A Survey on Beekeeping Activities and Colony Losses in Turkey

Year 2016, Volume: 33 Issue: 2, 56 - 62, 26.09.2016

Rahşan İvgin Tunca Mithat Büyük Atilla Taşkın Tülay Çimrin Devrim Oskay

https://doi.org/10.13002/jafag979

Cited By: 2

Abstract

The study was planned to investigate colony feeding practices, the selection methods of colonies, the control methods of diseases, yearly losses from 2008 to 2011 in each operation and included both migratory and local colonies in Turkey. The beekeepers (92.6%) used to feed their colony in early spring and autumn with supplemental food. The most of local (37.7%) and migratory (62.4%) beekeepers preferred to feed their colonies with both syrup and supplemental food. The beekeepers generally prefer colonies that are not aggressive and with high honey production (47.6%) and also tendency to high swarming (14.2%), resistant to diseases (5.2%) and other factors such as subspecies and physiological characteristics of queens are causes of preference. The colony losses due to winter in 2008-9; 2009-10; 2010-11 were observed as 14.5%, 18.6%, 12.6%, respectively and also the significant correlation (P<0.01) were found between 2009-2010. Our study reveals regular survey studies play a crucial role to improve both colony management and monitoring of colony losses.

Keywords

Apis mellifera, beekeeping, colony losses, honeybee, Turkey

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