2024/04/02 by Shuma Bulti, Diriba Diba, Yusuf, Hasan +1
#East Wallaga zone #Oromia #agro-ecology #habitat #stingless bees
paper · doi:10.20372/star.v13i1.16
The study was undertaken at Diga and Wayyu Tuqa districts of East wallag zone, Oromia to identify distribution of stingless bees and to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of Stingles bee’s products. Due to the presence of certain farmers who had begun domesticating stingless bees and had prior experience harvesting honey from stingless bees, both districts were purposefully chosen. The current study includes 90 responders in all, five of whom were involved in the domestication of stingless bees. The remaining 85 responders have engaged in local honey hunters' activities, which involve seeking and collecting honey from stingless bees. Eighteen samples of honey were utilised for the physico-chemical analysis, which included measurements of the honey's sugar content, pH, ash content, moisture content (MC), and free acidity. Their nest's average day temperature was 32.3°C, 35.2°C, and 32°C, respectively, in the midland, lowland, and highland agro-ecologies. 1.5L, 0.83L, and 1.5L was the equivalent average honey yield per nest. The midland, lowland, and highland agro-ecologies had mean pollen yields of 500, 350, and 554 g per nest, respectively. A total of 468 g of pollen were collected on average per nest. The mean quantity of propolis collected or nestled in midland, lowland, and highland areas was 74.5, 59.35, and 93.45 grammes, correspondingly. The main plant species that stingles bees visited the most were Guizotia abyssinica, Vernonia abyssinica, Bidens prestinaria, Eucalyptus globulus, Brassica carinata, and Plantago lanceolata L. Moisture content, pH, ash (%), free acidity, HMF, fructose (%), glucose (%), sucrose (%), and 3.83±0.06, 24±0.01, 55.47±0.30, 3.84±0.50, 27.7±0.93, 24.43±0.9, and 3.1±0.4, were the average values, respectively. With the exception of moisture content, there was no discernible variation (p>0.05) in the chemical makeup of honey between the three agro- ecologies. Highland areas have the highest moisture content (MC), whereas lowland areas had the lowest. . According to the study, stingless bees can live in low-, mid-, and high-altitude agricultural ecosystems, but they never express a preference for the climate in these areas.