Honeybee epidemic threatens apiculture industry
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Feb 19: Apiculturists (honeybee farmers) of Godagari, Poba and Tanore upazilas are facing a debacle as thousands of bees they have been rearing are dying from unknown diseases.
Nearly 100 beehives of the upazilas have become deserted last week due to the death of innumerous bees which have been attacked by the epidemic.
The apiculturists can find no way to save the bees, which they rear for producing honey and wax.
Honeybee farmer Piarul Islam of Sreemantpur village under Godagari upazila said a huge number of bees are dying in his beehive boxes for the last one week. Five of his beehive boxes are totally empty. He failed to learn the cause of the death of those bees. He said the rate of death of the bees is higher during the night.
Bacchu, another bee-culturist at Maskadighi village under Poba upazila linked the death of a huge number of bees with some sort of viral disease. He also thought, the bitter cold, drizzle and fog might be responsible for the destruction of the bee colony. He said he had been to various agricultural offices for a solution but no one was able to give him any worthwhile information to save the bees.
RAJSHAHI, Feb 19: Apiculturists (honeybee farmers) of Godagari, Poba and Tanore upazilas are facing a debacle as thousands of bees they have been rearing are dying from unknown diseases.
Nearly 100 beehives of the upazilas have become deserted last week due to the death of innumerous bees which have been attacked by the epidemic.
The apiculturists can find no way to save the bees, which they rear for producing honey and wax.
Honeybee farmer Piarul Islam of Sreemantpur village under Godagari upazila said a huge number of bees are dying in his beehive boxes for the last one week. Five of his beehive boxes are totally empty. He failed to learn the cause of the death of those bees. He said the rate of death of the bees is higher during the night.
Bacchu, another bee-culturist at Maskadighi village under Poba upazila linked the death of a huge number of bees with some sort of viral disease. He also thought, the bitter cold, drizzle and fog might be responsible for the destruction of the bee colony. He said he had been to various agricultural offices for a solution but no one was able to give him any worthwhile information to save the bees.