Study Team in Jumla to Investigate Honeybee Deaths

A team from the Bee Development Centre, Godavari, Lalitpur, has reached in Jumla to investigate the deaths of honeybees kept in local households, according to the state-owned news agency RSS.

Led by bee expert Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha, the team also includes Sunil Kumar Jaiswal and Dharma Jaishi from the Pesticide Development Division. They have begun gathering information from beekeepers and the District Agriculture Office in addition to inspecting beehives directly at farmers' homes, RSS added.

Beekeeping plays a significant role in Nepal’s socio-economic life, especially in rural areas where it provides an additional source of income for smallholder farmers. The practice not only supports livelihoods through honey and wax production but also contributes to crop pollination, enhancing agricultural yields.

This impact is particularly vital in mountainous regions where other forms of farming are challenging. Honey from indigenous species like Apis cerana is highly valued, both locally and internationally, for its unique quality.

Balak Ram Devkota, chief of the District Agriculture Development Office, told RSS that the farmers are primarily raising Apis cerana honeybees. On Monday, the team visited Pere village in Patarasi Rural Municipality-1. They also plan to inspect beehives in Guthi village, Guthichaur Rural Municipality. Devkota also mentioned that the team will visit Tatopani and Chandannath to gather more information, examine beehives and bee pastures, and assess potential diseases and other harmful factors affecting the bees.

Farmers are hopeful that the expert team's arrival will lead to a solution to their ongoing problem.