Identifying and Evaluating the Effect of Poisonous Plants to Honeybee Colonies in East Amhara, Ethiopia

The study was conducted to identify and evaluate the effect of poisonous plant on honeybee colonies in Eastern Amhara. Two beekeeping potential zones, South Wollo and Waghimra were selected purposively. Using multistage sampling technique a total of six districts and 18 local kebeles were addressed in this survey. A total of 225 sample beekeepers selected purposively based on their experience in beekeeping and data was collected through interview. The result indicated that about 15.6% of the respondents had awareness about the existence of honeybee poisonous plant in their locality. According to the present finding a total of 11 plant species were identified as a poisonous plant. These include Helianthus anus, Agave spps, Aloea spps, Parthenium hysterophorus, Euphorbia tirucalli, Ranunculus mustifidus, Euphorbia spps, Guizotia scarab, Acacia saligna, Lanthana camara, and Nicotiana glauca. The effect of the poisonous plants might be either direct physical damage to honeybees or causing internal abnormality which can leads to death. Some plants were repellent and honeybee killer while others weakened and responsible for the dwindling of colonies during their flowering period. The other plant species were reported to cause vomiting, allergic, headache, diarrhea, and bad taste to the consumers by irritating consumers' throat. The identified poisonous plant species were located abundantly in the home garden, fence and watershed areas of the study area where apiaries are existed. Though these plants had no value to the honeybee, beekeepers did not try to remove the plants from the area were honeybee colonies are available. Moreover, by this survey the identified poisonous plants may or may not be poisonous plant unless checked by critical investigation of chemical analysis or by feeding of honeybees. Hence it could be recommended that a detailed chemical analysis of these identified plants should be conducted to devise and implement appropriate control and prevention measure