Cypriot bee faces mounting threats from imports and drought

The native Cypriot honeybee is under threat from imported strains, prolonged drought, and insufficient state support. 

Experts warn that the loss of this local species could jeopardise pollination across the island and damage agricultural productivity.

A proposal to protect the Cypriot bee, Apis mellifera cypria, has been submitted to the agriculture department. The Pancyprian Beekeepers’ Association requested the creation of an accredited apiary to breed native queens for local distribution.

The initiative, which aims to safeguard the genetic integrity of the indigenous bee, was lodged in June last year. It includes allocating state land in Athalassa, Nicosia. To date, the association reports no formal response from authorities.

The plan for a dedicated beekeeping centre in Cyprus is moving slowly. 

Officials attribute delays to administrative procedures, the need for suitable buildings, and the long-term commitment required. Nonetheless, broader efforts to preserve the native bee continue.

Lysandros Lyssandridis, the agriculture department head, told the Sunday Mail that the process begins with the beekeepers themselves. 

“The process depends on the readiness of the association to submit a complete application,” he said. 

“The intention is to allocate a specific building owned by the agriculture ministry, so that a beekeeping centre can be created.”

He added that the centre would serve multiple purposes. 

“The association will be based here, and services will be provided not only to beekeepers but also to the wider public. This includes educational visits by schools and organised trips to apiaries,” he said.

The beekeeping centre is also part of a longer-term strategy to protect the native bee. 

“This local breed is threatened, mainly due to the import of queens from abroad in recent years,” Lyssandridis said. 

“As a result, its genetic character is gradually being altered.” 

The centre would provide the controlled environment necessary to preserve and reproduce the native strain.

The project has a history of prior examination. Lyssandridis stated that an earlier initiative had progressed through a non-governmental organisation. 

“Now the matter has returned, and we are examining the possibilities again,” he said. 

He confirmed that the ministry owns several unused buildings that could potentially host the centre. 

“If there is a building that is not being used, it can be allocated, provided the association can maintain it effectively,” he said.

One building is currently under consideration, but there is no fixed timeline for handover. 

“It depends on whether the building requested is available and suitable,” Lyssandridis explained. 

“We need to assess what maintenance works are required and whether the body can undertake them.” 

He also noted that alternative options, including the use of the association’s own space, were being examined.

Protecting the Cypriot bee is a complex scientific task. Discussions have begun with a research institute to carry out genetic analysis. 

“There is scientific material and samples of the Cypriot bee dating back 60 to 70 years,” Lyssandridis said. 

“Based on the genome of these samples, new samples will be taken from the countryside to identify which present-day bees are closest to the original breed.”

Once identified, these bees can be reproduced. The process relies on molecular analyses, which are both costly and time-consuming. 

A five-year implementation programme has been proposed, with the initial stages already underway.

Margarita Kouloumi, president of the Pancyprian Beekeepers Association, emphasised the seriousness of the threat.

“The immediate solution is not easy,” she said. 

“Research programmes are needed to track how the Cypriot breed is evolving.” 

She warned that imported queens are changing the genetic makeup of local bees. 

“Our goal is to develop actions in Cyprus to preserve the Cypriot breed in its own place,” she said.

The proposed centre would be inclusive and open to all beekeepers working with the native strain. It would serve educational, research and visitor purposes. 

“The most important thing is the protection of genetic material, so that it is not lost,” Kouloumi said. 

Training programmes, academic collaborations, and the potential establishment of a university chair in beekeeping are also part of the plan.

Queen breeding will focus exclusively on the Cypriot strain. 

“Through queen breeding, we will pursue the closest possible genetic material of Apis mellifera cypria,” Kouloumi said. 

She confirmed that the application for the centre has been in progress for about a year. 

“The initiative started with the previous board and continues with us. There is vision, willingness and people who want to bring the bee closer to society,” she said.

Kouloumi highlighted the potential consequences if the bee is lost. 

“If the bee is lost, the consequences will be catastrophic,” she said. 

She said that Cyprus currently lacks an official beekeeping institute. While private and international studies exist, no formal scientific body supports local beekeepers. 

She added that farmers must also recognise the bee’s role as a primary pollinator.

Historical records show a marked decline in the island’s beehives. Figures indicate that the number fell from around 500,000 in 1896 to just 23,170 by 1946. 

The decline was documented by the British colonial administration in 1905 and persisted until independence.

State intervention later proved pivotal. In 1961, agriculture official Rogiros Michaelides tasked Dinos Papaioannou, described as the father of modern Cypriot beekeeping, with rebuilding the sector. 

After training abroad, he introduced the movable wooden Langstroth hive and trained beekeepers across the island. Lessons were given in villages, schools, monasteries and prisons for nearly two decades.

Despite these historical successes, beekeepers warn that state engagement is now largely absent, even as new pressures mount. 

The Cypriot bee, naturally more defensive due to its long struggle with the eastern hornet, Vespa orientalis, is well adapted to local conditions. 

However, drought and widespread importation of foreign bees increasingly threaten the species.

Many beekeepers continue to import foreign queens, believing they are easier to manage. Scientists warn this leads to hybridisation, with new strains often losing productivity after the first generation. 

Over time, the native subspecies is replaced, reducing biodiversity and pushing the Cypriot bee closer to extinction.

Unlike countries such as Slovenia, Cyprus did not introduce restrictions on imported bees after joining the European Union. 

Imported strains, including Buckfast, Italian, Turkish and Greek bees, are now widely used.

The beekeeping centre aims to reverse this trend. Controlled breeding would focus on Cypriot queens with reduced aggression, strong hive defence, and lower swarming tendencies. 

These queens would be made available to local producers at lower prices than imported alternatives.

The centre would also provide training, host public visits and support research using currently unspent EU funds. 

The association is seeking academic cooperation, highlighting the absence of a dedicated chair in apiculture at any Cypriot university. 

Without scientific guidance, beekeepers face challenges in maintaining the native strain.

The issue has entered bicommunal discussions. The technical committee on the environment is examining joint measures to protect the Cypriot bee as part of confidence-building initiatives. 

Michalis Loizides, Greek Cypriot co-chair, said only around 25 per cent of bees in the north belong to the native strain, with similar practices observed in the south. 

Four meetings have already taken place, with further action planned. The survival of the native Cypriot bee is increasingly urgent. 

With drought, hybridisation, and lack of formal support, experts warn that without coordinated action, the island risks losing a species vital to agriculture, biodiversity, and ecological stability. 

The proposed beekeeping centre represents the primary structured attempt to protect the Apis mellifera cypria and secure the future of Cyprus’ pollination and honey production.