Beekeeping and recent colony losses in Turkey

Abstract

Beekeeping has a long history in Anatolia going back to Hittite civilization, B.C. 1300 about 9000 years. Also Turkey having at least five subspecies of Apis mellifera is a bridging country connecting Europe, Asia and Africa by Middle East and gene center of western Honey bee Apis mellifera. Anatolia also has three out of 37 phytogeography rich areas in the world and there are about 10.000 plant species and 3506 of them are endemic to this country. Turkey is representing one of the highest potential in world beekeeping with about 7,709,636 colonies, more than 150.000 families in beekeeping business, 79 Beekeeping Unions in each province as parts of Central Beekeeping Union of Turkey representing 56,000 professional beekeepers and 107,665 tons of honey production annually in Turkey. There are a number of factors affecting colony losses up to 80% high in some areas in Turkey including such as Varroosis, Nosemiosis, Foulbrood diseases, new generation of pesticides as neonicotinoids, queen failure, colony management and large scale long distance migratory beekeeping. Finally, Turkey still has great potential of genetic reservoir of western honey bee, Apis mellifera and may provide vital solutions for a number of beekeeping problems in the world facing today.

Dünyada ve ülkemizde son yıllarda arıcılık konusunda güncel bir konu olan koloni kayıpları ve olabilecek nedenleri konusunda tartışmalı konular bulunmaktadır. Bu konu ülkemizin genel arıcılık durumu ile yakından ilgili bir konu olduğundan ülkemizin genel arıcılık konusu ile birlikte ele alınmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı ülkemizde genel olarak arıcılığın durumu ve son yıllardaki arı kayıplarının nedenlerinin açıklanmasıdır.