Macedonian Bee

The Macedonian bee (Apis mellifera macedonica) is the native honey bee subspecies of the south-eastern Balkans, in the region stretching from northern Greece to North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania. It is generally a gentle bee that uses plenty of propolis and cuts back brood in hot, dry weather. It is also important to beekeepers in Türkiye: most honey bees in Thrace have been found to be genetically close to the Macedonian bee.

Where does the Macedonian bee live?

The subspecies was described in 1988 by Friedrich Ruttner, known for his fundamental work on honey bee subspecies. Its natural range:

• In the south: northern Greece (the regions of Macedonia and Thrace); further south it borders the Greek bee A. m. cecropia.
• In the centre: North Macedonia, parts of Albania, Bulgaria.
• In the north: southern Romania, as far as Moldova and southern Ukraine; to the west, in Serbia, it neighbours the Carniolan bee (A. m. carnica).

Together with the Carniolan bee, the Macedonian bee belongs to a group close to the Eastern European (C) lineage; but Ruttner and later genetic studies confirmed that it is a separate subspecies from the Carniolan bee.

How do you recognise a Macedonian bee?

• Thorax: dark; no large yellow spots or bands.
• Abdomen: generally dark; reddish, yellow or orange spots may be seen on the first abdominal segments.
• Size: medium; similar to the Carniolan bee but distinguishable from it morphometrically.

The statement in the older text that it is "light yellow and brown, easily distinguished" is not correct. Most Balkan bees look very similar to one another; subspecies cannot be identified by eye. A reliable distinction requires wing measurements on many bees (wing morphometrics) or DNA analysis.

Behaviour and husbandry traits

According to Ruttner's description and the observations of beekeepers in the region, the main traits of the Macedonian bee are:

• Gentleness: generally a calm bee; easy to inspect.
• Swarming tendency: can at times show a marked tendency to swarm; giving space in spring and regular checks are important.
• Propolis: uses plenty of propolis; frame lugs and the inner cover often get stuck.
• Brood adjustment: reduces brood rearing in hot, dry summer conditions; this thrift helps conserve stores in dry summers.
• Nosema susceptibility: it has been reported that it may be susceptible to nosema; colony strength, faecal staining and bee losses should be monitored before overwintering and in spring.
• Overwintering: adapted to the continental, cold-winter climate of the Balkans.

The problem of hybridisation with the Carniolan bee

In recent decades, Carniolan bee queens have been reared and sold intensively in the Balkans. Genetic studies comparing bees in south-eastern Europe have confirmed the Macedonian bee as a distinct native population, but have detected Carniolan genes in varying proportions in many areas. The main reason is the commercial movement of queens.

In North Macedonia, the Macedonian bee is under special protection as the native subspecies, and its purity is checked regularly. Greece and Bulgaria also have breeders' initiatives aimed at protecting the local bee.

The Thracian bee and the Macedonian bee

The honey bees of Türkiye's Thrace region differ from those in Anatolia and were long referred to as "Carniolan-like". Studies by Turkish researchers on mitochondrial DNA have revealed a more detailed picture:

• The most common mitochondrial type found across Thrace is a type resembling the Macedonian bee.
• Bees resembling the Carniolan bee, on the other hand, were found mainly in Kırklareli, around the Istranca (Strandzha) Mountains.
• Some populations carry traits of both subspecies; given their geographical location, they are more likely to be linked to the Macedonian bee.

These findings show that the Thracian bee is a genetic resource of Balkan origin, separate from the Anatolian bee and worth protecting. The practical conclusion for beekeepers in Thrace: bringing in queens from outside the region, especially of Anatolian or Caucasian origin, can change the make-up of the local population.

Practical advice for working with Macedonian bees

1. Swarm management: give the hive space in good time in spring, check for queen cups weekly and make a split if needed.
2. Propolis: clean your hive tool often; if you plan to harvest propolis, you can use a propolis trap.
3. Summer drought: don't mistake a shrinking brood area for disease; monitor stores and water.
4. Nosema: go into winter with strong colonies, avoid damp, cool apiary sites, and in suspicious cases in spring ask for a laboratory diagnosis.
5. Local line: choose breeding stock from successful colonies in your own area.