Central breed of bees

The Central bee lives on the territory of Our Country. Sometimes it can be found in adjacent, neighboring territories. There are purebred insects in Bashkortostan, where untouched forests near the Ural Mountains have been preserved. There is a nature reserve of this breed. Due to biological features, Central honey bees have become the progenitors of varieties that develop well and winter in the northern regions of the country.

Description of the Central breed of bees

The breed is characterized by the following features:

1. Large insect, weight 110-210 mg.
2. Solid dark gray color without yellow and red color.
3. Proboscis length 6-6,4 mm.
4. Hairy bees, hairs 5 mm.
5. They are broad-legged and have a high cubital index.
6. Families are resilient. The swarm can include up to 70% of bees with two-year-old queens.
7. They have a vicious disposition and aggressiveness.
8. They winter from mid-autumn to early May.
9. Feed consumption for wintering is 1 kg per street.
10. There is a small amount of propolis in the nests.
11. Honeycombs formed by Central bees do not have membranes.
12. Easily adapt to the northern climate.
13. They have a high immune system and rarely get sick.
14. Insects are able to work at temperatures from + 10-40 ° C.
15. Not capable of stealing honey. Weakly protect their reserves.

The external features of the Central bee can only be seen in a close-up photo.

How Central bees behave

A distinctive feature of the Central breed is activity when examining the nest. When the frame is extended from the hive, they run down. They hang in clusters on a plank. At the same time, they behave very excitedly, take off, quickly move around the cell. The mother is hard to find. She tries to get to the other side of the frame. Hiding in a club of other bees.

Such activity makes it difficult to work with them. In moments of lack of honey collection, even individual protective equipment does not help from bites: a face mask, a gown. Smoke treatment does not give positive results.

How to endure wintering

Northern bees prepare for winter early. The queen 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 rates, the club turns out to minimize the metabolic rate, thereby saving strength.

Winter peace is reliable. Even short-term thaws or sharp rises in temperature will not provoke the uterus to lay eggs prematurely. In a cold winter, early awakening is detrimental to bees.

The Central breed begins awakening later than the other subspecies. Spring development begins when the temperature is fully warm and the threat of frost has passed. However, it occurs more intensively due to the active process of egg deposition.

What are the qualities of honey

Ready honey is sealed with wax caps. Thus, between the wax and the liquid product there is an air gap, a space for ventilation. At the same time, the cells remain dry. And they are wet when the honey directly comes into contact with the wax seal. Then the bee product has high humidity and a characteristic luster.

The honey of the bees of the old breed is always dry, and the signet is white. This distinctive feature is characteristic only for this subtype.

Resistance to diseases

Insects of the Central breed are extremely rarely exposed to nosematosis and honeydew toxicosis. The departure for the spring-autumn period is only 3-5%. This is good preservation. Some beekeepers working on the breed achieve 100% safety. The main enemy of the old bees is varroatosis, infection with the Varroadestructor mite.

Recommended breeding regions

The formation of the Central breed of bees began in conditions of typical forest land. Initially, the territory of the Eastern Urals was mastered by insects. Later, with the help of people, the range expanded further. Two centuries ago, a variety appeared in Siberia.

The development of the breed in difficult climatic conditions influenced the further ability to survive insects, cold resistance, resistance to diseases. Hot countries are not suitable for its breeding. Since the bees become unproductive, immunity decreases, weaken and die.

Productivity of the breed

Bees of the Central breed are distinguished by high productivity and efficiency. They work all day, regardless of the weather. Collect nectar in the summer heat or during the cool spring. Unsuitable conditions for insects are wind and heavy rain.

The maximum productivity from bees of the Central breed can be obtained if fireweed, linden, buckwheat, maple, acacia, and willow grow nearby. Honey activity lasts from May to July. The amount of honey gradually increases from 10-30 kg. Starting from August, productivity decreases by 3 kg per month. This is due to the partial absence of honey vegetation. The average value of collected honey from a family for the summer period is 90 kg.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The photo shows the Central breed, which is in demand in beekeeping due to the following qualities:

• disease resistance;
• in the presence of a meager honey collection, insects are able to feed the whole family;
• fast collection of nectar;
• fertility of queens;
• low feed consumption during wintering;
• intensive development in the spring;
• valuable qualities of honey.

Disadvantages:

1. Rancor and aggressiveness. If the beekeeper does the housework in the wrong way, then the insects react violently and sting the person.
2. You need to pay attention to swarming.
3. Poorly switch from one honey plant to another.
4. In forbs, they lose to other varieties in collecting nectar.

Features of reproduction

The Central 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 All- Research Institute of Livestock in 2011, this breed is the smallest. In total, there are 30 subspecies of the Central bee.

Honey bees reproduce well. Under favorable conditions, the uterus is able to lay 1500-2000 eggs per day. Accordingly, the number of families is growing rapidly. Such active fecundity of a bee lasts for 3-4 years in a row, after which the indicators decrease markedly and finally fall in the 7th year.

Features of breeding Central bees

You can place an apiary with bees of the Central breed throughout Our Country, 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 a quick search for honey. Collect it until the end of July. Insects of the Central breed are not picky, they pollinate buckwheat, linden, but do not fly long distances in search of other plants.

The hive of this breed does not differ significantly from others. However, social organization has its own differences:

1. 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.
2. When the number of inflorescences decreases, individuals that do not collect honey are preparing for wintering.

In the southern regions, evidence is placed in the shade, in cold regions, on the contrary, in the sun. The neighborhood of the apiary with livestock farms, reservoirs, fields of cereals, coniferous forests is undesirable. According to studies, mobile evidence that changes location several times a season brings 2 times more honey than stationary evidence.

Content Tips

Working with bees involves the use of a protective suit, especially if the beekeeper is a beginner. If handled incorrectly, bees can sting. The Central breed does not tolerate if the economy is carried out carelessly. Also, sensing danger, insects can attack.

If it is not possible to transport them, then you should take care of the insulation.

In the manufacture of honey, insects lay nectar in the store extension and the brood part. It is impossible to pump out honey from two parts at the same time. It is possible to leave the brood without food in winter.

What problems do beekeepers face when breeding bees?

The main difficulties and problems that often arise on the path of the beekeeper:

1. You should not buy bee packages of the Central bee on the Internet from unknown suppliers. It is important that the beekeeper is experienced, able to advise if necessary and vouch for the quality of the breed.
2. 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.
3. Swarming of the breed. It is quite difficult for bees to switch from a state of swarming to work. During this period, insects forget about the brood, stop building combs, and use the honey collection inefficiently.

Conclusion

The Central bee has acquired distinctive features over the period of evolution. First of all – survival 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, this subtype is of interest to foreign beekeepers.