Expert consultation on Beekeeping with Apis mellifera in tropical and subtropical Asia, Bangkok, 9-14 April, 1984

The purpose of the Beekeeping Consultation recently held in Thailand was to discuss the potential of beekeeping with European races of A. mellifera in tropical and subtropical Asia. The Consultation was organized and funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in co-operation with the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. Delegates from 13 Asian countries attended the Consultation, and these were joined by FAO Beekeeping Consultants from throughout the world, and Nicola Bradbear represented IBRA at the Consultation. The Consultation was held in Thailand because the last ten years have seen the introduction of A. mellifera into the country, and some 30 000 colonies are now established. Commercial beekeepers are creating wealth and employment by producing honey for the local market (where it fetches a good price), and honey and royal jelly for export; the Thai beekeeping industry is now worth $15M annually. Two days of the consultation were spent visiting apiaries near Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, which is the centre of the main beekeeping area.

The Asiatic hive bee, A. cerana is kept throughout the country, mainly in log hives in the North and in movable-frame hives in the South of Thailand. There is an abundance of bee forage (although not in the area immediately surrounding Bangkok), and major nectar sources in Thailand are Longan (Nephalium longan) and Lychee (Nephalium luchi) which require insect cross-pollination for fruit production. Only in the last few years has it been known that fruit production by the Longan tree benefits from insect cross-pollination, and the presence of A. mellifera beekeeping in the Chiang Mai area has increased longan fruit production by 30% (production of the fruit is worth some $23M annually).

Migratory beekeeping is practised, and it is the wealth of available nectar sources, and the possibility for commercial beekeepers to be mobile, which has allowed a rapid expansion of the beekeeping industry in the last ten years. The development of the industry has also depended on research carried out at scientific establishments in Thailand, the availability of beekeeping training courses at several centres, and the beekeeping associations which have been established. The Thar beekeeping industry is now almost self-sufficient, with all equipment being manufactured within the country.

The major problem faced by Thai beekeepers is the infestation of their A. mellifera colonies with the mites Tropilaelaps clareae and Varroa jacobsoni. Tropilaelaps clareae is a native parasite of A. dorsata, while Varroa jacobsoni is a native parasite of A. cerana. Both species of mites parasitize A. mellifera, which seems less able to cope with the presence of either of the mites than can the native hosts.

Thai beekeepers have found that of the two mite species, it is T. clareae which is the more destructive to A. mellifera. Because V. jacobsoni has been spread to so many parts of the world, there is now a large amount of literature available on the disease. This is not the case for T. clareae which, mainly confined to tropical Asia, has not been fully researched, and yet may represent a severe threat to world beekeeping.

Movement by man of A. mellifera which has been kept in an area near Varroa infested A. cerana led to the introduction of Varroa to Europe, and the Consultation heard reports of acarine disease and American foul brood having been accidentally brought into Asia. Great care must be taken to ensure that further such mistakes do not occur, and the Consultation resolved that every government in tropical and subtropical Asia should introduce legislation for the quarantine and regulation of bee importations. Ideally bee breeding programmes should be established in Asia, making the importation of bees for restocking unnecessary.

Although disease is the major problem, there are other hazards facing A. mellifera introduced to areas where the species is not native. For example, a different and larger range of bee predators, the effects of tropical temperatures and humidities on bees evolved in temperate zones, and perhaps competition for resources between introduced and native species. The Consultation stressed the need to identify and examine such constraints, to allow the development of a viable industry. The Consultation also emphasized the great need for more knowledge of the biology of honeybees living in the tropics. For these reasons, a Resolution was passed that international aid agencies should help to establish a centre, in a place where all four species of Apis are available for study, to support research, development, training and extension in all areas of tropical apiculture.

Reports were heard from the delegates attending the Consultation, describing the current status of beekeeping in their countries. In many parts of Asia effort is being devoted to beekeeping development, as the benefits and importance of beekeeping at subsistence level are being realized. However, there still exists a general lack of understanding of the value of beekeeping by those who are not involved. Many beekeeping problems are common to all of Asia: areas still wait to be evaluated for beekeeping potential, and lack of research must mean that many good pollen and nectar sources are yet to be identified. To establish successful beekeeping projects, local bee forage must be examined and a “floral calendar” produced, giving information on the seasons of nectar and pollen production of different plants, and identifying possible dearth periods. Only after establishing such a floral calendar (which may take several years) can an efficient scheme of hive management be determined, which may involve some migratory beekeeping to take advantage of different crops as they come into flower.

The final resolution of the Consultation was that national governments should recognize the new potential offered by A. mellifera beekeeping under a wide variety of conditions, but only consider introductions after adequate testing, and after appropriate technology has been introduced and placed on a scientific footing.