Kg Of Honey Research Articles

Analysis of Bee Farming Systems in Western Algeria

Regions of Oran and Mostaganem are relatively well known as areas of honey production in western Algeria. Although beekeeping is not the first income-generating activity for farmers, all of them have other sources of earnings. We find that many beekeepers practice arboriculture, market gardening ... activities having a good complementarity with beekeeping. This sector ranks second after the other branches of agriculture. Problems and constraints identified in relation to the development of the industry, primarily involving improvements to the level of production quality and quantity. To date there is no certification of quality or control it. The result is a great heterogeneity of bee products sold at retail. This lack of quality assurance harms the image of bee products, inhibits growth of consumption and blocks export opportunity. This is also related to the low level of education of farmers. The actors in this sector consist of farmers aged over 55 years with a rate of 48.33%.Then there are those whose age is between 45 and 55 years (40%).The majority (68.33%) has fewer than 50 hives with an average of 25.78.33% of farms are private apiaries. The results of the study indicate that 83.48% of beekeepers and 33.33% Mostaganem Oran practice artificial swarming and transhumance. The farm profitability is linked to the application of modern methods. Regarding the quantity, much of beekeepers have difficulty getting a high and steady returns that 43.33% of them produce only 5 to 10 kg of honey per hive per year.

Nectar of Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Willd (Rhamnaceae): Dynamics of Secretion and Potential for Honey Production

Abstract The nectar secretion of Ziziphus flowers was studied by removing and measuring the nectar every four hours, for two consecutive days, from 88 flowers of four trees (‘repeated sampling’). In another 120 flowers from the same trees, the accumulated sugar was measured at the end of the flowering stage. The mass of the nectar sugar was determined following the washing technique. The total amount of sugar per tree was calculated by multiplying the number of flowers per tree by the average mass of nectar sugar secreted per flower. The average mass of sugar produced per flower in repeated sampling was 0.79±0.54 mg/flower (range 0.09 - 2.48 mg). The average mass of sugar per flower for each of the four investigated trees was 1.43±0.53 mg, 0.72±0.27 mg, 0.94±0.39 mg and 0.37±0.26 mg, respectively. The differences among trees was statistically significant. For accumulated nectar, the overall average mass of sugar per flower was 0.55±0.23 mg (range 0.06 - 1.29 mg) and the average values for flowers on the investigated trees of Z. spina-christi were 0.69±0.26 mg, 0.41±0.16 mg, 0.51±0.16 mg and 0.53±0.21 mg; these variations were statistically significant. The average mass of nectar sugar calculated for the flowers with accumulated nectar sampling was significantly lower than the average mass of sugar recorded for repeated nectar sugar samplings (0.79±0.54 mg). According to this study, one Ziziphus tree is estimated to produce 3.6 kg of honey (range 2.2 - 5.2 kg), equivalent to about 900 kg of honey/ha (range 550 - 1300 kg). These figures indicate the high potential value of the plant for honey production. Nectar secretion was positively correlated with temperature, indicating the adaptation of the tree to hot climates.

Prospects of beekeeping in the Northern Ethiopian highlands

Ethiopia is one of the principal honey and beeswax producers in the world. An assessment was conducted to investigate the scope of beekeeping in Endrta district Northern Ethiopia in 2010. Ninety two beekeepers were randomly selected for semi structured interviews. Data on annual income, number and type of beehive owned, honey yield/hive, year of adoption of modern beehives and beekeeping experience were collected. On average 33 and 16 kg of honey per hive was harvested from modern and traditional hives, representing a potential annual income of $USD 33,444 and 7,939, respectively. Majority (54, 58.7%) of the respondents had modern beehive to enhance honey production and increase their income. Fifty four beekeepers were applying the new technology to enhance honey production and increase their income, of which only 20 have been using the technology for more than 5 years. During the study period the district had a total of 991 modern and 2,603 traditional beehives, worth a maximum of about $USD 454,128. The findings indicated that beekeeping could be a great source of employment creation for the rural people to reduce poverty. Beekeeping plays an important role in income generation for beekeepers of the district. The regional government should organize landless youth in the district and should provide initial capital to run beekeeping activities. Key words: Beekeeping, traditional beehives, modern beehives, Endrta.

Beehive fences as effective deterrents for crop-raiding elephants: field trials in northern Kenya

Increasing elephant populations in Kenya since 1989 have been widely praised as a conservation success story. However, where elephants and agricultural land overlap, incidents of human‐elephant conflict are on the increase. Wildlife managers and farmers are now trying different farm-based deterrents to keep elephants out of crops. Here, we present data on the effectiveness of a novel beehive fence deployed in a Turkana community of 62 communally run farms in Kenya. Specifically, 1700 m of beehive fences semi-surrounded the outer boundaries of seventeen farms, and we compared elephant farm invasion events with these and to seventeen neighbouring farms whose boundaries were ‘protected’ only by thorn bush barriers. We present data from 45 farm invasions, or attempted invasions, recorded over 2 years. Thirteen groups of elephants approached the beehive fences and turned away. Of the 32 successful farm invasions, only one bull elephant broke through the beehive fences. These results demonstrate that beehive fences are more effective than thorn bush barriers at deterring elephants and may have a role to play in alleviating farmer‐elephant conflict. Additionally, the harvesting of 106 kg of honey during the trial period suggests that beehive fences may also improve crop production and enhance rural livelihoods through honey sales.

VIABILIDADE ECONÔMICA PARA PRODUÇÃO DE MEL EM PROPRIEDADE FAMILIAR

In 2009, Brazil broke its own record for honey exports, generating revenues exceeding US$ 65 million. However, there is a gap, concerning economic aspects, for most apiculturists inserted in that chain. Thus, the investment needed for honey production on a home farm in Cajuru, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, was estimated with investment and production costs based on the Total Operating Cost (TOC) used by the Instituto de Economia Agricola, reaching R$ 97,093.00 as the total investment amount. For the economic analysis, considering the orange blossom and wild honey production, the operating cost was R$ 16,400.13, whereas the cost for raw materials amounted to 70% of the Effective Operating Cost (EOC) and 26% of the TOC, at a profit of 46%. Whit respect to the equilibrium point, the apiculturist needs to produce 4,659 kg of honey, or sell it at the minimum price of R$ 1.93/kg, in order to cover production costs. It was possible to find out, based on cash flows, an IRR of 7.24% and that the initial investment returns in 10 years, showing attractive results for this farming segment, considering the reasonable use of production factors as well as a progressive increase in the amount produced. KEY-WORDS: Apiculture; production costs; profitability.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity and total phenolics of selected Czech honeys

Abstract Honey serves as a good source of natural antioxidants, which are effective in reducing the risk occurrence of heart disease, cancer, cataracts, different inflammatory processes and immune-system decline. In the fresh selected Czech honey samples originated mainly from the region North Moravia antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content were determined. A total of 40 honey samples (multifloral, lime, rape, raspberry, mixture and honeydew honeys) native to different stations gained in the period from May by August year 2006 were analysed. Total phenolics (TP) content was determined by the modified Folin-Ciocalteau method [TP was expressed as mg of gallic acid equivalent (GA eq.) per kg of honey]. For evaluation of the antioxidant activity (AOA) three different methods were used, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and the 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazolin)-6-sulfphonate (ABTS) assay. AOA was expressed in mg ascorbic acid equivalent (AA eq.) per kg of honey. The results indicated that TP and AOA in Czech honey varied greatly between the honey kinds, location and time of the harvest. Average TP ranged from 89.9 mg GA eq. kg -1 in lime honey to 215.2 mg GA eq. kg −1 in honeydew honey. Antioxidant activity determined by the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods was lowest in floral honeys. The highest values were obtained for honeydew and mixture honeys. ABTS and FRAP assays have been shown to be the optimal methods for AOA determination in honey. A positive linear correlation between AOA and TP was observed (in FRAP assay R 2 = 0.852). It indicates that phenolics are one of the main components responsible for antioxidant behaviour of honey. The obtained results support and extend complete knowledge about the content of bioactive phenolics and antioxidant activity in the Czech honeys.

Nectar volume and floral entomofauna as a tool for the implementation of sustainable apicultural management plans in Quillaja saponaria Mol.

The objective of the present study was to quantify nectar volume and secretion dynamics in Quillaja saponaria Mol. and the entomofauna associated with its flowers, as a tool for the implementation of sustainable apicultural management plans. Nectar was collected daily throughout the flowers’ lifetime, three times per day at 4-h intervals. For the identification of insects associated with flowers, 5-min observation periods were carried out for 170 min in total, and a list of registered species was prepared. Within the inflorescence, central hermaphrodite flowers and lateral male flowers lived 12.3 ± 0.26 and 5.8 ± 0.26 days on average, respectively. Nectar production increased from day 1 to day 11, and then decreased until day 15. The average volume of nectar secreted per tree was 5.3 l, which would be equivalent to 4.2 kg of honey. Forty-one species of flower visitors were registered in total.

Insects and their uses in a cold country: Finland

AbstractNorthern European countries, despite their geographic location and climatic conditions, have a considerable number of insect species. To date 20 532 species of insects are known from Finland. Honeybees were introduced to Finland in the 18th century. The total number of hives in the country today is 50 000, with each producing an annual 30–40 kg of honey. A considerable amount of research is carried out on bees in Finland by beekeepers and scientists and the Finnish Beekeeper Association publishes its own journal by the name of Mehiläinen for approximately 3300 subscribers. Insects also play important roles in the education and school curricula of Finnish children with insect boxes containing preserved specimens, identification keys and information on general biology available for classes. Some butterflies get framed and hung on walls, serving as room decorations. Insects also feature as motifs on Finnish t‐shirts. Forensic entomology was pioneered in Finland and numerous university departments (zoology, entomology, ecology, physiology, biophysics, pharmacology and genetics) as well as museums are engaged in research on insects. Monitoring climate change, insects in Finland (especially Lepidoptera) are highly suitable because of the many years of recorded distributions and abundances of species. Finally, the large amount of idioms in the Finnish language, making reference to insects, testifies to the intimate connection between the Finnish people and the insects of their country.

The effects of the shook swarm technique on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony productivity and honey quality

SummaryThe productivity of honey bee colonies and the quality of hive products may be greatly influenced by colony management. In beekeeping, shaking of the worker bees together with the queen into a clean empty hive is known as the shook swarm technique. In this study, the shook swarm technique was compared to standard beekeeping methods in relation to colony productivity and honey quality, including adult worker bee population, wax production, comb area, brood area and honey yield. In addition, the honey was examined to determine the content of water, proline, hydroxymethylfurfural, glucose, fructose, sucrose, diastase, electrical conductivity, invert sugar, fructose/glucose ratio, maltose, vitamin C and potassium. The naphthalene and pesticide contents were also measured. Shook swarm group colonies were smaller than those of the control group in terms of worker bee population, brood area and honey yield (P<0.01), were similar in built comb area (P>0.05) and greater in terms of wax production (P<0.01). Ninety five per cent of the comb needed by the colonies was built within 45–50 days, at an average cost of 19–20 kg of honey. Control colonies used an average of 79g of wax to build comb on each frame of foundation, compared to 183g in the shaken colonies. Honey production to comply with pure blossom and organic standards may be possible using the shook swarm technique, but the productivity level is 55–60% lower than with standard beekeeping methods.

Biology ofApis dorsatain Vietnam

This paper studies the biology of A. dorsata in the Melaleuca forest of Vietnam. The width of 158 A. dorsata combs was from 43–162 cm, and the height from 23–90 cm. About 3–4 weeks after nesting, a colony could store 4.1 ± 2.6 kg of honey. The thickness of the worker brood comb was 3.3 cm and of the drone was 3.7 cm, but that of the honey comb was possibly 19.0 cm. The width of 10 continuous drone cells (58.1 ± 1.4 cm, n = 90) is significantly larger than that of worker cells (55.7 ± 1.7, n = 330). The depth of drone cells was 19.0 ± 0.4 mm (n = 90) and of worker cells was 17.4 ±1.5 mm (n = 225). The weights of the newly emerged worker, drone and queen bees were 159.9 ± 15.5 mg (n = 30), 168.5 ± 10.4 mg (n = 30), and 272.0 ± 40.1 mg (n = 9), respectively. Development time from egg to adult was 19.7 ± 0.1 days (n = 30) for workers, 23.7 days for drones, and 16.5 days for queen bees. When a colony reached 121 cm × 57 cm in size, it built 9.7 ± 2.4 (n = 32 nests) natural queen cells. The volume of a queen cell was 1.300 ± 0.159 mL (n = 28).

Varroa destructor infestation impact on Apis mellifera carnica capped worker brood production, bee population and honey storage in a Mediterranean climate

This study investigated the impact of Varroa destructor infestation on the amount of capped worker brood, the adult bee population and honey production of authenticated Apis mellifera carnica colonies kept in a Mediterranean climate. For this purpose, colonies were set-up and either maintained mite-free or artificially mite-infested and allowed to develop an infestation. Periodical evaluations of those colonies unravelled the pattern of the previously mentioned variables across the season, and allowed for comparative numerical analyses. Progressive reductions on the amount of capped worker brood, bee population and honey storage in mite-infested colonies only became in- creasingly evident during spring and summer, apparently associated with impressive mite population increases. By the end of the experiment, mite-infested colonies showed a unitary average reduction of 45% in the amount of capped honey they stored, meaning an average annual loss of < 24 kg of honey per colony. However, the amount of capped honey stored per bee and day was found to be independent from colony V. destructorstatus, indicating a lack of direct effect of mite infestation on honey hoard- ing behaviour. Varroa destructor / Apis mellifera /population dynamics / honey production

Multichannel coulometric detection coupled with liquid chromatography for determination of phenolic esters in honey

A method for the determination of phenolic esters in different varieties of honey was developed. The substances were separated by RP-HPLC. A coulometric electrode-array system with sixteen electrodes arranged in series and set at increasing potentials (300–900 mV) was used for electrochemical detection of the compounds. Chromatographic peaks for methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate, methyl vanillate, methyl syringate, trans-p-methyl coumarate and trans-methyl ferulate were identified. The content of the esters varied between 1.3 and 5044 μg per kg of honey with detection limits of 0.1–1.0 μg per kg of honey ( S/N = 3). The method described is a sensitive assay to differentiate between rape honey and other varieties.

Survival of honeybees in cold climates: the critical timing of colony growth and reproduction

Abstract. 1. The adaptive significance of the timing of growth and reproduction by honeybee, Apis mellifera L., colonies in cold climates was studied by describing the seasonal patterns of food storage, brood rearing, and swarming, and then observing the consequences of experimentally perturbing the seasonal cycles of brood rearing and swarming.2. Colonies consume large amounts of food over winter (20+ kg of honey), but have only a brief period (about 14 weeks) for food collection each year.3. The honeybee's striking habits of starting brood rearing in midwinter and swarming in late spring evidently help colonies achieve maximum use of the short summer season. Colonies whose onset of‐brood rearing was experimentally postponed until early spring showed greatly retarded colony growth and swarming. Other experiments demonstrated that late swarms starve more often during winter than do early swarms.4. We conclude that the timings of colony growth and reproduction are essential elements in the honeybee's suite of adaptations for winter survival.

Effects of Drone Comb on Brood and Honey Production in Honey Bee1,Colonies

There is a long-established bias in beekeeping against drones on the grounds that they consume honey but do not contribute to its production. Colvin's statement (1863) is representative. It is logical that with 1500–3000 drones contributing nothing to the colony except body heat and an occasional mate for a queen, there should be a severe drain on honey stores collected by worker bees. Levenets (1956) calculated that it required 6.89 kg of honey to rear and feed 1000 drones during the season. Beekeeping manuals admonish the novice to sort his combs regularly, cutting out those with appreciable drone cells and substituting sheets of worker foundation on which the bees will draw out new combs. Such foundation left on a colony when the nectar flow ceases is nibbled at the edges and around embedded wires. Later these spaces are frequently filled with drone comb. Bretschko (1958) provided perforated foundation to colonies and found that during a flow only 20% of the perforations were filled with drone cells compared to 70% during the absence of a flow. Results were comparable on complete sheets of worker foundation. On the other hand, natural and artificial swarms (nuclei) built worker cells almost exclusively.