Maher Dawara*(1) and Rimal Saa’b(2)
(1). Sub Directorate of Apiculture Research, Sweida Research Center, General Commission for Agricultural Scientific Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.
(2). Socio Economic Studies Directorate, Sweida Research Center, GCSAR, Damascus, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Eng. Maher Dawara. E-Mail: ma_dawara2000@hotmail.com).
Received: 21/10/2017 Accepted: 18/01/2018
Abstract
This research was conducted at Agricultural Research Centre in Sweida, which located in south Syria during 2012-2014. Seventy questionnaires were distributed to different cities and villages in Sweida governorate to study the pests of bees, spread period of bee’s pests, time presence, time damages or influence, incidence of the injury, severity of the injury, and methods which were followed to control the pests. The results found that honeybees pests and diseases were scattered, and the most presence in the studied seasons was Varroa destructor (62.6%) then Meropsapiaster and Vespa Orientalis (45.3% and 47%) respectively, whereas these percentages decreased in the third season 2014. 42% of the bee’s cells were influenced by Vespa orientalis and the infection severity was 21.6%, this percentage was close to the severity infection of the Varroa destructor. 45.75% of the bee cells were injured by Meropsapiaster and the severity was about 12%, because this bird is migratory bird and its existence did not exceed 15-20 days. The severity Paper Wasps reached 14.3%. Also, during winter the dead bees increased during 2012 and 2013 and achieved 13 and 16% respectively, but it reached 40% in 2014. The bee breeders adopted spread poisonous baits and traps or transferring bee cells to control Vespa Orientalis, and used some plants to control Varroa destructor, and hunt or transferring bee cells to reduce the damage of Meropsapiaster. Also, they were executed the infected bees by American Foulbrood, and gathered the weak bees’ cells in the presence of Paper Wasps.
Key words: Pests and diseases, Honeybees, Control, Economic damage, Syria.
Full Paper in Arabic: PDF