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

having identified the major pests facing the beekeeping activities, farmers were requested to rankthem and the result indicated that ants, wax moth (Galleria mellonella), bee-eater birds, spider,bee lice (Braula coecal.), honey badger (Mellivora capensis), termite, small hive beetles(Aethina tumida) and snake were the most harmful pests in order of decreasing importance(Table 21). Based on the results of this survey, 65% of sample respondents had observedhoneybee diseases in their hive. The beekeepers recognized that their bees could suffer fromdisease locally known as ‘mich’, or ‘abrek’ or ‘muashegn’ (78%), which result in mass death ofadult honeybees in the hive. However, the beekeepers did not known the real causes. Somebeekeepers also responded as if they observed brood disease (3.8%), which results in bad smellof the hive and formation of worms and others responded (17.9%) the presence of ‘mich’ and‘tel’. In reality, there is no honeybee disease that is known to create worm in the hive. Theperception of the beekeepers in the formation of worms due to disease has had probably happendue to lack of knowledge of differentiating the damage caused by honeybee diseases and larvaeof wax moth. The latter is known to affect the bee’s comb through its larvae with which thebeekeepers get confused worms formed due to disease.Table 21: Percent and ranks of major pests and predatorsTotal sample (n=120)Major pest and predator % RankAnts 26.7 1Wax moth 17.5 2Bee lice 11.7 3Beetles 8.3 4Spiders 6.7 5Wasps 4.2 7Prey mantis 3.3 8Lizard 5.0 6Snake 2.5 9Monkey 1.7 10Birds 8.3 4Hamagot /shelemetmat/ 4.2 7Total 100.0Besides to identifications, beekeepers of the Bure district have serious concern and have richexperience and various practices in controlling some of the honeybee pests (Table 22).66