African
Bees - their behaviour and racial distribution(see photo below)
The following are some of the most commonly referred
to African races of honeybees (Apis mellifera) which have been identified
including aspects of their behaviour. The list is not comprehesive
and is intended only as an introduction to the topic. Much work
is yet to be done on the classification and documentation of African
bee races. Aside from honey as a gift for Christmas, why not give photo Christmas cards of bees.
1. Apis mellifera intermissa
This is a North African race of honeybee found north
of the Sahara from Lybia to Morocco. The bee is reputedly very aggressive
and swarms frequently. During droughts over 80% of colonies may
die but owing to intensive swarming colony numbers increase when
conditions improve.
2. Apis mellifera lamarckii
Egyptian bees found in North East Africa primarily
in Egypt and the Sudan along the Nile Valley. Like intermissa they
rear numerous queens with one colony recorded as rearing 368 queen
cells and producing one small swarm with 30 queens!
3. Apis mellifera scutellata
Bees from the savannahs of central and equatorial
East Africa and most of South Africa. This is a small bee with a
short tongue which is highly aggressive and swarms frequently and
is able to nest in a broad range of sites from cavities to open
nests.
4. Apis mellifera adansonii
These bees are found in West Africa and are yellow
in colour. They appear to be very similar to scutellata in many
of their behaviours.
5. Apis mellifers monticola
These are the mountain bees and are found at high
altitude in Tanzania and Kenya - 1,500 - 3,100 meters. These bees
are a large, dark and gentle race with longer hairs than other African
races of bees.
6. Apis mellifera capensis
These bees are found in South Africa and are unique
among Apis mellifera in that they have a common occurance of female-producing
laying workers.
Note: This article on African races
of bees and their behaviour will be developed over time to include
more detailed information on specific African bee races. An understanding
of the type of bees we have in Africa and their behaviour is fundamental
to good beekeeping. This information will also be of interest to
beekeepers in the Americas working with Africanized bees which are
essentially African bees (Apis mellifera scutellata).
Photo above: Races of African bees frequently
abscond/migrate leaving many empty beehives - the example show above
is from Kenya.
References:
'The Biology of the Honey Bee' by Mark L. Winston
& 'Honeybees of Africa' by Hepburn and Radloff
For a bee's knees Christmas this year, how about a photo Christmas card from nature. A bee photo Christmas card is a great present!
Both these books are available at the Apiconsult
Store |
