Over 500 bee colonies in Maharashtra lost due to heavy rainfall

A honeybee box, worth approximately Rs 2,000, comes with five frames and a queen bee for rearing. “Though rains help in the growth and flowering of plants, this year, the flowers could not withstand the heavy downpour. The bees could hardly feed themselves nectar due to the continuous rains,” said Lakshmi Rao, senior scientist and assistant director at CBRTI.

At CBRTI, where scientists work with honeybees, the bees in only four of 10 boxes have survived so far. With rainfall wreaking havoc, sources said the production of honey in the state is also likely to be hit.

Reports of similar losses are being flagged by other states that have been experiencing heavy rainfall since June.
“Most reports involve damage after water entered the bee boxes, forcing the honeybees to no longer thrive in them. Now, losses are also being reported from Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and more states,” added Rao.

CBRTI officials said some beekeepers even tried relocating bee colonies from Karnataka to drier areas such as Kutch in Gujarat. The move did not yield positive results, and in the process, at least 50 bee colonies were ruined.

A meeting convened by the officials spearheading the Honey Mission will be chaired in the first week of September in Bengaluru. During the meeting, officials are likely to take stock of the losses and plan contingency measures for farmers and beekeepers. The Honey Mission is one the Union government’s flagship programmes to help farmers earn supportive income through beekeeping.