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Beekeeping in Mongolia

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Asian Beekeeping in the 21st Century

Abstract

Notwithstanding harsh climate conditions, the country of Mongolia is rich in insect fauna and is welcoming for managed honey bees. Since 1959, several different races or subspecies of managed honey bees have been introduced and subsequently maintained in Mongolia. These include Apis mellifera mellifera, Apis mellifera caucasia, Apis mellifera carpatica, (the Russian Far East bee), and the local Haliun bee line. These honey bees are well adapted to the climate condition of the country. A survey of honey bee species was conducted and revealed Varroa destructor, Nosema ceranae, and four viral infections distributed throughout Mongolia. Despite pathogens here the main stressors are climate variability. Cold conditions exist as the primary stress with the confluence of predators forming a secondary stressor for honey bees (bear attacks to hives, wasps, snakes, and ants). Aside from honey bees, nearly 30 species of bumble bees, in addition to other non-Apis bees, have been recorded in Mongolia. Little is known in the country about their biology or their importance for local pollination but it is assumed that they contribute essential pollination services as non-Apis bees do in other regions. Based on all given factors, it can be concluded that Mongolia is a great place for beekeeping and honey bee research.

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Acknowledgement

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for all the people who established in Mongolia beekeeping. Many thanks to the colleagues of the Institute of Bee Health University of Bern and Agroscope, Switzerland. Our special thanks to Mr. Bulgan Ts. and Mr. Tulgabat Ts. for encouragements, and Mr. Yondonjamts G. for kindly providing photos, figures for this chapter. Thank you all for your great enthusiasm and kind assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

    Khaliunaa Tsevegmid

  2. Batsumber Beekeeping Research Station, Mandal, Tov Province, Mongolia

    Selenge Dooshin

  3. Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Samuel Ramsey

  4. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Panuwan Chantawannakul

  5. International College of Digital Innovation, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Panuwan Chantawannakul

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  1. Khaliunaa Tsevegmid
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  2. Selenge Dooshin
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  3. Samuel Ramsey
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  4. Panuwan Chantawannakul
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University , Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Panuwan Chantawannakul

  2. Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA

    Geoffrey Williams

  3. Institute of Bee Health, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Peter Neumann

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Tsevegmid, K., Dooshin, S., Ramsey, S., Chantawannakul, P. (2018). Beekeeping in Mongolia. In: Chantawannakul, P., Williams, G., Neumann, P. (eds) Asian Beekeeping in the 21st Century. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8222-1_9

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