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Beekeeping in Romania

14K views 28 replies 19 participants last post by  beepro 
#1 ·
I just returned from a visit to Romania for the wedding of an exchange student who had lived with us 10 years ago. While there I had the pleasure of meeting some beekeepers.

Even though we had quite a language barrier it was a wonderful experience. Beekeeping is very big, lots of honey for sale in the markets.

Along the road between Campina and Sinaia there were at least 6 roadside stands selling honey within a few kilometers. This is in the Prahova River Valley.

I took a few pictures which I wanted to share, showing the migratory bee wagons. They travel up and down the valley with their bees as the season progresses.
Romanian Migratory Bee Wagons

In Bucharest I met a beekeeper at the farmer's market near our hotel. He let me taste samples of all of his various honeys. The one that really stood out was "forest honey". "Padura" It is from the pine trees (as best as I could understand). It is a dramatic, dark and sharp tasting honey. He insisted on giving me a jar of it, and refused any payment. I have been enjoying it in my tea.

The Romanian name for bee is "albine" pronounced albeenay. The word for honey is "miere", or "miere de albine" (honey of the bee).

I hope to return someday and spend more time with them, perhaps visiting their hives. Because of the rainy weather and short time schedule I was unable to inspect their hives in detail. But check out the wagon with the numbered and various colored hives!

I was unable to communicate with them about mites. I used the word "Varroa" but they didnn't understand. So if anyone knows the Romanian word for mite please let me know! I hope they don't know the word because they don't have the problem!

But I do believe this is a country and people who have much to offer us!
 
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#11 ·
Hi all, Glad you are enjoying the pics.

All I could find out is they do service the hives from inside. It was raining and there was a dog tied up inside that was not very friendly so I decided to defer my inspection to a sunnier day!

I really don't know how they do service the hives from inside. It might be like a top bar hive, or a door that swings down (or up) at the back of the hive. But there is an aisle way that runs inside the wagon.

Yes there are living quarters in the back of one of the wagons. I asked them if they sleep with the bees and they just laughed and said no! I think they might use the living quarters when they are selling honey along the road.

There were no bees on the wagon. They told me the bees were "at home".

Yes there are lots more questions I would like to ask. I hope to get back there some day and get a full report.

very nice people.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Hi.... Im born also in Romania and spent a lot of time in this country .... here I have my family. I can offer more information about beekeping in Romania. Many beekeper work here with 1/1 frame (dadant) 10-12 frame per hive and 1/2 frame for supper. Some beekepers know when you say ,, varoua,, but some are more familiar with,,acarian,, ; ,,paduchi,, or ,,paraziti,, . Season for making honey is about 3 months. Here is many beekeper and also a lot of hive. The honey production/hive is small if they dont move the hive from flower to flower.
In Romania are more sortiment of forest honey. What you eat in Romania we call ,,mana,, and its made sometimes from pine but also fir and oak. We also have here honey from lime forest and acacia forest( thats is the most important for beekepers) and also almost the most expensive equal at price with ,,mana,,. If you travel in Romania you can contact me and see my bee hives.... If you have any questions I like to answer. Sorry for my bad english .... Is not my native language.
 
#16 ·
In Bucharest I met a beekeeper at the farmer's market near our hotel. He let me taste samples of all of his various honeys. The one that really stood out was "forest honey". "Padura" It is from the pine trees (as best as I could understand). It is a dramatic, dark and sharp tasting honey. He insisted on giving me a jar of it, and refused any payment. I have been enjoying it in my tea.
That's most likely because it's honeydew mixed with a little floral honey. If it is nearly black in colour then its "pine" honeydew.
 
#21 ·
#24 ·
I couldn't access your picture, but it sounded very much like the Slovenian hive trucks I saw last month. Slovenia prides itself in its varietal honey, so many beekeepers have hives on wheels that they take to the various honey flows. After three weeks in one area, say linden, they extract the honey (often on the truck), then move to the next bloom. The hives are worked from the back. They are generally two deeps high with a queen excluder between deeps. The frames are pulled out horizontally (no lifting, but more timely management needed). As frames are filled, they are replaced with empty frames.
In the picture, the hive on the end of the truck is on a scale. This truck houses ninety "families." Most of the beekeepers I talked with use oxalic acid vapor to treat mites.
Motor vehicle Transport Mode of transport Vehicle Commercial vehicle


Motor vehicle Transport Mode of transport Vehicle Commercial vehicle
Motor vehicle Transport Mode of transport Vehicle Commercial vehicle
Motor vehicle Transport Mode of transport Vehicle Commercial vehicle
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