Development peculiarities in Azerbaijan Apis mellifera subsp. Caucasica Gorbachev, 1916

The work provides data on the current state of beekeeping in Azerbaijan. Information on the morphology and ecology of the Caucasian bee is analyzed. The characteristics of the subspecies obtained using the morphometric program BEE2 are given. Expeditions were organized to the Ganja-Gazakh, Sheki-Zagatala and Guba-Khachmaz regions of the country, and bees were selected from apiaries. On the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the average annual productivity of a bee colony is 10-12 kg in years with favorable weather and 3-5 kg in years with unfavorable weather conditions. In apiaries, due to various reasons (sowing, weakness, illness, etc.), not all bee colonies are able to reach this level. Therefore, if we carry out calculations with the average productivity limit, then the annual volume of honey production in Azerbaijan is currently about 4,000 tons.