Apis mellifera anatoliaca is the native honey bee subspecies of the Anatolian peninsula. It has adapted to a continental climate — hot dry summers and cold winters.

Appearance

• Between dark brown and grey; slight yellow markings in some lines
• Medium sized and solidly built
• Medium to long tongue

Strengths

• Overwintering: It comes through cold, long winters well
• Frugality: It uses stores economically through breaks in forage
• Drought adaptation: It balances itself by cutting brood rearing in a summer dearth
• Disease resistance: Resilience is reported in populations adapted to local conditions
• Good foraging: It responds quickly when a flow opens

Weaknesses

• Defensiveness: There is wide variation between lines; some populations are markedly bad-tempered
• Restlessness on the comb: A tendency to run when a frame is lifted can make inspection harder
• Variability: Because of the wide range, traits differ from region to region

Ecotypes

The Anatolian bee is not uniform. Different geographical areas hold ecotypes adapted to local conditions, differing in overwintering, rate of build-up and behaviour.

This diversity is a genetic resource: it carries local adaptation and is valuable for breeding work. Uncontrolled importing and hybridisation dilute it.

Genetic conservation

Conserving local subspecies is a practical rather than merely cultural matter. A population adapted to a region's climate outperforms imported genetics in that climate.

Protected mating areas and the production of pure lines serve this purpose.

Management notes

• The choice of line is critical; variation in defensiveness is wide
• Requeen a bad-tempered colony; behaviour changes within a few weeks
• Follow stores through periods of drought
• Buying queens from a local producer preserves the advantage of adaptation