Burzyan bees

Started by John Schwartz, February 22, 2011, 10:46:50 PM

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John Schwartz

February 22, 2011, 10:46:50 PM
Back in the swing of things after moving my family to the Kenai, Alaska. I've been doing some cold-weather beek research and stumbled across a TV documentary about the Ural Mountain "Burzyan" bee--a native bee that has survived the past 1,000 years of -70 below weather there with local beekeepers hiving them in carved, hollow logs high up in trees to prevent (well, to try and prevent) bears from destroying them.

My question, does anyone know of attempts to bring that strain into other northern climates?
―John Schwartz, theBee.Farm

John Schwartz

#1
February 22, 2011, 10:49:09 PM
Forgot to mention, here's a site with some great photos: Burzyan Bee Photos
―John Schwartz, theBee.Farm

Brian D. Bray

#2
February 23, 2011, 12:23:11 AM
Nice but I want to see the bees up close.  Photos of individual bees.  This could be just another (local) name for Russian bees.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

hardwood

#3
February 23, 2011, 12:29:23 AM
Looks like you're a ways away from Anchorage? My daughter is there at Ft Richardson...been trying to hook her up with some local honey :) It costs me about $20 shipping to send up a $10 bottle.

Scott

Let us know all about your adventures!
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greenbtree

#4
February 23, 2011, 10:16:30 AM
If they are another species, I would think you would need permission from the government to bring them in nowadays.  People are leery (and rightfully so) of bringing in alien species, especially insects, even if they are apparently benign.

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Trot

#5
February 23, 2011, 11:47:17 AM
Burzyan bees are descendants of once plentiful MM bees.  In this part of Urals they became landlocked, geographically separated and are now protected.  In 1958 SSSR created the first protected sanctuary in which Burzyan bees live.  They also employ local preserve wardens to take care of them which has already been sort of local tradition, etc, etc...

Bryan, your wish is my command, heee, hee...
Here you can see what Burzyan bee looks like:

http://www.wild-russia.org/bioregion4/shulgan/5.htm

Vance G

#6
February 23, 2011, 05:14:29 PM
What is the MM bee?  Just as an intellectual curiousity. 

Grid

#7
February 23, 2011, 06:48:49 PM
Not 100% sure, but my guess is short hand for (Apis) Mellifera Mellifera, scientific name for a subspecies of the western honey bee.

"Apis mellifera mellifera, Linnaeus 1758 is a subspecies and northern geographical race of Apis mellifera, the western honeybee.

It may be subdivided into many local ecotypes. Its various vernacular names include:
"Dark European Honeybee" (English),
"L'abeille noire" (French),
"Die dunkle Biene" (German) and
"Det mörka Nordiska Biet" (Swedish)."

Vance G

#8
February 23, 2011, 08:27:06 PM
That would make sense.  Thanks!  They sure are a waspy looking critter.  I have a collector inclination unfortunately and long for possession of any such oddballs I see.  Just to pass the time i guess.  This winter is cold and dragging on and on.  Guess I should go to the garage and build nuc boxes or frames or something!

AllenF

#9
February 23, 2011, 09:01:53 PM
I could not find anything on them being brought into the US or Canada or anywhere outside of the protected region.
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