S u m m a r yA study was carried out to investigate the effect of the original strengths of honey bee colonies supered in different ways, on the production of honey by Apis mellifera bees in the Terai region of Nepal. Bee colonies of three different original strengths, in which the bees covered 5, 10 and 20 combs, were supered in three different methods. The results showed that honey production was highly correlated to the number of worker brood cells in the colonies (r = 0.96, p = 0.003). Colonies of 5 comb initial strength (CIS), as farmers' practices in Nepal, produced the lowest amount of honey (30.1 kg per annum). Bees in colonies of 10 CIS with a deep super, produced twice as much honey (62.2 kg), and colonies of 20 CIS with deep supers produced even signifi cantly more honey (74.5 kg). However, the relationship between the fi nancial values of the produced honey to the cost of its production was the highest -1.52 : 1 for colonies of 10 CIS with a deep super. Therefore, this bee colony management is recommended to the beekeepers in the Terai region and lower hills of Nepal. This fi nding has global application.

Okra is one of the most important summer vegetables in South Asian countries including Nepal. However, the damage by insects like Jassid (Amrasca biguttula Ish.) and whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Guen) has resulted in significant reduction of its production. An experiment was conducted based on intercropping taking okra (Abelmoschus exculentus L. Moench) as the main crop in Arghau, Lekhnath-27, Kaski, Nepal from March 4 to May 24, 2018. The intercrops used were coriander (Corriander sativum), carrot (Daucas carota), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum). The population of jassid and whitefly was recorded from three leaves representing the different strata (bottom, middle and top) of the vegetative parts; and related yield parameters were also observed to correlate with the level of population incidence of these pests. Least numbers of jassids (5.50±0.29, 6.94±0.43, 8.00±0.41 and 3.69±0.76) were observed respectively at 30, 40, 50 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) in okra+ coriander. Likewise, okra + coriander intercropping was effective in inhibiting the population of whitefly (7.50±0.59, 8.56±0.19, 10.25±0.66 and 7.06±0.42) at 30, 40, 50 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) respectively. In contrary, the highest number of jassids and whiteflies were observed in okra + parsley and control (okra only). Both pod length (cm) and yield (t/ha) were the highest (17.92±0.57 and 28.20±0.49 respectively) in okra + coriander and were the lowest (16.42±0.21 and 27.58±0.39 respectively) in okra + carrot. The benefit-cost ratio was in order okra + coriander > okra + carrot > okra + fennel > okra + parsley > control (okra only). Among the different intercrop combinations, the okra + coriander was found most effective that could be suggested as one of the alternative strategies to limit the population of pests; jassid and whitefly in okra.