Siddhi J. Bhusal

Beekeeping Technology Testing and Adoption: Effect of Colony Strength on Honey Production and Modern Beekeeping Technology Adoption by Farmers Siddhi J. Bhusal

Four initial level of colony strength: 4 frame (9,800), 6 frame (14,700), 8 frame (19,600) and 10 frame (24,500) adult honeybees per colony were tested for honey production and other colony attributes. The study revealed the exponential increase in honey yield producing 2.82, 1.59 and 1.18 times more honey from initially 10, 8 and 6 frame colonies than 4 frame colonies. The other colony attributes including comb building, brood rearing, syrup honey storage, bee bread storage and foraging activities were also positively correlated with initial colony strength. Another experiment testing three beekeeping packages namely, continuous brood rearing, initially brood-less and package bee colonies, for mite incidence and honey production indicated the delayed mite incidence in later two packages compared to continuous brood rearing colonies yielding 1.25 and 1.21 times more honey per colony, respectively. Training and social mobilization helped to aware beekeeping farmers to adopt modern beekeeping practices thereby improving annual honey yield and gross farm income from beekeeping enterprise.