Honeybee Production and Marketing Systems, Constraints - IPMS ...

Among many factors, availability of potential flowering plants and ample sources of water forbees are the two major parameters for an area to be considered as potential for honey production.According to the results of this survey, the honeybee plants of the study area comprise trees,shrubs, herbs and cultivated crops and the species with their composition and population varieswidely from area to area. The region’s vegetation cover is quite small especially the high forestarea is not greater than 5% (BoA, 2003b). This shows that in the region there is high degradationof natural resource base, and demands strong conservation and rehabilitation efforts.Interviewed beekeepers were asked to list major honey plants in their localities. Some importanthoneybee plants of the study areas mentioned by respondents are recorded in vernacular(common) and scientific names with their flowering calendars (Appendix Table 7.1). Thescientific names were determined using reference books of Fichtl and Admassu (1994) andAzene et al. (1993).The beekeepers also described the flowering periods of honeybee floras of their localities.Whenever feed shortage happens, respondents provide supplementary feed mainly during Marchto May (78.7%) followed by from December to February (11.5%), June to August (6.6%) andSeptember to November when not suitable to bees (2.8%). In most cases external and massfeeding was exercised by the beekeepers. This approach is believed to create condition, forfighting of bee colonies and attraction of insects and honeybee enemies to the apiary. Therefore,feeding of colony using in-hive mode of feeding should be rather exercised. To mitigate theshortage of feed for their bee colonies, respondent’s plant bee forages around their apiary whilesome respondents reported to leave some amount of honey un-harvested for the subsequent dryperiod. Of the total beekeepers interviewed, about 82.5% of the respondents plant different typeof honeybee floras around their apiary. Thus, plantation of multipurpose, drought tolerant, pollenand nectar rich plants and conservation of natural resources and integrating these activities withthe development of apiculture should be the major concern of the region at all levels.Honeybees collect water from streams (63.2%), rivers (36.2%) and the rest from springs, ponds,watering tanks, standing pipes and from other available sources. Honeybees use large quantitiesof water to dilute their brood food and to cool the hive by evaporation during dry seasons. If64