Scientists in Bashkortostan will develop a regional program to support the breeding of the…

Scientists in Bashkortostan will develop a regional program to support the breeding of the Burzyan bee. In the "Vesti.Interview" program, Mikhail Kosarev, director of the Shulgan-Tash State Biosphere Reserve, explained why it is important to protect the Bashkir population of the dark forest bee.

The Burzyan wild bee, also called "burzyanka," lives both in hives and tree hollows, as it has for thousands of years. It produces dark, thick honey with a scent of herbs and resin. In the 19th century, these wild bees were numerous, but later hybridization began — local bees crossed with imported southern subspecies, causing the "burzyanka" to change and degrade.