Carpathian or Carpathian breed of bees

Carpathian bees are among the most common breeds among many beekeepers, both beginners and professionals.

The “Karpatka” is loved for its good honey production and resistance to diseases. This breed of bees is suitable for use in most of our country. It is being developed in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, South Korea and China.

Pure Carpathian bee and its varieties are perfect for beekeepers who cannot afford to be at the apiary all the time.

Breed description

What it looks like, photo:

The Carpathian bee breed still causes controversy among experts regarding its origin. However, they confidently state that these insects appeared several million years ago.

Over such a long period of time, the Carpathian breed has adapted well to living conditions in the mountainous areas.

Only in the middle of the last century did scientists learn about these bees and began breeding and improving their qualities. Improved insects began to enjoy popularity in many countries.

To preserve the breed, some countries create protected areas for this species, where it is prohibited to import other bees.

Appearance

A characteristic feature of the appearance of the Carpathian bee, or as it is popularly called – the Carpathian bee, is the absence of pronounced stripes on the body. The insect has a gray shade with an ashen sheen.

The queen’s body color can vary from black to cherry (depending on the type). Each worker bee weighs approximately 110 mg, the queen – 205 mg (fertile) or 180 mg (non-fertile).

The body structure is correct, the proboscis length is about 7 mm, the tergite width is 4,8 mm. The long proboscis allows the Carpathian bee to collect nectar in hard-to-reach places and pollinate legumes.

In 24 hours, the queen lays an average of about 1 eggs, and in breeding apiaries this figure increases up to 3 pcs.

Selection

Today, breeders have developed several types of this breed. The most popular are:

• Vuchkovsky. It is one of the most common types of Carpathian bees in countries such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The bees are grey in colour, the drones may have a brownish body, and the queens may be brown or black.
• Kolochanovsky. The characteristics of this type include large wings. In addition, some representatives have small brown spots on their bodies.
• Goverla. This type is very similar in appearance to the above. However, it has a longer proboscis and high egg production in queens.
• Maykop. Bred specifically to improve the adaptation of insects to the conditions of the central and southern parts of Russia. Due to selection, this type of bees has a longer proboscis, which contributes to an increase in their productivity in the above-mentioned regions.

Productivity

The Carpathian breed of bees is distinguished by good productivity. During 1 season, insects collect on average about 40-50 kg of honey, and in case of favorable conditions and correct placement of hives, the amount increases to 80 kg.

The Carpathian collects pollen from various plants, without being tied to one, which is the main reason for good productivity even during unfavorable conditions. This breed is also highly productive in wax production.

Character

The Carpathian bee is a calm and non-aggressive breed of bee. When inspecting their home, the use of smoke is usually not required, since the insects work calmly on the frames and practically do not pay attention to humans.

However, despite its non-aggressiveness, the Carpathian very actively protects its home from parasites. The only exception is the wax moth.

Under proper beekeeping conditions, the Carpathian breed has a low tendency to swarming. Carpathians are also distinguished by their independence, so their breeding does not require special equipment or additional work.

Origin

The genealogy of the Carpathian bee causes extensive discussions in the scientific community. Experts still cannot give a clear answer regarding who was the ancestor of this breed. Some scientists claim that the Carpathian bee is a variety of the Alpine Carniolan breed.

Others are sure that the roots of the breed should be sought much further east – among the Ukrainian steppe bees. Only one thing can be said with certainty – the Carpathian has similar features to both populations, but at the same time has its own unique features.

It is important to understand that the Carpathian breed of bees appeared millions of years ago, so talking about its artificial origin is completely pointless. Over such a long period of time, these bees have adapted perfectly to life in the conditions of low mountains and vast mountain valleys.

Oddly enough, the existence of this breed was unknown in the scientific community until the beginning of the 20th century. Local residents, of course, bred these very original honey plants, but outside the Carpathian region, nothing was known about the uniqueness of this breed.

It was only in the 20s that Czech beekeeping newspapers and magazines (at that time, Transcarpathia, the breed’s birthplace, was part of Czechoslovakia) began to write about the unusual endurance and peacefulness of Transcarpathian bees. After World War II, Transcarpathia became part of the Ukrainian SSR and Soviet beekeeping specialists learned about Carpathian bees.

In the mid-1960s, Ukrainian scientists began improving the breed, seeking to develop more productive intra-breed types.

The experiments were largely successful, and soon the Carpathian bee Vuchkovskaya appeared. Later, other well-known intra-breed types were created – Rakhovsky, Goverla and a completely new, but already famous type Synevir.

Due to the fact that all experiments were conducted in the mountainous area, the features of the Carpathian relief allowed for the complete isolation of the experimental apiaries. Thus, it was possible to preserve the utmost purity of the new intra-breed types in the breeding farms.

Later, in other regions of the USSR, scientists began to further improve and, most importantly, consolidate the hereditary characteristics of the improved Carpathian bees.

This was done especially actively in Crimea, Kazakhstan and the North Caucasus. Already in post-Soviet times, breeding material brought from Transcarpathia became the basis for the emergence of another intra-breed type – the Maikop type.

The results of the experiments of Soviet breeders turned out to be quite successful, so the improved Carpathian began to quickly conquer other regions of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. In addition to the places already mentioned above, this breed is also bred in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus and other countries.

Breeding zones

This breed is bred not only in Ukraine, but also in Russia, Belarus, mainly in the south of the countries, as well as in several regions of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Recently, the Carpathian bee breed has also been successfully used in some European countries, primarily in Poland.

Features of honey collection

One of the undoubted advantages of the Carpathian bee is the ability to start collecting in early spring at an early age of young individuals. Even from poor honey plants, these insects collect a good amount of nectar with varying sugar content.

Bees pollinate plants both in open areas and in pavilions. Carpathian honey has excellent taste and quality, a small amount of sugar.

Bees tolerate transportation well, so hives can be transported to remote areas. The Carpathian breed quickly builds honeycombs, but bees produce propolis in small quantities. This is due to the mountainous conditions in which these insects appeared.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like every breed, Carpathian bees also have advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of the Carpathian breed include:

Experts attribute the following factors to the breed’s disadvantages:

Content

Most experts note that the Carpathian breed is well suited even for novice beekeepers, however, for successful keeping and breeding of such bees, one should pay attention to some features of their keeping.

Conditions of detention

After purchasing the Carpathian breed of bees, you should take care of choosing a suitable hive. A multi-hull hive is most suitable for this species, since such a dwelling is as close as possible to the natural habitat of bees of the above breed.

Experts recommend making the holes for the flight in the south-east or south-west direction. This method will help the insects navigate in time.

It is advisable to place the hives themselves in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of at least 2 m from each other. In this case, the bees can easily find their home and do not interfere with other families. You can also place them in rows.

The Carpathian breed of bees is kept in various conditions:

• in greenhouses;
• pavilions;
• on the street.

Placing hives outdoors is only suitable for temperate climates, but experienced beekeepers have placed bees outdoors in harsher weather conditions.

Feeding

When choosing a place to install hives, it is important to note that honey plants should be located within 2 km. Areas near a forest are good. Hives can also be placed in a garden with many fruit trees.

Additionally, you need to take care of the availability of water bowls for insects. Several pieces should be placed on the territory of the apiary. The bees will choose the most suitable place for them to get water, and the rest of the water bowls can be removed.

For top dressing in the spring, use sugar syrup with the addition of acetic acid. To prepare it, mix 1 kg of sugar and 1 g of acid in 3 liter of water.

Many beekeepers are also currently using Alimak, which helps insects quickly recover from winter and begin work more effectively. Additionally, various additives containing cobalt are used (for example, Pchelodar).

Wintering

For a good wintering, experts recommend additional feeding to stimulate the increase of bee bread for the winter and accelerate the spring development of bee families. This event should be carried out in the fall. For additional feeding, use 33% sugar syrup (200 g), to which 2,5% of flower pollen is added.

Carpathian bees tolerate winter well. This factor contributes to the breeding of this breed even in Siberia, since due to their productivity, bees are able to provide themselves with the necessary amount of food for the cold period of the year. For successful wintering, Carpathian bees need about 30 kg of flower honey.

However, in order for the insects to survive the winter well, you should regularly inspect their home and, if necessary, replenish the depleting supply of food.

Additionally, maintain a suitable humidity level (65-80%). To do this, it is necessary to take the bees to the wintering house in time. The most suitable period is the beginning of stable frosts.

In case of breeding in moderate climate conditions, some features for wintering should be taken into account. In case of keeping in multi-hull hives, it is necessary to remove the upper hulls one by one in the autumn period. They are placed on top of the bottom stand, and the bees are shaken off the frames of the lower hull.

First, you need to remove the slats-showers. As a result, you get a 5-millimeter hole for the bees to fly out, ventilation, and another hole on the first body. In the spring, the lower block is placed below.

Resistance to diseases

The climate of the Carpathian Mountains, which largely influenced the characteristics of insects, endowed them with robust health. Some types of “carpathians” are not prone to diseases such as ascopherosis, varrotochus and some bacterial diseases. Nosema is almost impossible to encounter in them.

The stronger the family, the easier it is to maintain the microclimate in the hive. They clean the nest better and provide food for the larvae. Young individuals develop faster and begin to work. In terms of resistance to diseases, “Carpathian” bees are among the first among all honey-bearing breeds.

What do beekeepers advise?

Beekeeping experts offer several useful recommendations for successfully keeping Carpathian bees:

Bee packages

First of all, when choosing bee packages, you need to be especially careful with standard sets, since unverified suppliers can sell completely different bees instead of Carpathian ones. And in this case, the insects may be unbearable, sickly, and also have low productivity.

The signs of a complete package are:

• availability of feed reserves (about 3 kg);
• worker bees in sufficient numbers (about 15 individuals);
• young uterus;
• the number of dead bees should not exceed 20 bees.

Experts recommend that novice beekeepers purchase packages from reputable suppliers or from friends.

Wax moth

To combat this pest, you can use natural remedies that are safe for bee colonies. Often, a method of repelling with various odors that moths cannot stand is used.

For this purpose, mint, garlic, hops, and wormwood are used. These plants can be used either one by one or in combinations. There are also various chemical treatment methods, such as vinegar or paradichlorobenzene. The preparations Biosafe and Entobacterin have proven themselves well.

Control of swarming

Although the Carpathian breed of bees is practically not prone to swarming, it does happen. Therefore, take timely measures against swarming.

To do this:

• create good ventilation and reduce the amount of sunlight;
• separate young and mature bees from one family and unite them with the main families when nectar appears;
• use multi-body hives.

Conclusion

Due to a large number of advantages, good productivity and resistance to many diseases, “karpatki” has proven itself in conditions of various climatic latitudes. These insects are considered the best purchase not only for beginners, but also for experienced beekeepers. Bee packages are sold in specialized nurseries or apiaries used for breeding families.