Effect of Climate Change on Bee Farming. A Critical Review of Literature

Abstract

Purpose: Climate warming affects the phenology, local abundance and large"scale distribution of bees. Despite this, there is still limited knowledge of how climate affect plant"pollinator mutualisms and how changed availability of mutualistic partners influences the persistence of interacting species. This article reviews the evidence of climate warming effects on bee farming and discuss how their interactions may be affected by change in climate. Bees provide the majority of biotic pollination and are at risk from a multitude of factors; changes in land use, intensive agricultural practices, mono-cropping (growing a single crop year after year on the same land), and the use of pesticides have all contributed to large-scale losses, fragmentation and degradation of bee habitat. The general objective of the study was to establish the effect of effect of climate change on bee farming.

Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.

Findings: The study found out Climate change is causing temperature shifts which are leaving bees unable to pollinate in time. Bees are severely vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change has caused flowers to emerge and bloom earlier. Changing temperatures have also reduced the size of their wild range by approximately five miles.

Recommendations: The study recommends that the local community needs to be enlightened on the need to form self-help group. These will provide them a platform to access more incentives and be able to share more information in relation to honey yield and to put more emphasis on providing food and water to bees during dry season