Bee Flora Status and Migratory Challenges for Apis mellifera L. Beekeeping: A study from Chitwan District of Nepal

Abstract

Beekeeping is widely recognized as a valuable farming practice that enhances, conserves, generates and improves, respectively, agricultural productivity, biodiversity, employment opportunities and rural livelihoods. Knowledge about the bee flora is very crucial for the beekeepers as bee products largely depend on the availability of bee flora. This study was carried out to identify the major bee
flora based on the beekeeper's knowledge and problems in bee foraging and migratory beekeeping. Sixty beekeepers were selected randomly and a Survey was conducted in Kalika Municipality using semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed for descriptive statistics and ranking index methods in Microsoft Excel. The beekeepers suggested the flora like rapeseed, mustard, buckwheat, maize, paddy, sunflower, sesame and coriander as major annual bee flora whereas the flora like butter tree (chiuri), litchi, eucalyptus; black plum (jamun), Pogostemon (rudilo), Castanomsis (padke), Sisoo, curry tree, bottle brush, Sal, Bombax (simal) and citrus were listed as major perennial bee flora for honey bees. Almost all beekeepers used sugar syrup as supplementary feeding during floral scarcity period (June-August). Moreover, majority of respondents harvested honey five to seven times per year, while 65% beekeepers practiced inter-district colony migration for different seasonal floral resources. Beekeepers faced the pesticide poisoning as serious problem followed by climate change in the bee foraging. Similarly, the beekeepers in the migratory beekeeping encountered conflicts with local communities and, also, faced managerial burden a challenge. Overall, conserving bee flora, creating pesticide awareness, and formation of local committee for the migratory bee colony management were found needs, in the long run, for the promotion of beekeeping sector.