ABSTRACT
Breeding of honey bees provides an increase of productivity of entomophilous crops, receiving of dietary food and medical preparations for apitherapy, getting raw materials for a national economy, preservation of biodiversity, and the solution of problems of ecological monitoring of environment and food security of the country. The extensive territory of Russia, due to the diversity of natural climatic conditions, is recommended for breeding Middle Russian, Bashkirian, Carpathian, Gray Mountain Caucasian, Far-Eastern bees, characterized by a specific set of biological and economic characteristics. Middle Russian bees propolize nest moderately. They are able to harvest a large amount of pollen in the brood part of the nest, which can reduce the area for laying eggs by the queen bee. Apis mellifera has natural distribution in Africa and Eurasia, and this species has been introduced to all other continents except Antarctica, and is intensively used in honey production and pollination of entomophilous crops.
