Caucasian Honey Bee

Caucasian Honey Bee

(Apis mellifera caucasia)

   This bee, otherwise known as the Mountain Grey Caucasian Bee has a long tongue which is 0.2 millimeters longer compared to other species, so it is easier for the bees to reach bottom of flower pistil and take nectar from where others cannot reach it. The bee is therefore characterized by high productivity. It is also peaceful. It knows exactly the right time for defense and attack, feels who is enemy and who is friend. It almost never attacks bee-keeper, on the contrary, greets him gladly.

   The Caucasian bee is hard-working -it starts work at the first ray of rising sun and does not stop until dusk. It gathers lots of products – pollen, propolis etc.

   If the bee-keeper knows how to treat the bee correctly, the Caucasian bee will give much more honey compared to others.

   The Caucasian bee is quite well-known in the world for its special characteristics. It is also known for surviving winter more easily than other species especially in places where rain and bad weather are frequent. They can fly in very bad weather, when other bees used in apiculture cannot fly at all.

   Nevertheless the Caucasian bee has its shortcomings. During the active harvesting period, when plants give the largest quantities of nectar, bees produce the most honey. At this time bee-keepers add supers (additional part of beehive, containing extra frames, placed on top of the existing hive) to hives. Usually bees take honey there in order to free space for larvae, however the Caucasian bee keeps honey and eggs together and does not take honey up until there is very little space left in the original hive.