This subspecies of Apis mellifera occurs in northern Greece and neighbouring areas, the exact distribution is not clear.  The subspecies cecropia occurs in southern Greece.  MtDNA analysis is unable to distinguish between the two populations although the two bees are quite different in appearance and behaviour.  However, because large numbers of colonies are moved around Greece most populations are hybridised to some degree.   There used to be several distinct  strains(local ecotypes) of this bee but these have now disappeared.  The strain in general use now is know as the Chalkidiki strain as it originates from the Chalkidiki Peninsular of northern Greece. The influence of ligustica  and Buckfast bees is also noticeable in some locations.  It is probably best to regard macedonica as a very close relative to carnica and the two are very alike in appearance.  The bees are not usually aggressive and Greek beekeepers usually only wear a minimum of protective equipment, if they use any at all.  There is a natural resistance to Acarapis woodi and many colonies are weak in their resistance to Nosema apis. 
Wintering is done with medium sized colonies and spring development is rapid with a pronounced swarming instinct.  Most beekeepers use an unrestricted broodnest and harvest by removing any individual combs that are capped.  Removal of the crop by the super is rare.   About 75% of the honey produced in Greece is from the pine forests that harbour the honeydew producing insect known in Greece as the ''Ergatis'' (Trans: ''The worker'')  (Latin:Marchalina hellenica).  This honeyflow and the beekeepers has been seen to be believed.  Thousands and thousands of hives are taken to the pine forests in late summer.  These colonies are usually compacted into a single hive body and are placed anywhere there is a place to put them - often along the side of forest roads.  Thousands of colonies can be seen just by driving along a road.  Where one beekeepers hives start and end is not always clear.  The queens will usually stop laying during this flow due to a lack of pollen and the hive a few weeks after being on the flow is usually completely broodless.  Frames are removed and extracted as soon as the beekeeper thinks there is enough honey.  There are two reasons for this: one is that that the bees are stimulated into foraging by removal of the combs and replacement with empty ones and also because if the beekeeper waits too long he may find that someone else has done the job for him!  The lack of brood is dangerous however and if the colonies are left on the pine flow too long they may suffer a severe reduction in population.  The beekeepers keep a close watch on the colonies and when they determine that they are in decline they are moved out quickly to a nectar/ pollen flow, mostly Erica, Ivy and Arbutus, where they soon pick up and are able to get back to a population that can overwinter.
  It seems like it's not possible to keep  A. m. macedonica profitably in areas that have summer temperatures that exceed 30c. for long periods.  They just seem to wither in high temperatures and cannot handle them.
It's interesting to look at the situation that developed in Crete during the late 1970's and 1980's and the role that macedonica played.  As is well-known the island of Crete had its own endemic subspecies of bee A. m. adami.  In the late 1970's Cretan beekeepers started importing ligustica queens in an effort to have calmer bees and higher crops.  The ligustica ( the light yellow variety) crossed with the local bees and things seemed be good for a while.  Unfortunately Acarapis woodi had hitched a ride along with the imported bees and Crete was soon facing a disaster, with nearly the whole bee population of the island heavily infested with Acarine.  It was noticed, however, that the bees whose hives were headed by macedonica queens (Chalkidiki strain) were not in trouble, so queens were switched as soon as possible and the beekeeping industry of Crete was saved from disaster.  A. m. adami became extinct in the process and it is not now possible to find any colonies that are pure adami.  We recently (September and October 2005) visited some of the small islands around Crete in the hope of finding some bees on them but didn't find any.
I have some good photographs of A. m. macedonica and will be pleased to send them on to anyone  who requests them by Sunday evening.  Please send an email to: [log in to unmask]
Best regards
Roger White
Superbee bees Cyprus.

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