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Honeybee colony performance is the ability of the honeybees to defend the colony and also to effectively collect nectar and pollen and thus productivity. The colony performance of honeybees in nine agro-ecological zones of Uganda was assessed from September 2012 to May 2013. Observations were made on the colonies for brood pattern, proportion of worker bees and combs filled with honey and pollen. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. The results indicated that both colony strength and productivity varied significantly within agro-ecological zones. Mid North agro-ecological zone had significantly stronger colonies with the highest productivity compared to other agro-ecological zones while Lake Victoria Crescent and Southern Dry land agro-ecological zone had the lowest indicating that the Lake Victoria Crescent agro-ecological zone is not the best for beekeeping in Uganda. The colony strength and productivity did not vary with the vegetation cover, honeybee race, type of bee hive used and the elevation gradient. When promoting beekeeping in Uganda, more efforts should be put in areas such as the mid north agro ecological zone.

Honeybee defensive behaviour is an important trait for selection of honeybees for breeding programs. We evaluated the variation in honeybee defensive behaviour with environmental factors and hive conditions. Factors such as the difference in the agro-ecological zones, colony strength, mean elevation, type of bee hive used, and the vegetation cover were considered. The number of honeybees attacking the researchers’ protective gear within one minute of disturbance was recorded per colony and analyzed. Apis m. adansonii was found to be the most defensive. Variations in the agro-ecological zones, colony strength, and mean elevation were found to significantly influence the defensive behaviour of the honeybees. Honeybee colonies in the Mid North AEZ were the most defensive. The type of bee hive and vegetation cover did not have any influence on the defensive behaviour. From this study, we suggest that selection of honeybees that are less defensive for breeding programs should consider A. m. scutellata and honeybee colonies from West Nile and Southern Highland AEZs at higher elevations.