ESTIMATE THE LOSSES OF HONEY BEE COLONIES AND THEIR POTENTIAL CAUSES WITHIN THE BEEKEEPERS AT NEW VALLEY GOVERNORATE DURING TWO YEARS SURVEY BY USING QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD.

Moustafa, A. M.; Mahbob, M. A.; Abdel-Rahman, M. F.; Mabrouk, M. S.O.

doi:10.21608/jppp.2014.87922

ESTIMATE THE LOSSES OF HONEY BEE COLONIES AND THEIR POTENTIAL CAUSES WITHIN THE BEEKEEPERS AT NEW VALLEY GOVERNORATE DURING TWO YEARS SURVEY BY USING QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Apiculture Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

² - Faculty of Science, Assiut University, New Valley Branch, Egypt.

³ -Apiculture Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

10.21608/jppp.2014.87922

Abstract

Estimate the losses of honey bee colonies are an important measure of honey bee health and productivity. This study records the data of two years, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 survey of losses in managed honey bee colonies in New Valley Governorate. The survey of colony losses and potential causes was obtained via questionnaire method. The surveyed beekeepers had loss a total of 373 colonies between September and March each year. Colony loss percentages were 35.5% in 2011/2012 and 38.8% in 2012/2013. Survey information indicated that colony losses range widely depending on the operation size of the beekeepers. Hobbyist beekeepers (≤ 15 colonies) and intermediate beekeepers (16-50 colonies) lost the lower number of colonies as compared to semi-commercial beekeepers (those operating more than 51 - 100 colonies). Oriental hornets, starvation, Varroa mite, CCD-like symptoms and poor quality queens were the leading self-identified reasons of losses as reported by most beekeepers. Finally, it must circulate such as this questionnaire over all Egypt to understand the extent of the problem and try to find out the resolve.

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