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.