Environmental threats to beekeeping in the Western Balkan countries - beekeepers’ perceptions

Abstract

The subject of the paper refers to the research on beekeepers’ perceptions of environmental threats to beekeeping in the Western Balkan region. The following environmental threats were supposed to be the most pronounced: cutting of melliferous perennial plants and clearing of forests, urbanisation and environmental pollution, use of pesticides in agricultural production, pests and agents of bees’ diseases, climate changes. The aim of the research was to find out how beekeepers perceived these threats, to determine the presence of the threats and to define their intensity as well as their mutual relationship. For the purpose of this research, the authors created a structured questionnaire which was filled in by randomly selected beekeepers living in the Western Balkans. The research results show that most beekeepers in the studied area evaluated the assumed threats as strong to very strong, while the greatest percentage of beekeepers believes that climate change represents the greatest threat to beekeeping in the region. All assumed environmental threats show the same tendency, while they have the most serious effect on large apiaries with more than 150 bee colonies, located in lowland areas up to 200 meters above sea level with intensive farming. Findings of this research are important in order to adapt the current beekeeping practice in the region to more sustainable solutions, through improvement of the existing beekeeping legislation and advisory services.