Abstract:

Uganda’s annual honey yield is lower than the expected production potential of 500,000 tones
basing on the country’s vegetation type. The aim of this study was to establish the factors that
affect the performance of African honey bee colonies in honey production. It was conducted
between May 2014 and May 2017 in four agro-ecological zones of Uganda where beekeeping is
practiced viz- the Western highlands, Lake Victoria Crescent, Kyoga plains and North East savannah
represented by Kabarole, Nakasongola, Tororo, and Lira, Kole districts respectively.
Analyses of questionnaires administered to beekeepers on the socio-economic factors showed:
high honey production observed among beekeepers ranking honey production as first position
among their income generating activities, among beekeepers with only traditional hives compared
to those with modern bee hives and those with available markets. Honey production was
also ranked high in Kabarole and lowest in Tororo district. The production of honey did not increase
with increasing number of colonized hives kept per farmer and neither did beekeeping
trainings. Findings from hive inspections for honey bee pests showed: co-infestations with 2-4
different pest species in a single honey bee colony and the presence of the death head hawk
moth, Acherontia atropos and Oplostomus haroldi in Lira and Nakasongola Districts, and a negative
mean difference in honey production between the start and after 8 months that was attributed
to co-infestations of pests. R.T-PCR analyses detected five bee viruses BQCV, ABPV, SBV,
CBPV and DWV in adult honey bee samples and also co-infections with 2-4 different bee virus
species in a single honey bee colony. When the colonies were classified strong and weak, pathogen
analyses revealed that the proportion of infected colonies with CBPV were less in strong
than in weak infected colonies; implying its presence reduces bee numbers in African honey bee
colonies. Analyses of bee forage species revealed that the production of honey per hive is not
affected by the agro-ecological zone; instead it was influenced by the apiary location. This implies
that bee forage species at the apiary location and other contributory factors at the site; pests
and diseases affect honey production.