Assessment of Beekeeping Constraints and Opportunities in Diga and Wayu Tuka Districts

Abstract

The study was conducted in Diga and Wayu Tuka Districts to determine the constraints and opportunities of beekeeping. Questionnaire surveys was administered to 146 beekeepers (97.1% males). Majority of the respondents started beekeeping after 2010 (28.03%) by catching colonies as honey bee colony source (54.8%). The major dearth period of the area was late march to early may. The trend of beekeeping in the study area was shifting from traditional to modern beekeeping and the trend of honeybee colony and its yield was decreasing due to honeybee health problem of the area (pests, predators, pathogenic disease, high cost of bee equipment and agrochemical application). In the study area the major pests and predators considered as challenges were ants, beetles, wax moth, varroa destructor and some predators like honey badgers, honeybee eater birds, dead head hawks moth, lizards, wasps and birds respectively. For the reason of time restraint in this study area, farther study on the driving force of challenge and opportunity of beekeeping is suggested by monitoring throughout the year.