Verification of splitting queen – rearing technique at the backyards of beekeeping farmers in Wag-himra zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

At present, due to various reasons, honeybee colony population is certainly in a state of continuous decline and absconding is becoming the major problem against beekeeping development. As a result, it is becoming more difficult to obtain adequate swarms every year to start and expand an apiary. Furthermore, farmers in the area are also complaining that they are facing serious shortage of honeybee colonies. Hence, mitigating the increasing demand of honeybee population using artificial queen rearing techniques is very critical at this moment. This, thus, had led to the implementation of splitting queen rearing technique verification under farmers' condition targeting testing the available splitting queen-rearing method in frame hives, setting the possible queen rearing calendar of local bees for future use and demonstrating splitting queen- rearing technique for beekeepers. The experiment was implemented in two representative sites of the study area. From these sites 10 (in five replications) interested beekeepers were selected purposively. The experiment was then implemented following the appropriate procedures in splitting queen rearing technique for consecutive two years. Accordingly, the result has indicated that in areas, where honeybee feed shortage is paramount important and absconding is a peculiar characteristic to the beekeeping sub sector, colony multiplication could be done and used as a means of alleviating serious colony shortage with proper colony management. However, out of the total colonies in both sites, about 40% of the colonies have absconded only due to wax moth infestation aggravated by strong dearth and about 60% of them were adapted. Consequently, local honeybee colonies in the area have been found to emerge an average of 8.6 queen cells with a maximum and minimum of 15 and 5 queen cells respectively. This in turn has elaborated that queen rearing with local honeybee colonies is also possible in the area. It also indicated that the possibility of having more than 8 colonies from a single properly prepared mother colony in the area. Honey produced from splitted colonies (mother and daughter) have advanced the production from non-splitted colonies owned by non-participant beekeepers with a 40.12 % (65 kg) yield increment. Thus, the experiment has revealed that participant beekeepers have benefited from the technology over the non-participant beekeeping farmers. Beekeepers have also realized that a yield decrease during splitting has been compensated in the following honey flow season. Regarding time of application, the result have confirmed that potential onset of flowering, just a week before peak natural swarming period, was appropriate with the use of strong mother colonies. The period starts from mid of August to last week of August in lower altitude areas and from last week of August to second week of September in middle altitude areas. Based on the results from the experiment, it has been recommended that splitting queen rearing technique could be further applied and utilized under farmers' condition in Wag-Lasta area and similar environments. Of course, provision of adequate practical training shall not be forgotten when thinking of colony multiplication in the area. Scaling up of the technology would be better if it is applied through small interest/business groups. Finally, for the advancement of the technology, the government should emphasize on awareness creation, organization of small interested/business groups, proper support and linking the system, even to marketing of live colonies.