The European honey bee Apis mellifera is important for humans and the environment as a pollinator for agricultural and wild plants [1]. The number of honey bee colonies has declined annually in recent decades [2, 3] due to a variety of factors, including climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, the spread of pests and pathogens, and hybridization with introduced southern subspecies, such as Apis mellifera ligustica, Apis mellifera caucasia, and Apis mellifera carpathica [4-6]. Due to its extensive distribution area in a wide range of climatic and ecological zones, A. mellifera is currently subdivided into 30 subspecies, as well as dozens of ecotypes [7-9]. The gene pool of bee populations plays an important role in adaptation, therefore maintaining the gene pool is a prerequisite for maintaining efficient and sustainable beekeeping
