Honey bee colony loss rates, management practices and risk factors for losses in Cameroon, Kenya, and Ethiopia: insights from the 2023/2024 active beekeeping season

This study presents honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony loss rates and their associated risk factors across Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Kenya during the 2023/24 active beekeeping season using a standardized survey questionnaire developed previously for Africa. A total of 453 beekeepers managing 15,830 colonies reported an overall loss rate of 19.3%, primarily attributed to the main local pests: ants, mammals, and wax moths, and uncontrollable factors: bushfires, theft/vandalism, strong wind, and drought. Loss rates differed significantly among countries, ranging from 12.8% in Cameroon and 18.6% in Ethiopia to 27.2% in Kenya. Beekeepers trained in best colony management practices experienced significantly lower losses than their untrained counterparts, and full-time and part-time beekeepers had lower loss rates than hobbyists. Hive type effectiveness varied by country. In Ethiopia, colonies in movable-frame hives experienced reduced losses compared to frameless designs. Conversely, in Cameroon and Kenya, high pest pressures and uncontrollable challenges (mostly theft, drought, bushfire, and/or cold weather) contributed to higher losses in movable-frame hives compared to frameless hives. Notably, colony predation by the African serval cat (Leptailurus serval) accounted for 61.5% of pest-related losses in Cameroon. This is a newly documented threat to African honey bee colonies requiring further study. Migratory beekeeping was also associated with significantly higher losses than stationary beekeeping. Detailed results by country and region are presented in accompanying tables, and specific management recommendations to reduce colony losses are provided.