Zooming in on Iraq

This article was written by Nicola Bradbear who visited Iraq in December 1995 as part of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Programme for Emergency Assistance to Iraq

Country

Iraq consists of two regions: the Government of Iraq composed of 15 governorates, and The North with three governorates.

Population

20 million

Capital

Baghdad

Geography

Iraq is bordered by Iran, Kuwait, Jordan, The Gulf of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey. The main topographical features are the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, which flow from Turkey and Syria in the north to the Gulf in the south. The plains surrounding the rivers are fertile. To the north and north-east are mountains, to the west is desert.

Present situation

Before the Gulf War, oi! accounted for 95% of Iraq's export earnings. However since the UN embargo was imposed in 1990, most trade has been forbidden between Iraq and UN Member States. Iraq now is in a very bad economic situation. Yet before the Gulf War Iraq was prosperous country, with first-class medical facilities and 22 universities Today the situation is very different. Malnutrition is widespread and famine is only just being prevented. There are severe shortages of food, seeds, fertilisers, equipment, spare parts and essential medicines.

Beekeeping situation

All of the above has had implications for Iraq’s bees and beekeepers. Since Iraq must now endeavour to become self-sufficient in food production, there is great need for local honey, and for good crop pollination. Yet the beekeepers face many problems, with serious losses of their bees.

Honeybee species and races

The indigenous honeybee is Apis mellifera syriaca. Honeybees have been introduced from many countries during the 1970s and 1980s: they range in size and colour, and do not collect much propolis. The bees are fairly gentle to work with and not highly defensive.

In northern Iraq some of the traditional hives contain dark bees which use much propolis around the entrance to their nests: these may be indigenous bees.

Apis florea is reported recently to be in eastern Iraq (B&D 24). It is not known whether Apis florea has naturally increased its distribution westwards, or whether this represents an introduction by man, as has happened in the Sudan.

Plants for bees

Iraq has in the past had plant resources to support good levels of beekeeping. Many of the major Iraqi food crops provide useful pollen and/or nectar for bees. These include: dates, maize, coffee, pulses, oil seeds, fruits, vegetables and spices.

Beekeeping has become harder during the five years of UN sanctions because of the change in agriculture which has taken place: monocultural agriculture has largely replaced mixed farming.

Dates, Events and Extent of beekeeping

- Date: 1970s

Extent of beekeeping: ‘Every farmer beekeeper’ Over 500 000 traditional hives.

- Date: 1970s-1980s

Event: Frame hive beekeeping becomes well-established, highly dependent on importation of equipment

- Date: 1985-1987

Event: Varroa jacobsoni has severe impact: 90% of honeybee colonies lost

Extent of beekeeping: Many traditional beekeepers . give up

- Date: 1990

Event: Gulf war: frame hives widely broken up, and colonies plundered, beekeeping impossible. UN sanctions introduced

Extent of beekeeping: Number of frame hives remaining is less than 500.

- Date: 1992

Event: After the Gulf war beekeepers endeavour to redevelop their beekeeping. Apistan was available initially and effective against Varroa jacobsoni.

Extent of beekeeping: 7,000 frame hives made locally and colonies re-established.

- Date: 1994

Event: First appearance of ‘crawling bees in spring 1994.

Extent of beekeeping: More than 30,000 colonies of honeybees in frame hives.

- Date: 1995

Event: Reappearance of ‘crawling bees' in spring 1995, more severe.

Extent of beekeeping: Numbers considerably reduced from previous year.

Frame hive beekeeping

Frame hive beekeeping is used in and around Baghdad and by all members of the Iraqi Beekeepers’ Association

During the 1970s and 1980s beekeepers using frame hives depended entirely on the importation of equipment, and bees were also imported. UN sanctions ended this possibility. Now, fag five years later, it is possible to buy locally-made frame hives, smokers and hive tools. The one fundamental item which cannot be made in Iraq beeswax foundation the embossed, beeswax sheet which bees use as ‘foundation’ from which to build their comb. Although this is a simple item to make, the necessary embossed rollers or presses are not available in Iraq. Beekeepers in Iraq had been accustomed to importing all the foundation they needed.

The nature of frame hive beekeeping means that the beeswax comb is recycled: bees are able to put their effort into honey production rather than rebuilding their wax comb each year. Normal beekeeping practice is to replace some of the brood combs every year such that none become too old. However the lack of foundation has meant that beekeepers in Iraq have been forced to continuously reuse the same combs. This inevitably leads to build up of old combs containing high levels of disease. This poor sanitation may have led in part to the current ‘disease crisis’.

Current beekeeping

Traditional styles of hives are still used in some areas. Some hives are baskets woven from willow, and kept inside buildings during the winter. Other hives are made from clay and permanently housed inside clay bee houses, with their entrances opening to the outside. This arrangement makes beekeeping very convenient for the beekeeper, protects the bees from winter cold and summer heat, and is almost without cost.

In the 1970s there were hundreds of thousands of colonies housed in this way in northern Iraq. Although honey yields from traditional hives are lower, the low cost of traditional beekeeping can make these methods, on a small-scale, more economical than frame hive beekeeping.

Pesticides

Many beekeepers believe their honeybee populations are seriously harmed by the pesticides used extensively in Iraq.

Diseases

Honeybee diseases are common and widespread. The new emergence of ‘crawling bee syndrome’ in spring 1994 and 1995 has caused severe weakening and loss of honey production.

‘Crawling bee syndrome’

“A new pathological condition affecting honeybees in Iraq, hindering colony build-up, reducing honey production, and decreasing colony reproduction. Ultimately death of lot of colonies. It was first noted in spring 1994. Beekeepers complained of crawling bees. It continued for six to eight weeks but ended as beekeepers collected their honey crop and forgot about it. In early 1995 the condition reappeared and continued until 10 April, more severely than in 1994.

The chief complaint was crawling bees all over apiaries. Thousands of crawling bees spreading their wings with swollen abdomens. Crawlers go out in the morning and at different times, but striking phenomenon are hundreds of young bees falling to the ground and unable to return home. They aggregate together having lost their sting reflex. Then after a while they craw] everywhere.

Some of the diseased bees have distended abdomens: squeezing the abdomen greenish faecal material appears with paraldehyde aroma. Diluting it with normal saline you see under the microscope undigested pollen with heavy growth of bacteria. You notice spores of Nosema apis. Culturing the bacteria and staining with gram stain you find gram negative bacilli. On opening the first segment of the thorax you notice clear fluid comes out. Some of the samples are creamy or pus-like fluid with a fermented aroma,” Source: Iraqi Beekeepers’ Association

Brenda Ball at IACR-Rothamsted in the United Kingdom is currently examining samples of Iraqi bees to determine which viruses, if any, are present.

The symptoms of ‘crawling bee syndrome’ also resemble the symptoms of diseases caused by Acarapis woodi, Nosema apis and foul brood, all of which are also present. It seems that most beekeepers in Iraq have bees showing the ‘crawling bee syndrome’, but there could be confusion between this and the other diseases present.

Varroa jacobsoni

Colonies are heavily infested with Varroa jacobsoni. This mite caused the loss of an estimated 90% of colonies after it was first detected in Iraq in the mid 1980s. Many beekeepers, especially those using traditional hives, lost all their colonies and have not resumed beekeeping. This is because they lack medicines and technical knowledge to control Varroa jacobsoni.

In 1987 beekeepers used Folbex VA to control Varroa jacobsoni. Subsequently Mavrik and Apistan became available and have been widely used. Beekeepers are now using whatever they can get in an effort to control Varroa jacobsoni: all supplies are out of date. It is impossible for anyone to use the correct dosage of fresh drugs.

Lack of technical information is serious constraint. Understanding of the science of Varroa jacobsoni is moving rapidly and the UN sanctions have meant that Iraqi beekeepers have been isolated from opportunities to follow international research in this field.

Nosema apis

The bees show symptoms of Nosema apis, but the treatment for this protozoon, the antibiotic Fumagillin, is not available.

Foul brood

Many beekeepers report that their bees show symptoms of European foul brood disease. Oxytetracycline is the normal remedy: beekeepers in Iraq are forced to treat bees with veterinary product intended for hens which contains this antibiotic.

Chalk brood

This fungus, Ascophaera apis, has recently been recorded for the first time in lraq by Ibrahim Al-jboory.

OTHER CONSTRAINTS

Lack of sites for bees

The lack of suitable sites for bees means that beekeepers are forced to keep many colonies at each site: this leads to further stresses for colonies through competition for food resources, and increased likelihood of diseases being spread rapidly.

Lack of bees

There is currently a shortage of honeybee colonies available. This is because of the problems with disease, and also because it is no longer possible to bring supplies from mountainous areas of Iraq where bees were formerly abundant.

Honey

Current honey production from frame hives averages about 7 kg per colony per year. However beekeepers with good sites for their bees and who manage their colonies well can exceptionally harvest up to 50 kg per year per colony. Current retail price per kilogram is 12000 Iraqi Dinar (4.6USS), although inflation changes the price every month.

Government policy and support

Apiculture falls within the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Plant Protection, Abu Ghraib, Baghdad.

College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad

Iraq has skilled entomologists but the severe shortage of resources means that support is not available to alleviate the problems of beekeepers.