction. To conduct breeding work in beekeeping, a number of documents have been prepared: Regulations on the state nature reserve for the conservation of the gene pool of the native breed (population) of the honey bee, the Rules for classifying farms engaged in breeding bees as breeding farms, the National standard for the queen bee, the Interstate standard for the bee colony. The study of the gene pool of breeds, types and populations of bees, the control of their purity are the main conditions for its conservation and rational use.