Assessment of Honey Bee Production System in Horro District of Horro Guduru Wollega Zone of Oromiya Regional State

Abstract

This study was conducted in Horro district of Horro Guduru Wollega Zone of Oromiya Regional state. In the study area 3.3% of respondents participating in honey production before 20 years ago, which increase to 23.3% now a day.  Among those 81.7% of the respondents were starting honey production by traditional which modified to intermediate recently. Hives were constructed from locally available material. After construction is completed, hives are bound with straw to protect from sun heat, cold and rain. The two ends of the hives were closed with plank; one of the planks is provided with fixed and the other is flight entrance. Then internal surfaces of the hives are plastered with fresh cow dung and leave to dry for 1-2 days. The removable, an entrance hole is opening through which beekeepers can remove combs during harvesting. Finally, the hive is fumigated (smoked) for 20-25 minutes with dry cow dung and split wood of Juniperus or Olea species. In this study, accurately determining honey yields proved is difficult exercise, as most of beekeepers were unable to quantify correctly in any weighing scale. Nevertheless, by estimation, per hive per harvesting was ranging from 0.4+0.6kg up to 2.6+0.6kg of crude honey for Rifenti Cabir which is very low and 1.6+0.68kg up to 24.0+0.68kg of crude honey which is high for Doyo Bariso kebeles of the study area. Honeybee disease in the study area was not as much observable. However hamagot, spiders, ants, birds, and monkeys with the percent of 97.6, 61.7, 51.7, 48.3 and 38.3 were major predators in the study area respectively. Hamagots and spiders significantly affect the hive.

Keywords: diseases, forage, hive, honey,