Beekeeping in the Leningrad Region: features

There are many species of bees today. Some breeds bred by breeders can be bred even in areas with the most unfavorable climatic conditions. With proper selection of insect species and observance of all put technologies by the beekeeper, the apiary can become a very profitable business even in such an unfavorable weather-related region as, for example, the Leningrad Region.

The main difficulty of maintenance of apiaries

Beekeeping in the Leningrad Region refers to a risky kind of management primarily because here:

• Unstable weather prevails;

• Frequent thaws occur in winter;

• In the spring, there are protracted colds.

The bezobletny period of bees in the region usually lasts from the end of September until the last decade of April. In October, insects have the opportunity to collect nectar only in rare years.

Complexities for beekeepers in the Leningrad Region are not only caused by unfavorable weather conditions. Almost all beekeeping farms in this region, unfortunately, are infected with varroa.

It is believed that the most suitable for the organization of apiaries in the Leningrad region are the south-western regions and Gatchina. However, even here the content of the economy of such specialization is associated with all sorts of risks.

Beekeeping in the Leningrad region: breeds

Thus, the climate in this region for the organization of apiaries, unfortunately, is not very favorable. Therefore, beekeepers of this region can receive sufficient honey to cover the cost of this region only if the most hardy breeds of insects are kept. Most often in the Leningrad region, bees are bred:

• Central Russian;

• Gray mountain caucasian.

It is believed that the apiary in the Leningrad region can become the most profitable when choosing an amateur or professional one of these two breeds of bees. However, such species of insects as Carpathian and carnica are also quite promising for breeding in this region. Many beekeepers in the region are breeding bees of these breeds.

Beehives on Wheels

In the Leningrad region, as in many other regions of Russia, there is also a legal society of beekeepers. Its chairman is A. Dmitriev. According to this experienced beekeeper, beekeeping farms on wheels are the most promising for the region. For their organization, in addition to the main equipment, a small van is purchased. Further, several hives are installed in the body of the latter. The migration of such an apiary in the region to obtain the desired effect should continue from June 20 to June 25, that is, in the main period of the honey crop.

According to Dmitriev, such an organization of farms will make beekeeping in the Leningrad region much more cost-effective. Transportation of hives in the summer, in his opinion, can lead to an increase in the productivity of each family up to 60 kg. In particular, expedient migration can be in cold and wet years.

Beekeeping in Russia has been developing quite intensively lately. And similar apiaries on wheels are already in many regions of the country. According to Dmitriev, this method is also very suitable for the Leningrad region. The most promising, in his opinion, for the organization of mobile apiaries are the Luga, Boksitogorsk, Vsevolzhsky and Tikhvin regions of the region.

Statistics

Average honey harvest in the Leningrad region is about 11-27 kg per year. However, in some well-organized farms this figure can reach up to 157 kg from the family in a good summer. A total of 2013 in the region, according to statistics, contained about 33 525 hives. Actually, about 3 thousand amateur beekeepers engaged in beekeeping.

Product Quality

Beekeeping in the Leningrad Region, therefore, is a rather risky business. However, the honey itself from this region is very valued by consumers. It is believed that by taste, it often significantly exceeds products from many other regions of the country. Also, the advantage of honey, sold by Leningrad beekeepers, according to consumers, is its diversity. There are a huge number of honey varieties in this area. Plantings of genetically modified crops in the region are practically absent. Here, grasses prevail in the fields. Therefore, the local beekeepers realize many kinds of ecologically pure honey useful for health.