Dear Bill Lord, I don't have any new information about beekeeping in Macedonia. One of my friend visited Macedonia a few years ago. He told me how they were doing there. I'm sure, that have not changed a lot to now. They keep bees in LR and also in DB hives. As you may know, whole Balkan and Panonic valley is an areal of Carniolan bee - A. m. carnica. I wrote something about Carniolan bee a week ago. There is a big variation in Carniolan bee between different parts of the areal. Typical Carniolan bee was described from Alps valleys of Slovenia, one century ago that was part of Austria and part of county called Carniola. Down in Macedonia bees are not so grey. They are dark or brown. Some call this ecotype as Macedonian bee. My friend told me that they have also a big variation inside Macedonia. They have areas with hot and dry Mediterranean climate and areas with cold mountain climate. That also defines the appearance of forage during the year. In the valleys, like Skopje valley, they have dry summer without no forage. Foraging periods are spring and fall. Flora in Macedonia is exotic. There are a lot of pastures, which are not cultivated intensively. There is also Robinia pseudoaccacia and, in last years, they planted Eucalyptus tree. There honey from liveds and mountains have to be very aromatic and something unique. Bee diseases. They've got Varroa mites from Bulgaria perhaps 20 years ago. They were one of the first regions in former Yugoslavia with Varroa mites. For other diseases I'm not sure. Tracheal mites usually don't cause a problem in Carniolan bees. That infection is very rear. More frequent is perhaps full brood and chalk brood. Up to date information have to be get from Macedonia. I can ask back in Slovenia if someone have any address from beekeepers in Macedonia. Let me know if you are need that address. Janko ======================================================= Janko Bozic OFFICE: Department of Zoology & Physiology Louisiana State University _ _________ Baton Rouge, LA 70803 /_\_____/_ tel. 504 388 1769 //* \O O/ *\ fax. 504 388 1763 / *** \O/ *** / ** / \ ** HOME: / * _._ * 1222 Jim Taylor No.9 \.../ Baton Rouge LA 70820 \I/ tel. 504 767 4681 l BITNNET: ZOBOZI@LSUVM INTERNET: [log in to unmask] =======================================================