Side Effects of Agro-chemicals on Beekeeping in East and West Gojjam Zones of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in West and East Gojjam Zones of Amhara Region Ethiopia to determine commonly used agro-chemicals and timing of applications, their effects on honeybee by itself and beekeeper farmers used cultural practices to minimize agro-chemical side effects on honeybee; Questionnaire survey methods, key informants interview and focus group discussion were used for the study. In the questionnaire survey, 384 respondent beekeepers from 4 Woredas, 20 Kebeles (376 male and 8 female) were interviewed. Descriptive, frequency with SPSS version 20 were used. The majority of farmers spray herbicides before blooming in August and insecticides at diseases and pests observed in October, November and December. Surprisingly, almost all respondents interviewed (98.7%) have confirmed that they know the negative effects of agro-chemicals on the health status and life of the honeybee. Apparently pesticides have been causing considerable damage by killing honeybees and causing yield decline due to miss use of agrochemicals. 90.9% of the non-beekeepers who use agro-chemical had no willingness to use non-chemical or alternative mechanisms to control pests and weeds. The main reported reason for the non-beekeepers not informing others about their plan to apply agro-chemicals is their laziness and jealousy; only 8.1% of respondents have willingness to use non-chemical or cultural weed and pest control mechanisms to save honeybee colonies as well as to keep their farmlands as organic. Overall the level of cooperation between beekeepers and non-beekeepers with regard to responsible use of agro-chemicals is very weak and certainly not considerate of mutual benefits and environmental protection. Essential to capacitate beekeepers in terms of technical knowledge and skills to better manage and need concerted action to develop appropriate agrochemical application modalities that minimize side effects on honeybees and economic losses would be recommended.

Diagnostic study on major honeybee disease, pests and predators in North Western Ethiopia

“…The result is also in line with Ayele et al. ( 2020 ), in which similar kinds of pests and predators were observed and the frequency of each type of pest and predator was similar.…”

“…The present result indicated that the incidence of amoeba disease was comparatively higher in the Fagita Lekoma district (58.9%) than (in Jawi) (51.88%). This shows that amoeba disease is more prevalent in all aspects than the other honeybee diseases, even if Nosema and amoeba diseases are more prevalent in the rainy season (Ayele et al., 2020 ). The differences in prevalence between seasons were statistically non‐significant ( χ 2 = 3.31; p = 0.091), as shown in Table 8 , but numerically, the summer season is more affected than the dry season.…”

“…In Ethiopia, protozoa (Nosema and Amoeba), fungi (chalkbrood), parasitic mites (Varroa), small and large hive beetles, wax moths, ants, wasps, bee‐eater birds and honey badgers (Bezabeh, A. et al., 2012 ; Begna, D., 2015 ) were identified as major honeybee diseases and pests. Ants, wax moths, bee‐eater birds, praying mantis (Enziz in common name), honey badgers, bee lice, parasitic mites, small hive beetles, wasps, snakes and lizards are identified as the major causes of honeybee absconding (25.8%), dwindling and honey yield loss in east and west Gojjam zones of Amhara region (Ayele, B. et al., 2020 ). On the other hand, the incidences of bacterial and viral diseases, which are the most contagious ones, are not reported in the country (Abay et al., 2023 ).…”

The Current Constraints and Opportunity of Beekeeping in Ethiopia: A Review

“…Improper pesticide use in crop production is a source of socio-economic conflict among farmers, and poisoning of honeybees by these chemicals has increased over time, with some beekeepers losing all of their colonies as a result of agrochemical use. According to a study conducted by Bizuayehu in the east and west Gojjam Zones of the Amhara Region, on average, 1,736, 4036, and 1,890 honeybee colonies die, abscond, and dwindle each year [16]. This suggests that the application of various insecticides on crops has a significant impact on beekeepers' bottom lines.…”