Poor Beehive Colonisation: Another Emerging Obstacle to Beekeeping in Nigeria?

Abstract

 A two-year survey was conducted in the Northeast geo political zone of Nigeria to assess the rate of beehive colonisation in apiaries using improved and traditional methods of beekeeping. Snow-ball and purposive sampling methods were applied to select 185 traditional and three low-technology (Kenya TopBar Beehives: KTBH) apiarists, respectively, from the study area. A four-item open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents in 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons. Findings show that majority of the apiarists used local attractants in bee baiting with cow dung accounting for 47.4% and 26.9% as the larger proportions in 2015 and 2016, respectively. While cumulatively beehive colonisation accounted for only 22.5% against 77.5% empty beehives in the first year, the second year recorded 62.5% and 37.5% colonised and unoccupied beehives, respectively. It’s therefore, concluded that there was a remarkably low rate of beehive colonisation in the study area. In this regards, research-based institutions should intensify efforts towards providing effective training on colony division for local farmers, financial assistance to beekeeping beginners and beekeeping-based curricula by institutions of learning to capture youths as future apiculturists for sustainability.