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
 
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Janko Bozic
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