Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

In 1956, Brazilian scientist Warwick Estevam Kerr, introduced queens of the African honey bee (AHB) from South Africa to breed with European honey bees (EHB) in order to improve honey production in Brazil. Some of the AHB swarmed by accident out of the experimental apiary, located in Rio Claro-São Paulo State, and started to spread. Today, these have mixed with EHB and exist all over Brazil, the Neo tropic of South America, Central America, and South USA. This situation created drastic changes in the management of bees across the region.

This research explores and analyses the effects of the spreading of AHB in the social, economic, and policy-making levels in the apiculture sector in Brazil and USA. The study also contrasts and discusses the challenges faced by beekeepers in both countries and the resulting adaptation strategies to manage this new species.

One of the most important results in economic terms was the gradual increase in honey production years after the introduction of Africanised bees to Brazil; On the other hand, in the United States, the introduction did not cause any alteration in beekeeping in the already declining production of honey. In contrast, free market policies, inadequate handling of bees, diseases, inadequate use of pesticides among other factors have contributed to the fall in honey production and the number of boxes of bees for decades. Another result in the social field was the constitution of an interstate organisation of beekeepers allowing beekeepers to organise congresses and conferences with the purpose of discussing, analysing and proposing joint solutions to the emerging threat of Africanised bees as well as seeking new technologies for their management as well as government support to fund apiculture enterprises.

In general terms, the introduction of the Africanised in the medium and long term turned out to be a blessing instead of a threat to Brazilian apiculture and the rest of the Americas. However, in the United States, before and during colonisation, Africanised bees were seen as a threat to the beekeeping system, a vision that was dissipated as beekeepers became informed and found the best way to face the threat of Africanised bees, but with a problem still unsolved what will happen to the Africanised bees that for more than 20 years are already in the United States as swarms around the apicultural areas?