Asian honeybees: Biology, threats and their conservation

Asian continent is blessed with eight indigenous and one exotic honeybee species. Among these, five species are nesting in cavities and construct multiple parallel combs. In contrast, remaining four are open-nesting species which build single exposed combs. Asian honeybees exhibit a rich biodiversity in respect of distribution, nesting behavior, sex pheromone communication, defensive behavior etc. Honeybees have got an immense value for their various products and also for meticulous services they render in cross pollination of varieties of crops. Thai sac brood, a major viral disease is primarily responsible for mortality of millions of Apis cerana colonies. Frequent incidence and infestation of brood mites, Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps clareae, predation by various species of ants, wasps and birds render a greater hindrance in establishment of Apis mellifera in most parts of Asia. Similarly, traditional methods of honey harvesting, habitat destruction, deforestation and pesticide poisoning are apparently threatening open-nesting and hive honeybee species. There is a greater scope to safeguard honeybees from pests, predators, parasites and diseases through economically viable and environmentally sustainable bee-friendly scientific methods. Obviously, creating awareness on anthropogenic impact on these bee fauna would play a tremendous role in conservation of honeybees in Asia. © 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc