Situation of Beekeeping in North Africa

Abstract

North Africa is a Mediterranean climatic zone characterized by mild winters and hot and dry summers. The flora of this region is similar to that of south Spain and Italy. Apis mellifera intermissa is indigenous subspecies found in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. In Egypt, the indigenous subspecis is Apis mellifera lamarckii. The two subspecies are characterized by great adaptability to climatic conditions and by a marked cleaning behavior. Among hive products, honey is the most common in these countrie’s cultures. However, the number of hives and the honey production remain low compared to the rest of the world and beekeeping is facing many threats such as diseases mainly represented by the varroa, poisoning by insecticides, as well as ecosystem degradation and climate change. All these factors threaten the local bee and influence negatively the production of honey and the colony development.