Honey bee species used for beekeeping
Ethiopia: A. mellifera is the most common used Apis species for beekeeping. According to a local scientist (Holeta Bee Research Institute, Ethiopia) beekeepers do not prefer a certain subspecies of A. mellifera. Instead they use the locally available subspecies for beekeeping (Fig. 1). In some regions of Ethiopia, colonies can be financially obtained (prizes) but the more common practice is to catch feral colonies and put them into hives. A study by Sebsib et al. (2018) reviewed that in the Kaffa, Sheka and Bench-Maji Zones, beekeepers use a specific method to attract the feral bee colonies. They clean the hives with Clausena anisata and Capsicum frutescens prior fumigating them. For fumigation, depending on the region, either parts of the plant Ekebergia capensis together with wax, or plant parts of C. Africana are used. [1]
Indonesia: The most common used honey bee for beekeeping is A. cerana. There is almost no information about beekeeping with A. mellifera, even though it is known, that in Java, beekeeping with A. mellifera is practiced. Beekeepers of stingless bees use local available feral bee colonies, by catching and housing them in hives (e.g. Trigona spp.). (pers. communication). For a list of the over 40 stingless bee species, observed in Indonesia, see Kahono et al. (2018). [3]
References
- ↑ Sebsib, A., & Yibrah, T. (2018). Beekeeping Practice, Opportunities, Marketing and Challenges in Ethiopia: Review. Dairy and Vet Sci J., 5(3), 1-21: 555662.
- ↑ Amssalu, B., Nuru, A., Radloff S. E., & Hepburn, H. R. (2004) Multivariate morphometric analysis of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in the Ethiopian region. Apidologie 35, 71–81.
- ↑ Kahono, S., Chantawannakul, P., & Engel, M. S. (2018). Social Bees and the Current Status of Beekeeping in Indonesia. In book: Asian Beekeeping in the 21st Century. Springer, Singapore. 287-306.
