Comparative assessment of various supplementary diets on commercial honey bee (Apis mellifera) health and colony performance

A healthy honey bee stock is critical to the beekeeping industry and the sustainability of the ecosystem. The quality of the supplemental diet influences the development and strength of the colony, especially during the pollen dearth period in the surrounding environment. However, the extent to which pollen substitute protein feeding affects honey bee colony parameters is not fully known. We conducted this study to test the influence of various supplemental diets on foraging effort, pollen load, capped brood area, population density, and honey yield. The treatment groups were supplied with patties of pollen substitute diets, whereas sugar syrup was given to the control group. Our results indicated that honey bees consumed a significantly higher amount of Diet 1 (45 g soybean flour + 15 g Brewer’s yeast + 75 g powdered sugar + 7.5 g skimmed milk + 7.5 g date palm pollen + 200 mL sugar syrup supplement with Vitamin C) followed by others supplemented diets. Further, pollen load, worker-sealed brood area, population strength, and honey yield differed significantly when Diet 1 was consumed instead of other supplemental diets. The proportion of biological parameters was less in the control group as compared to other treatments. This study highlights the potential of supplemental diets to improve the bee’s health and colony development when the pollens availability and diversity are insufficient.

Production practices, trends, constraints and opportunities of beekeeping in Arba Minch Zuria District, Southern Ethiopia

Background Beekeeping is an integral component of animal husbandry and it has highly untapped potential for generating household income for rural livelihood. The study was conducted to assess beekeeping practices, honey production trends, constraints and opportunities of beekeeping in Arba Minch Zuria District of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. The district was selected purposively based on its beekeeping potential and stratified into three agro-ecological zones. Seven representative Kebeles from the District were selected proportional to their agro-ecological variations. A total of 156 beekeepers were selected using systematic random sampling technique. Cross-sectional type of study was conducted to generate data through formal survey. The quantitative and qualitative data were summarized and analysed using one way ANOVA and cross tabulations, respectively. Result Mixed crop-livestock farming system was primary means of livelihood in the study area. The result revealed that most (96.8%) of the beekeepers practiced traditional beekeeping system. The average honeybee stocks were about 4.8 ± 1.78 and 5.2 ± 6.98 colonies per household. The average honey yield was 5.8 ± 0.09 kg and 20.1 ± 0.31 kg per year for traditional and modern beehives, respectively. Conclusion There was a decreasing trend of total colony number and honey yield over the last five years (2014–2018). Shortage of bee forage during dearth periods, absconding and honeybee enemies were the most important constraints of beekeeping in the study area, while the availability of huge number of honeybee colonies, existence of ample bee forages and the existence of tourist attraction sites in the study area provides a good market opportunity to sell the honey with a premium price.

Resources of birch trees and their productivity for honey collection in conditions of the Leningrad region

The Leningrad Oblast has a rich food base for bees on forest land. Still, currently, there is no regulatory basis for assessing the honey resources of birch forest land at the regional level. Therefore, forest areas with woody, shrubby or herbaceous plants as part of the woody, shrubby or herbaceous layer are used as a forage base for bees. The birch forests of the Leningrad region are the second largest in terms of the area covered. The research aims to carry out an inventory of honey resources and determine honey productivity for the primary honey plants under the birch canopy and forest edges. We used a proven survey methodology for counting plants of the understorey at the experimental sites. The study presented 71 species from 31 families of melliferous plants of blueberry, wormwood and herb-meadow birch forests. Significant melliferous plants under the birch canopy are Aegopodium podagraria L. (herb-twine and sagebrush birch, 57 kilograms/hectare); Vaccinium myrtillus L. (birch bilberry and acidic birch, 27 kilograms/hectare); Veronica chamaedrys L. (acidic birch, 24 kilograms/hectare). Rubus idaeus L. (107 kg/ha) has maximum honey production in the forest margins. The honey yield of Frangula Alnus Mill. and Chamaenerion angustifolium (L.) Scop is 50-60 kg/ha; the honey yield of Trifolium medium L. is 32 kg/ha. The evaluation of the birch woodlands showed that the studied components of the forest phytocenosis are characterized by a significant number of honey-bearing plant species that have a wide range of honey productivity.

Nectar secretion of Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels, Myrtaceae: Potential for honey production

The honey production capacity of bee flora is used to estimate the optimum colony carrying capacity of given area that helps to harvest the best honey yield. The research was conducted to quantify the nectar secretion pattern, the effect of temperature and humidity on dynamics of nectar secretion, and honey production capacity of Callistemon citrinus. One day before nectar collection, five inflorescences were enclosed with mesh bags on different branches of the tree. From these, twenty flowers were randomly selected per tree for the measurement of nectar volume. Additionally, nectar volume and concentration, temperature, and air humidity were measured with an interval of one hour. One way ANOVA and linear regression were used for data analysis. The average amount of nectar and its concentration were different significantly within the time of the day. Nectar amount was correlated positively with humidity while concentration was negatively correlated with temperature. The average nectar volume (µl) per flower in 24 hours, sugar amount per tree (kg), honey yield per individual tree (kg) and honey production capacity of Callistemon citrinus per hectare were 10.9+0.4, 0.65, 0.79, and 1264 kg (46-3808 kg), respectively. The real expected honey yield was 632 kg ha-1. Total financial return was estimated to be $4424 based on a value of $7 kg-1 of Callistemon citrinus honey. Therefore, the multiplication and plantation of this plant are suggested for honey production.

Challenges and perspectives for beekeeping in Ethiopia. A review

The honey bee is an important fruit and vegetable pollinator and a producer of honey and other hive products. Beekeeping is a sustainable and high-potential activity for local communities and especially for the rural poor to gain additional income through non-timber forest products, does not require much land or high starting costs, maintains biodiversity and increases crop yields. Ethiopia is one of the top ten honey and beeswax producers in the world, but plays only a minor role in the international honey trade. Unlike large-scale beekeepers using modern techniques found in most leading honey-producing countries, the majority of Ethiopian beekeepers are small-scale producers practicing traditional beekeeping. In this article, we summarize the knowledge on Ethiopian beekeeping, honey bees, honey bee pests, marketing strategies, cultural aspects and major challenges of beekeeping. Furthermore, we used FAOSTAT data to calculate a pollination gap in order to draw the attention of stakeholders and decision-makers to bees and their importance in pollination and sustainable rural development. In regard to forage, we compiled 590 bee forage plants and their flowering times as a supplement to the article. This review outlines the following major points: (1) Ethiopia is a top honey and beeswax producer mainly for the domestic market; (2) Equipment for traditional beekeeping is easily accessible but brings disadvantages (gender gap, limitations in hive management and lower honey yield), while transitional and modern systems require certain beekeeping skills and higher starting costs; (3) Colony numbers increased by 72% from 1993 to 2018 and crop areas needing pollination by 150%; (4) Honey yield per hive and number of beehives managed per area of bee-pollinated crops increased by 20% and 28%, respectively; (5) Pesticide use has been increasing and there is a lack in pesticide use education. Recommendations to realize Ethiopia’s tremendous apicultural potential are discussed.

Variation in the Distribution of Nosema Species in Honeybees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) between the Neighboring Countries Estonia and Latvia

The unicellular spore-forming parasites Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are considered to be one of the causes of increased honey bee mortality in recent years. These pathogens attack their honey bee hosts through their gut, causing changes in behavioral stress responses and possibly resulting in decreased honey yield and increased honey bee mortality. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of Nosema spp. (nosemosis) in Estonia and Latvia, as well as the persistence of the disease in previously infected hives. Currently, N. ceranae is considered the most virulent species and is predominant worldwide. However, in some regions, usually with colder climates, N. apis is still prevalent. To achieve better disease control, it is important to determine the species distribution. For this purpose, we selected 30 apiaries in Estonia and 60 in Latvia that were positive for Nosema spp. in the EPILOBEE (2012–2014) study, which was 5 years prior to the present study. The results show that, while both species are present in Estonia and Latvia, N. apis is dominant in Estonia (43%), and N. ceranae is dominant in Latvia (47%). We also found that the pathogens are very persistent, since 5 years later, only 33% of infected apiaries in Estonia and 20% of infected apiaries in Latvia, we could not detect any pathogens at the time of sampling.

Evaluation of utility and biological traits of a Carniolan honeybee line

The aim of the study was to analyze the functional and biological characteristics of the Carniolian breed of the Bielka 1 line. The research material consisted of queens subjected to stationary evaluation in ten consecutive feed seasons (2009–2018). The analysis covered such features as: honey yield, winter hardiness, spring development, swarming behavior and the behavior of bees indicating their mildness or malignancy. A statistically significant or highly significant influence of the year of evaluation was found on all the analyzed functional traits of the Bielka 1 line Carniolian bees. The bees of this line were characterized by a very good honey yield. There were positive and significant correlations between this feature and the others. No significant relationships were observed between the behavior of the Bielka 1 bees and their tendency to swarm and spring development. The bees were characterized by good winter hardiness, creating strong colonies and dynamic spring development. The good qualities of the bee colonies of this line are calm and gentleness. Moreover, they are characterized by low swarming behavior and usually received maximum scores for this feature. The Bielka 1 line can be useful in large apiaries focused on intensive production, but also in home, amateur apiaries.

Impact of Pesticides use on Honeybee Mortality, Honey Yields and Quality in Transmara West Sub-County, Kenya

Background: The honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) is an important insect that produces honey wax and royal jelly, and propolis that thought to fight infections. It also acts as a cross pollinator of both agricultural and wild plants. However, honeybee colonies are presently faced with a number of constraints both globally and locally. Like in many parts of the world, hive colonization and honey yields in Transmara West Sub-County of Kenya have been on a decline; attributed partly to increased pesticide use. This study thus set out to establish the impacts of pesticides use on honeybee mortality rate and honey production by screening honeybee, honey and pollen for pesticide residues. Methods: A longitudinal descriptive survey and experimental design was adopted for the study. Sixteen apiaries were selected and two strong colonies in Langstroth hives identified in each apiary. These were replicated once to bring the total to 64 colonies, which acted as controls and treatments. Traps were fixed at hive entrances to aid in collection of dead bees at weekly intervals for a period of six months (March to October 2015). Samples of honeybee colony matrices among them pollen loads, honeybee and honey were collected from the identified colonies and analyzed for amitraz, chlorfenvinphos, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and malathion residues using Queshers method at Maseno University chemistry laboratories.Differences in honeybee mortality rate and honey yields between experimental sets were established by one way ANOVA followed by a Turkey HSD post hoc test. A structured questionnaire was also administered to select bee keepers to evaluate their perception on and role in pesticide use. Their responses were analyzed using the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test.Results: Mortality rate in treated colonies (229±5.1) was significantly higher than in control colonies (73±11); MSD=4.6791, p=0.01. Likewise, honey yield in control colonies (16.0±1.0 kg) was significantly higher than in treated colonies (8.7±1.2 kg); (MSD=4.8425, p=0.024). For instance, the average season one honey yield in the control colonies was 18.0 ± 1.0 kg compared to 7.1 ±1.10 kg, 8.4 ±1.50 and 9.2 ±1.7 kg, in treated colonies. This implies that increased pesticide use may have contributed to increased honeybee mortality rate and reduced honey yields. No residues were detected in all honeybee colony matrices, implying that honeybee products within the study settings were safe for consumption. Majority of farmers reported observing changes in honeybee colony strength, a reduction in honey yields, reduced colony size, significantly weakening the colonies.Conclusion: This study established an inverse relationship between pesticides use honeybee mortality rate, with significant increase in mortality rate and reduced honey production being associated with its use. Absence of residues in the matrices in all the studied sites suggests honeybee products from the study setting are still safe for human consumption. Nevertheless, farmers need to be trained on safe handling of pesticides. In addition, there is need for further research on the synergistic impacts of pesticides use on honeybees, and the need for alternative and ecofriendly pest control options to curb the challenge associated with indiscriminate effects of pesticides on other important insects like honeybees.