Lithuanian Dark Bee Association
The Lithuanian Dark Bee Association works to conserve and promote the native Lithuanian honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera) and supports beekeepers committed to preserving this important genetic resource.
The Current Situation in Lithuania
Lithuania is committed to protecting its native farm animal genetic resources, and the Lithuanian native honeybee is included on the national list of protected native breeds. For the past three years, beekeepers maintaining native honeybee colonies have been eligible for state support.
To receive this support, beekeepers must enter into an agreement with the Lithuanian Dark Bee Association, which issues certificates confirming colonies as Apis mellifera mellifera. Certification is only granted after colonies have undergone genetic testing (mtDNA mitotype determination) and morphometric analysis.
Participating beekeepers commit to maintaining the supported colonies for at least five years. They are also required to keep individual records for each colony, submit samples for ongoing testing and, where particularly valuable colonies are identified, allow them to be propagated and transferred to the Apis mellifera mellifera mating station in the national park in southern Lithuania.
State support is currently €269 per bee colony, regardless of the level of hybridisation. Testing for introgression of non-native genes (SNP analysis) is carried out only on colonies selected through morphometric assessment and is generally funded through the Nature Research Centre.
As the Lithuanian dark bee population has experienced hybridisation and fully pure Apis mellifera mellifera colonies are not currently available, the Association works to unite and coordinate beekeepers interested in conserving the native bee. Its focus is to identify and select colonies with the lowest levels of introgression for future breeding and conservation programmes.
The Association receives no government funding and operates entirely through membership fees.