BEEKEEPING IN PAKISTAN
Four species of honeybees are found in Pakistan. Three are indigenous and one is imported and established in Pakistan. These species are present in different ecological areas of the country. The indigenous species are Apis dorsata, Apis cerana, and Apis florea. The occidental species is Apis mellifera.
Beekeeping is a profitable business in Pakistan. Almost about 7,000 beekeepers are now rearing exotic species, Apis mellifera in the modern beehives.Annually, there are about 300,000 colonies producing 7,500 metric ton honey.During congenial climate conditions bee flora in the country provide excellent opportunities for the expansion of beekeeping.Honey bee flora is present on vast areas in all the provinces including Northern areas, FATA and AJK and can support 1,000,000 honeybee colonies.
Technologies Developed
- A cost benefit package of technology consisting of 5 to 200 bee colonies devised for amateurs, beginners and professional beekeepers
- Migratory beekeeping introduced after surveying nectar and pollen resources considerable increase in per colony production resulted in the overall increase in national production.
- A simple methodology is devised for production of new queens and 20-30% annual re-queening in apiary resulted populous colonies with less swarming tendency and increased honey production.
- A schedule of disease pests and predators control was worked out. Introduced shaking technique incorporated with immersion paraffin wax at 110 C increased life of wooden bee hives and controlled American Foul Brood disease.
- Summer management techniques developed to overcome the earth period impacts. It included supplemental feeding, placement of colonies at cooler places and control of hornets.
- Winter management techniques were devised. It included additional feeding, placing colonies in group, less inspection covering colonies with straw canopies and narrowing hive entrance.
- A new type of pollen trap devised for collecting pollen from bee hives.
