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Migratory Beekeeping as Strategy to Harvest

Multiseason Honey in Ethiopia

Tolera Kumsa , Tura Bareke & Admassu Addi

To cite this article: Tolera Kumsa , Tura Bareke & Admassu Addi (2020): Migratory
Beekeeping as Strategy to Harvest Multiseason Honey in Ethiopia, Bee World, DOI:
10.1080/0005772X.2020.1812896

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 Article

Migratory Beekeeping as Strategy

to Harvest Multiseason Honey in
Ethiopia
Tolera Kumsa, Tura Bareke and Admassu Addi

Introduction

Ethiopia is a country of great beekeeping substantial effort has been made through area is characterized by a mixed farming
potential due to its diverse flowering and government and non-government system comprising cultivated crops,
favorable climatic conditions with variable interventions in the country (Amulen agroforestry, and wild herbaceous plants.
biogeography. Landscape variability et al., 2019). The profitability of mod-
affects the composition and abundance of ern beekeeping is a function of multiple Around each apiary site, bee flora assess-
flowering plants that cause differences in season honey yields, which depends on ment was carried out using focus group
flowering phenology (Keasar & Shmida, the seasonal colony management and discussion of skilled local beekeepers and
2009; Williams et al., 2012). Evidences floral resource availability (Tolera & observation of bee flora through transect
indicate that honey bees in tropics may Dejene, 2014). Therefore, to make modern walk. Plant species were identified by
forage nearly all the year round (McNally beekeeping more profitable and sustain- using two botanical field guides including
& Schneider, 1992). However, human land able, migratory beekeeping management more than 400 important Ethiopian bee
use affects the composition, distribution, is important option, not only to enhance flora species including pictures (Adi et al.,
and abundance of floral resources (Härtel honey yield, but also to reduce supple- 2014; Fichtl & Adi, 1994).
& Steffan-Dewenter, 2012). As a result, mentary feeding costs of the colony
honey bees migrate over great distance during dearth periods. However, detailed For the study, a total of 10 bee colonies
tracking regions of higher floral resource knowledge on management of migratory (Apis mellifera) were used and each colony
abundance (Dyer & Seeley, 1994). beekeeping is lacking, regardless of the was maintained in single Zander hive
Recognizing this natural phenomenon, apicultural resource potential of the coun- containing ten combs at the commence-
beekeepers in tropics practice migratory try. To gain knowledge about all these ment of the experiment. After one year of
beekeeping from floral resource poor to aspects the present study was undertaken. establishment, colonies were equalized.
floral resource rich areas to sustain growth Those assigned to stationary beekeeping
and reproduction of colony. The scheme is (N = 5) remained at Alage apiary site for
reported as more economical for honey the whole study period, and the rest col-
production compared to stationary Materials and Methods onies (N = 5) were migrated to migratory
beekeeping (Sharma et al., 2016; Ferrier The experiment was conducted in East beekeeping site (Alaba) at early November
et al., 2018; Pilati & Paolo, 2018). Shewa zone, Oromia Regional State, and remained there till end of February.
Ethiopia. The total study period was three Colonies were internally inspected at
Several vegetation regions exist in years between September 2015 and June interval of 21 days (equivalent to one
Ethiopia, exhibiting shorter or longer gaps 2018 with one-year establishment time. honey bee brood development cycle) to
in the flowering of plants, thus, within a The migratory beekeeping route was set determine the time to provide additional
year, there are floral dearth periods differ- between stationary beekeeping site super (more than 3–4 brood combs in
ing in their number and their length (Adi (Alage) state forest and migratory base hive), to reduce super (when half of
et al., 2014). In southwestern and western beekeeping site (Alaba), each site with frames in super were out of bees), to pro-
Ethiopia for example, traditional beekeep- distinct flowering conditions. Alage is vide supplementary feeding (when stored
ers practicing seasonal honey harvesting positioned between N: 070 35´45.127˝ and food was depleted and colonies start to
by moving their traditional hives to E: 0380 24´06.72˝ with an altitude of dwindle in base hive) and to prepare col-
resource rich areas (forest edges), hanging 1,600 m above sea level. Alaba is posi- onies for migration. Colonies were given
the hives to trap swarms to harvest honey. tioned between N: 07 35´ 52.039˝ and E: 1–2 additional hive supers during honey
After the beekeepers destructively harvest 0380 23´14.110” with an altitude of flow season (at early May and end of
honey, they dump all of the honey bees 1,680 m above sea level. The study sites are August at stationary beekeeping site and
out and take the empty traditional hives 10 km apart. Alage area is covered by in the middle of November at migratory
back to their home. natural vegetation, dominated by Acacia beekeeping site). Honey was harvested
woodland, where scattered trees and and recorded in early June and at end of
On the other hand, there is a growing shrubs intersperse with herbaceous September in stationary beekeeping, and
concern on modern beekeeping and a species (Didana & Pattnaik, 2016). Alaba end of December in migratory beekeeping

DOI: 10.1080/0005772X.2020.1812896
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site. During floral dearth (December to colonies were migrated to migratory a set of annual flowering pattern. During
February) at stationary beekeeping site, beekeeping site at early October depending their stay, migratory colonies remain strong
supplementary feeding was provided (1 kg on the floral availability of the area. The through exploiting the mass flowering of
of sugar solution per colony per month) to colonies stayed at migratory site till the end Guizotia scarba, Bidens spp., and Ziziphus
maintain colonies. No supplementary feed of February. Results show that the most spp. available at migratory beekeeping site
was given to migratory colonies. flowering sources at stationary beekeeping (Supporting Information Table S1 and
site were several Eucalyptus species, Acacia Figure 2). An average of 19.4 ± 3.6 kg of
During honey harvesting from each study spp., and Dichrostachys cinera, flowering honey per hive was harvested at the end of
group, honey samples were taken for from March to June (Supporting December, and the colonies remained there
melissopalynological analysis to identify Information Table S1 and Figure 2). Honey till the end of February. The migration cycle
the type of bee flora sources. Ten grams of bees utilize these floral resources to and honey harvesting was repeated in the
honey per sample were taken and dissolved maximize their population from April to second year with similar migratory route of
in 25 mL of distilled water (20–40 °C), May. At early June, an average of the first year.
centrifuged for 10 min and the supernatant 23.2 ± 3.2 kg of honey per hive was har-
liquid was drawn out. The entire pollen vested at the stationary beekeeping site. Studies made in India and Saudi Arabia
sediment was transferred to microscopic revealed lack of adequate bee flora during
slide on heating plate (≤40 °C), and sub- During the main rainy season (between long floral dearth may lead to poor honey
sequently mounted with glycerine-jelly, June and July), the number of flowering bee health and colony losses in stationary
covered with cover slips and examined species gradually decreased at stationary beekeeping (Sharma et al., 2013; Sihag,
under the light microscope. Two slides per beekeeping site. Associated with that, the 2014). The studies suggested that migra-
treatment group were prepared and a total brood production and the number of the tory beekeeping management is an option
of 500 pollen grains were counted per sam- adult bee population decreased too (Figure to mitigate longer floral dearth and to har-
ple as recommended by the International 1). Between mid-August to September, the vest honey at the migratory site. In South
Commission for Botany (Tura & Admassu, brood rearing activity of colonies again Africa, modern beekeeping is well-de-
2019). Identification of pollen was made starts to increase due to the availability of veloped, but colony absconding related
with the help of reference slides prepared Cordia africana, Hypoestes triflora, Bidens to floral dearth, pests, and diseases could
from living flowers and by using a pollen spp., and other wild herbs (Figure 1). An be the potential causes of seasonal colony
atlas (Nuru, 2007). ANOVA was used to average of 17.3 ± 1.1 kg of honey per hive migration from one area to another (Pirk
examine differences in brood development was harvested at stationary beekeeping site et al., 2014). In Brazil beekeeping policy
and honey yield, and the graphs were plot- in early October, followed by a long floral supports migratory beekeeping for greater
ted using Sigma-Plot 12.5. dearth from December to end of February. honey production, increased profit for
Colonies remaining in stationary bee- beekeepers from hive rental for agricul-
keeping site were provided with supple- tural and horticultural crops pollination
Results and Discussion mentary feeding of sugar syrup (50% (Fernando et al., 2018). This in turn
Migratory Beekeeping solution) per month for three consecutive resulted in increased size of harvests of
The experimental colonies were migrated months (mid-December, mid-January, fruit and seeds.
according to the study set up from the and mid-February) to maintain colonies
stationary beekeeping site (Alage) to the during the dearth period. In Europe, beekeepers migrating col-
migratory beekeeping site (Alaba). The onies have lower winter colony losses
flowering plants at stationary and migratory As soon as honey was harvested at sta- (Oberreiter & Brodschneider, 2020;
beekeeping site were different which tionary beekeeping site (Alage) in early van Der Zee et al., 2014). The reasons
affected brood production of honey bee October, migratory colonies were moved for this could be that migrated colonies
colony (Figure 1, 2). Half of experimental to migratory beekeeping site (Alaba) on have access to better foraging resource
and to harvest special honey at the
migratory site. In similar way, beekeep-
ers in United States, practicing migra-
tory beekeeping across agricultural
landscape in more advanced planning
with a sequential multi-output, produce
honey and paid pollination services
(Glenny et al., 2017; Simone-Finstrom
et al., 2016). However, the long term
effect of migratory colony management
currently influenced colony health and
productivity and experienced higher
colony losses from colony collapse dis-
order during colony migration (Simone-
Finstrom et al., 2016).

Bee Flora Identification from Pollen

of Honey
The range of bee flora pollen occurrences
expressed as percentage of the total pollen
a Figure 1. Brood development of honey bee colonies at stationary and migratory count in honey samples varied widely
beekeeping sites (N = 5). (Figure 2). Results confirmed that

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caffra, Olea europaea, Rhus spp., Ficus
spp. (at stationary beekeeping site site),
and Carica papaya and Persea Americana
(at migratory beekeeping site) were found
near apiary sites, but their pollen count is
insignificant in honey sample. This might
be due to low plant density in the area to
attract honey bees (Villanueva, 2002).

The present melissopalynology investiga-

tion is in agreement with the finding of
Ponnuchamy et al. (2014) that the differ-
ence in abundance of pollen count men-
tioned in the study might give an idea of
the abundance of plant species from which
they were derived. Other factors such as
amount of pollen and nectar produced in
the flower, the distance of flora resources
from the hives, and color and odor of
flowers may affect the preference of honey
bees for nectar and pollen (Villanueva,
2002). Melissopalynology method has the
potential to generate foraging preference
of bee flora form several landscapes or
within landscape in shorter time which is
important for migratory beekeeping plan
in tropics. There is also a growing interest
among botanists, entomologist, and ecolo-
gist to use melissopalynology technique to
delineate the type and distribution of bee
flora in tropics (Villanueva, 2002).

Profitability of Migratory Beekeeping

Evidences suggest that colony migration
costs can have significant effect on the
profitability and sustainability of migra-
tory beekeeping management (Sharma
et al., 2016; Pilati & Paolo, 2018). The
price of honey produced and production
factor costs were the relevant factors in
our study to calculate the net profit, unlike
another profitability study, which included
pollination fee as indirect income (Pilati &
a Figure 2. Figure showing the percentages occurrence of pollen species from 500 pollens Prestamburgo, 2016). Honey was har-
counted in honey samples. (“A” representing for stationary beekeeping site and “B” vested two times at the stationary
representing for migratory beekeeping site). beekeeping site with an average honey
yield of 40.5 ± 1.32 kg per hive per year
with total income of Birr 8080 (US$299)
Eucalyptus spp. (32.6%), Dichrostachys an idea of abundant bee floral species per hive. After colony migration to Alaba
cinera (29.5%), and Acacia spp. (16.5%) found in the study area. beekeeping site, an additional 19.4 kg
abundantly occur in honey samples honey per hive was harvested with a total
harvested in June at the stationary Trifolium spp. known to be an important income of Birr 3880 (US$141) per hive.
beekeeping site. At stationary beekeeping bee flora species providing abundant nec- Considering the total costs, migratory
site Cordia african (37%), Hypoestes tar and less pollen (Goodwin et al., 2011), beekeeping lead in a net return that was
triflora (31%), and Gizotia spp. (23%) was found to be lower in honey sample 67.8% higher than it was for stationary
were recorded as abundant flora species in at migratory beekeeping site of our study beekeeping (Table 1).
honey samples harvested in September. indicating a lower distribution of the
Whereas, Guizotia scarba (41.6%), Bidens species in the study area. Moreover, a
spp. (24%), and Ziziphus spp. (10.3%) number of wind pollinated pollen grains
were the ones with the largest percentage from Sorghum bicolor and Zea mays were Conclusion
of occurrence in honey harvested at the found in honey of migratory beekeeping There is great scope to increase the
end of December at migratory beekeeping site. This might be because honey bees practicability of migratory beekeeping with
site. These plant species were identified as foraged the plants while no other pollen the knowledge of floral resources and by
the major source of pollen and nectar sources were unavailable nearby 2015). developing appropriate migration sched-
sources in Ethiopia (Adi et al., 2014), and Some plant species, such as, Dovyalis ules for honey production in Ethiopia.

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