Fact box Species 6 six species of Vitex have been recognized in India which include V. negundo, V. glabrata, V. leucoxylon, V. penduncularis, V. pinnata, and V. trifolia (Kulkarni, 2011). Family Lamiaceae (Verbenaceae) Common names Chinese chaste tree, Nirgundi, Five-Leaf Chaste Tree, Sinduvara, Indrani, Nilanirgundi, local name Banah. Distribution Widely distributed throughout the world in the tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, Asia, Africa, with a few South American species. It occurs in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar (in Africa), and in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam (in Asia). It is also found in similar habitats along the seashore throughout Mauritius, Japan and southward through Malaya to tropical Australia and Polynesia. Flowering period April to October. Values to bees It is widely planted as a hedge-plant along the roads and between the fields that serves as an important bee forage plant. Pollen and Nectar Good source of nectar and pollen. Pollinators have been of special concern in recent years. The attractiveness of Vitex cultivars to both honey bees and bumble bees, as well as other pollinators, is an important study as part of an urban landscape designed to support pollinators. Honey Vitex honey, also known as chaste tree honey, is a light amber, transparent honey with a delicate fragrance. It is considered a monofloral honey and possesses distinctive qualities compared to other types. It is particularly recognized for its unique chemical profile, with a higher concentration of certain phenolic compounds and flavonoids that contribute to its strong antioxidant activity. Moreover, Vitex honey generally contains more proline and may exhibit a different mineral composition when compared with other honeys such as acacia, linden, rape, or jujube honey. V. negundo honey is traditionally also used as medicine for bronchitis and other respiratory diseases and is known to improve digestion (Vishwanathan & Basavaraju, 2010). Other uses It is used as a hedge, ornamental plant, growth promoter in agriculture, manure, pesticide, medicine, food, food protectant, household pesticide, in reclamation of wasteland and erosion, basketry, and in the preparation of grain storage structures. All parts of V. negundo, including leaves, flowers, twigs, roots, and seeds, have been commonly used for various applications in folk medicine. Both leaves and seeds have also been claimed to possess edible purposes, being occasionally used as a condiment and tea, and even as a famine food when all else fails. The essential oils from leaves and seeds have fantastic insecticide and antibacterial effects against food infestation and bacteria contamination, making VN oil an ideal food protectant to facilitate food preservation. In India, nirgundi is considered a sacred plant and used in different religious rituals.

This study examines genetic diversity in Apis mellifera colonies by focusing on the relationship between intra-colony genetic diversity (IGD) and various productivity metrics, as well as tolerance to Nosema disease. Through geometric morphometric analysis of wing shape, 14 colonies headed by queens from five different breeders in Argentina were characterized, identifying their similarity to different A. mellifera subspecies, and were classified as high and low IGD. After one year of monitoring, colonies with high genetic diversity showed substantial increases in adult population (+32.4%), brood area (+15.2%), honey reserves (+49.2%), and pollen stores (+20.6%), with the most pronounced benefits observed in early spring following winter. No significant differences in Nosema spp. spore counts were detected between colonies of high and low genetic diversity, suggesting that IGD does not necessarily confer increased resistance to this pathogen under the studied conditions. These findings support the use of wing morphometry as a practical tool for identifying colonies with high genetic diversity, which may help improve productivity and guide queen selection in breeding programs. Furthermore, possible differences in colony fitness as a function of climatic conditions, resource availability and subspecies diversity at different latitudes are discussed.

Bombus haemorrhoidalis, a native Himalayan bumble bee, plays a vital role in pollinating both wild and cultivated plants. This study investigated its foraging dynamics, floral preferences and diurnal activity patterns within a mid-Himalayan agroecosystem during 2022 and 2023. Using field surveys and infrared camera monitoring, we recorded visitation rates, flower traits (colour, corolla length), plant types and environmental variables. A total of 52 flowering species across 34 families were documented. B. haemorrhoidalis exhibited a marked preference for white flowers (36.53%), long corolla types (71.15%), and predominantly foraged on wild (44.23%) and ornamental (40.38%) plant species favouring families such as Asteraceae (11.54%), Rosaceae (7.69%) and Fabaceae (5.77%). Foraging activity peaked in the late afternoon (1600–1800 h), averaging 15.18 outgoing and 17.12 incoming foragers per 5 min, with reduced activity during midday. Activity showed a positive correlation with relative humidity and a negative correlation with temperature. These findings contribute novel insights into the foraging ecology of B. haemorrhoidalis, underscoring the importance of conserving native floral resources to sustain pollination services in mid-hill Himalayan landscapes.

We implemented an online encyclopedia about beekeeping which aims to connect beekeepers and scientists as both groups can profit from each other’s knowledge and expertise. The multilinguistic platform is meant to be used by everybody interested in bees and beekeeping. The wiki-approach is dependent on multi-actors contribution, with apidologists and beekeepers leading the effort. We need diversified knowledge from different regions and especially native speakers to translate and edit articles. To enable this, we embedded an instructions page in our homepage, which explains how to write, edit and translate articles. To make WikiBeedia easier to navigate we divided the articles in six categories. The community-driven WikiBeedia is meant to grow and sustain itself long-term!

Tanzanian Maasai have seen a diversification of livelihood strategies like sustainable beekeeping activities in their area, some more so than others. The key research question is how the Maasai are faring with the introduction of beekeeping in their neighboring regions, specifically when they are yet to directly engage in such sustainable activities. It is assumed that self-efficacious individuals have greater confidence in their ability to successfully manage a situation. Hence, such individuals will be more willing to face this novel livelihood and engage in beekeeping initiatives. A study comprising two-hundred and thirty-five adults from a single Maasai community in the Arusha region in Tanzania was run. Maasai adults were made aware of what beekeeping is and then their self-efficacy and beekeeping intentions were measured. Results showed increasing levels of self-efficacy were associated with increased intentions to engage in sustainable beekeeping initiatives. Age was negatively correlated with beekeeping engagement intentions. Further, age moderated the effect of self-efficacy on beekeeping engagement intentions. Findings indicate identifying self-efficacious Maasai to advocate beekeeping in their villages would be crucial for improved community engagement.

Beekeeping in Nepal has been increasing for over a decade, facilitated by the diverse flora and fauna and climatic suitability. The two dominant bee species kept by farmers are Apis cerana, a native honey bee, and Apis mellifera, an exotic honey bee; both species are managed for honey production and other by-products on a commercial scale. In this study, we investigate the different beekeeping management practices adopted in Nepal and evaluate the economic opportunities provided by beekeeping, considering both the costs and benefits. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed to conduct face-to-face interviews with beekeepers who kept A. cerana and A. mellifera. The Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA) was employed to measure the similarities and differences in beekeeping practices adopted by beekeepers when (while) rearing both bee species. Our results show that beekeepers adopt significantly different beekeeping management practices and obtain different outcomes while rearing each type of managed bee. Additional practices such as honey processing, identifying honey customers, storage duration, consulting extension workers, and membership of cooperatives and access to credit facilities showed significant differences among bee species. Apis mellifera honey production was found to be higher than that of A. cerana. In contrast, A. cerana rearing had a lower cost and generated a higher profit margin than A. mellifera. The findings indicate that keeping native honey bees such as A. cerana presents great opportunities for sustainable rural livelihoods due to its favorable cost-benefit analysis.

The introduction of Apis florea in Malta may emerge as a threat to local biodiversity. While previous studies show limited interaction with other honey bee species, the risk of pathogen transmission to local species—particularly those that have not been previously exposed—cannot be entirely ruled out, raising ongoing concerns. At this stage, we cannot dismiss the possibility that the detected colony in Malta may not be the only one or the first to arrive. This ambiguous situation can no longer be overlooked and requires immediate action. Therefore, in this article, we provide essential information about the ecology of A. florea and initiate a discussion on its potential impact on local ecosystems and apiculture. Additionally, we present a methodology for detecting and identifying A. florea in field conditions.

This study investigates the effectiveness of quality-queen production training programs provided by different government bodies in Nepal, focusing on Chitwan district. Two groups of beekeepers were examined: those who received training and those who did not. All those trained beekeepers and 34 beekeepers from untrained group were selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected via interviews, and analysis employed both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that trained beekeepers exhibited significantly higher levels of knowledge and adoption in various aspects of quality-queen production, leading to increased annual honey productivity. Correlations were observed between knowledge, adoption, honey productivity, and factors influencing training participation, such as prior training exposure and age. The study also underscores significant constraints faced by beekeepers, notably the limited availability of high-quality breeding stock.

This statement gives the scientific background and concepts on why this mode of production leads to a violation of the definition of honey. Different strategies for the detection of this mode of honey fraud are discussed.