Impact Of Beekeeping On The Wild Bee Diversity In Northern Cote D'Ivoire (West Africa)

Abstract

In Cote d’Ivoire, beekeeping takes an important place among the major economic activities. It contributes to improve the population livelihoods thanks to its derived products which are honey, propolis, wax and royal jelly. However, the installation of honey bee hives could put pressure on wild bee species which are live often alone (solitary bees). However, these wild bees are excellent pollinators of cultivated and wild plants. Our study aimed to assess the effect of honey bee hives on the diversity of wild bee. The methodology approach consisted to capture bees in three different plots within the forest fragment of the university Peleforo Gon Coulibaly. The first plot was located near the apiary containing ten hives. The two other plots, far to the apiary, were located to 200 m and 400 m from the first plot, respectively. Bees were captured once a month for three months using pan traps (UV - blue, yellow and white). A total of 17 bee species belonging to three families (Apidae, Megachilidae and Halictidae) were identified. The furthest plot from the apiary was the most diverse (H’ = 2.49) and that near the apiary was the least diverse (H’ = 0.11). Only, two wild bee species, Hypotrigona sp and Thrinchostoma petersi, persisted inside the plot near the apiary where honey bee was most abundant. The furthest plots from the apiary seems to have the highest diversity of wild bees. These findings are very relevant because they can play an essential role in the policies of wild bee communities’ conservation and in the beekeeping activities management in our regions.