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TECA - Technologies and Practices for Small Agricultural Producers

Date: 6/6/2023 - Path: https://teca.apps.fao.org/teca/en/technologies/8409

Title: Good beekeeping practices and bio-security measures in beekeeping

Id number: 8409
Source: Apimondia,IZSLT - Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “Mariano Aleandri"
Language: English
Date of Publication: June 2015
Date of Revision: December 2020
Keywords: Beekeeping, Beehives, Good beekeeping practices, Pollen, Bee diseases
Categories: Beekeeping
Country: Multiple countries
Central Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern Africa
Region:
and Western Asia, Oceania, Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Northern America

Related SDGs:

Summary
Apiculture (or beekeeping) is the practice of honeybee management in hives for pollination and the production of honey and other products,
such as wax, royal jelly, propolis and pollen. In addition, the production of live material, such as bees and queens, may represent other outputs
of beekeeping. Finally, bees may support and provide other services, such as api-tourism, api-therapy and monitoring of environmental
pollution. Beekeeping today is facing many problems, mainly related to globalization, agricultural intensification, climate change and habitat
loss. Because of all these changes, bees are subjected to malnutrition, pesticides, new disease agents and invasive species, such as small
hive beetle (SHB) and Asian hornet (Vespa velutina). Good beekeeping practices (GBPs) and bio-security measures in beekeeping (BMBs) are
useful tools that the beekeeper can adopt at the apiary level to guarantee the health of bees, humans (e.g. consumers) and the environment.
This practice provides a general overview of GBPs and BMBs.

Description
1. Introduction
Apiculture (or beekeeping) is the breeding and care of bees. It includes activities concerned with the practical management of the social
honeybee species. The bee species used in beekeeping are:

dwarf honeybees such as Apis florea and Apis andreniformis;

giant honeybees such as Apis laboriosa and Apis dorsata;
domestic honeybees and close relatives such as Apis cerana, Apis mellifera, Apis koschevnikovi, Apis nigrocincta and Apis nuluensis;
stingless bees (Melipona); and
bumble bees (genus Bombus).

The above-mentioned bees may provide livelihoods and/or a source of income for many households in rural areas and small farms through:

the production and sale of bee products, such as live bees (providing queen bees or swarms to other beekeepers), honey, pollen, wax,
propolis, royal jelly, and venom. Bee products can be used as food for humans, feed for animals, in cosmetics, in medicines (used in
conventional medicine, e.g. to treat allergies to bee venom, or in apitherapy) or as a component in industrial products such as polishes
and sweeteners; and
the services provided by the bees, such as pollination, monitoring of environmental pollution, apitherapy, apitourism, and genetic
preservation apiaries.

At the same time, the value of bees for the environment is often underestimated.

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In recent decades, the beekeeping sector has been facing a growing number of external factors that affect honeybee health and productivity.
These include, among others, global warming, the spread of emerging pathogens, urbanization, and losses in plant biodiversity. These factors
are largely beyond the control of beekeepers, who therefore need to adopt proper beekeeping management practices and measures that help
to limit the impacts of the changing environment in which they operate.

A modern approach to apiculture is moving towards a farming system that tends to be increasingly sustainable. However, sustainable apiculture
always requires good knowledge on the proper management of the bees in order to optimize the natural systems and resources that
beekeepers rely on.

The GBPs and BMBs described in this chapter focus on Apis mellifera and aim at providing beekeepers with tools that contribute to maintaining
healthy and strong colonies.

2. Good beekeeping practices

Good beekeeping practices are those integrative activities that beekeepers apply to obtain optimal health for humans, honeybees and the
environment. Therefore, the implementation of GBPs would have a positive effect on colony health and society, and at the same time could
favour high production standards. Such practices are general measures valid for beekeeping activities and are globally accepted. They are not
disease-specific and are meant to be implemented by beekeepers in primary production of hive products. They are a tool for beekeepers to
successfully address the challenges they face in day-to-day apiary management.

Good beekeeping practices are the basis for a sustainable and resilient beekeeping sector. Daily implementation of GBPs in apiary
management results in multiple positive impacts:

economic benefits, such as cost reduction, larger production per unit, and higher income for beekeepers;
better safety measures due to safer handling of veterinary medicines;
positive impact on consumers through better quality of honeybee products;
positive impact on public health because of reduced residues of veterinary products in honeybee products due to a safer use of
medicines;
positive impact on general honeybee performance such as improved honeybee health and productivity, and higher efficacy of treatments;
and
positive environmental health benefits such as environmental protection through the use of organic treatments and biodiversity
preservation.

Some relevant GBPs are mentioned below (Technology 10032 provides a more extensive list of GBPs).

Ensure proper selection of apiary sites. Suitable sites are away from sources of pollution such as intensive agriculture and industries, and
provide sufficient bee fodder all year round. In addition, beehives should be sheltered from humidity and cold winds (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Apiaries located in a suitable location

Apiaries located in proper area

© IZSLT/Giovanni Formato

Ensure careful selection of suppliers, of bees and beekeeping equipment, and verification of the health status of newly acquired swarms,
colonies and queen bees. For specific diseases, quarantine measures should be adopted to prevent their introduction into the apiary.
Identify each hive with a unique numerical code (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Each hive is identified by its own unique numerical code

The identification of hives with numerical and graphical signs

© IZSLT/Giovanni Formato

Keep a record of each hive visit, colony productivity and resistance to illness.
Verify the health status of the colonies regularly during the year (Figure 3). The frequency of hive inspections will depend upon the time of
the year. During winter and under unfavourable weather conditions, opening the hives should be limited to a strict minimum.

Figure 3. Verify health status of the colonies regularly during the year
The inspection of hives

© IZSLT/Giovanni Formato

Renew honeycombs regularly (every two years) and replace queens regularly (every one to two years). Preference should be given to
queens showing disease resistance, hygienic behaviour, docility, low tendency to swarm, and high productivity.
Maintain balanced colony strength within the same apiary; ensure that hive capacity is sufficient to discourage swarming; and prevent
robbing by removing heavily diseased or weakened colonies from the apiary, as these are more liable to be attacked and “sacked.”
Undertake regular maintenance of hives to maintain them in good condition.

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Adopt appropriate techniques to ensure the welfare of colonies, especially those that are younger/weaker; feeding of colonies with no
food stocks or in case of unfavourable weather conditions as in autumn, winter and excessively cold or rainy springs; ensure good
wintering; provide adequate water supplies, particularly in hot periods.
Avoid the use of honey to feed bees. Provide candy or glucose/fructose syrup. Verify origin and wholesomeness of feed provided to the
bees.
Use the bee smoker appropriately, respecting the bees’ welfare, and avoid using toxic material that may contaminate the honey and harm
the bees.
Avoid the use of toxic substances such as disinfectants or chemical treatments for wood and toxic paints for hives.
Avoid transferring honeycombs from one colony to another if the health status of the colony is unknown. Diseased colonies should be
removed from the apiary and destroyed, if necessary.
Ensure the exclusive application of drugs registered for use in honeybees. Instructions for the use of the drugs should be strictly
observed, and their use recorded in a logbook. Improper and untimely use of chemicals during honey production may lead to its
contamination.
Undertake regular maintenance of the apiary, for example, mowing the grass in front of the hives.
Keep beekeeping equipment clean and in good order. When necessary, renew the materials.
Consult an expert in the event of anomalies.

Note that the application of GBPs in the apiary does not mean the bees will not become sick, but the incidence of diseases will decrease.

3. Biosecurity measures in beekeeping (BMBs)

Biosecurity measures in beekeeping are all the operational activities implemented by beekeepers to reduce the risk of introduction and spread
of specific honeybee disease agents. However, BMBs can only bring benefits if GBPs are systematically implemented as a prerequisite.
Biosecurity measures can differ between different regions due to local factors such as climatic conditions, beekeeping equipment used, or bee
races, and the prevalence, virulence and importance of the honeybee diseases.

The adoption of BMBs is the foundation of all disease control programmes, irrespective of the animal species. If biosecurity measures are
properly implemented, it is possible to reduce the incidence of disease and, hence the need to apply treatments, to an absolute minimum.

Please refer to technology ID 10033 for an extensive list of BMBs.

4. Related/associated technologies
Main diseases of honeybees: ID 8412.
Nosemosis: a fungal disease of adult honeybees: ID 8413.
Varroa mites (Varroatosis or Varroosis): a parasitic disease of the brood and adult honeybees: ID 8416.
Good beekeeping practices: ID 8409.
Bee viruses: ID 8419.
Chalkbrood: a fungal disease of the brood: ID 9002.
American foulbrood (AFB): a bacterial disease of the brood: ID 10018.
Amoebiasis: a parasitic disease of adult honeybees: ID 10019.
Small hive beetle (SHB): ID 10020.
Tropilaelaps: a parasitic disease of the brood: ID 10021.
Stonebrood (aspergillosis): a fungal disease of the brood and adult honeybees: ID 10031.
Good beekeeping practices: extensive list of GBP classified according to the general management operations in the apiary: ID 10032.
Biosecurity measures for beekeeping with Apis mellifera: operational activities to reduce the risk of introduction and/or spread the main
honeybee diseases: ID 10033.

This technology is available in French: ID 8674, and Spanish: ID 8675.

5. Objectives fulfilled by the project

Women friendly;
resource use efficiency; and
pro-poor technology.

6. Further reading
Maine State Beekeepers Association, Inc., Best Management Practices for Beekeeping, 2007.
Dr Somerville D., The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, National Best Management Practice for Beekeeping in the Australian
Environment, 2007.
Ritter W., Veterinary Institute Freiburg (CVUA-Freiburg), Good Beekeeping practice - knowledge in a Nutshell, Bees for Development
Journal 107, June 2013.
Heintz C., Ribotto M., Ellis M., Delaplane K. S., Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Beekeepers Pollinating California’s Agricultural
Crops, Jointly published in the American Bee Journal and in Bee Culture, March 2011.
Formato G., Vari G., Le buone prassi di allevamento in apiario. In “Aspetti igienico-sanitari in apicoltura” published by Istituto
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri”, Italy. August 2007, 8-10.

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Formato G. (IZSLT, Italy), Smulders F.J.M. (Department of Production Animal Medicine and Veterinary Public Health, University of
Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria), Risk management in primary apicultural production, Part 1: bee health and disease prevention.

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