IMPACTS OF BEEKEEPING PRACTICES, BEE BEHAVIOUR AND PHYSIOLOGY ON COLONY HEALTH OF APIS MELLIFERA ADANSONII (L.) (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE)

Abstract

Honey bee (Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille) is a species of bees domiciled in West Africa. It has been described as having strong hygienic behaviour and immunity. However, there have been reports of decline in colony establishment, health and honey productivity in recent years. This study on colony health, establishment and honey production in southwest Nigeria covered 2 years (2016 and 2017) with the aim of understanding how beekeeping practices, bee behaviour and physiology affect the general wellbeing of honey bees. Questionnaires were administered to beekeepers and bee colonies were sampled randomly in selected areas in Osun, Ondo and Ogun states and observation and laboratory analyses were carried out. Results showed a total decline of 7.1% in colony establishment and a total honey productivity decline of 14.3% across the states. The percentage colony decline across the states were not significantly different (t = 1.252, p = 0.211 (p>0.05) and similarly, honey productivity decline were not significantly different across the states (t = 1.682, p = 0.331 (p>0.05). The beekeepers’ activities and other factors that have contributed to this decline include seldom colony inspection, unkempt hives and surrounding, sharing of equipment, mode of honey harvest, bush burning, herdsmen activities, land dispute, pest/parasite/disease, pesticide poisoning and colony starvation. Approximately 24% of beekeepers claimed bush burning have the highest impact and pesticide poisoning reported as compromising the bee immunity and causing death. The high rate of absconding reported by the beekeepers was adduced to poor management and other environmental stress. However, swarming was observed as a positive impact hygienic behaviour of the bees. In view of the recent status of our domesticated colonies, if the stresses keep on increasing, there is the tendency of colony collapse disorder (CCD) if the situations are not arrested.