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nafex - Re: [nafex] Lemonary in Bashkortostan & ancient wild-hive beekeeping.

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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>
  • To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Lemonary in Bashkortostan & ancient wild-hive beekeeping.
  • Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:17:14 -0500

On 2/12/2012 2:50 PM, mIEKAL aND wrote:
Wow, I'm impressed.

Wild-hive beekeeping in Burziansky region of Bashkortostan

Bashkortostan is the only place in Russia, where people are still engaged in the ancient business of wild-hive beekeeping. This is the Wild-hive beekeepingmost ancient form of apiculture, when honey is gathered not at bee-gardens but on the trees! At that bees are kept in pine-tree hollows.

The first information about Bashkir apiculture is known from the XVII century and the peak of wild-hive beekeeping falls on the XVIII-XIX centuries. Bashkirs kept their own hollows with bees and every bee master had its own sign (“tamga”) on his hollows. The hollows were gouged out in trees at the height of 6-8 meters and 60-90 cm in diameter. Every bee family in such hollows had 2-5 swarms. Strong bee-families are able to bring up to 10-12 kg of honey per day. Because of intensive tree-felling and development of agriculture and cattle-breeding wild-hive beekeeping lost its meaning and gave way to modern bee-keeping. In order to preserve and investigate wild bees the Shulgan-Tash state reserve was established in 1986 in Bashkortostan.

Med Wild-hive beekeeping is still alive in Burziansky region of Bashkortostan. Being nearly completely dead in 50s last century wild-hive beekeeping began to revive among local population again. There are several reasons to that: people begin to understand growing significance of natural foods and honey undoubtedly belongs to such products. Notwithstanding all forecasts wild-hive beekeeping is becoming economically profitable. This honey has no analogues in the world on its medicinal and tasting properties. Wild honey possesses a unique delicate aroma and taste. This honey is saturated with beeswax and ambrosia and is rich with fructose and glucose. Its composition includes ferments and vitamins, about twenty amino acids and mineral aromatic substances.





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