Dealing with honey bee health issues

Ethiopia: According to a local scientist who works at the Institute of Beekeeping and Genetic Improvement at the Holeta Bee Research Center (Ethiopia), beekeepers have to report to the district livestock offices, when they recognise honey bee health problems in their bee colonies. Most of the beekeepers have a lack of knowledge when it comes to identify pests like Varroa, or microscopic pathogens like fungi or bacteria. Thus, they report the observed symptoms and/or pass on samples of the hive to the district livestock offices. The office respond to the report and if they cannot help properly, they collect the information or even samples from the particular apiary to send it to Holeta (Holeta Bee Research Center) for identification and required solutions. Based on the outcome, they give feedback and offer suggestions for handling the health issue. If there is no outcome, the honey bee health team will travel to the localities to study the conditions. Unfortunately, there is a lack of published information on that topic.

Indonesia: According to a local scientist (Universitas Padjadjaran; Indonesia), the beekeepers of disease affected apiaries do not pass on the information to a governmental office, nor to a beekeeping association, but informally exchange their observations with other beekeepers who already gathered experience with the particular honey bee health issue. There is no regularly conducted assessment on honey bee health of Indonesian government, because beekeeping is still considered to be a “second class farm activity”. Unfortunately, there is a lack of published information on that topic.