Evaluate the Problems of Apis bee Apiaries in Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico

The efficiency of honey production in apiaries depends largely on the work capacity and health of the bees in charge of this activity. Sanitary management in apiaries and hives is not entirely effective, revealing that the chemicals used can affect the behavior of workers, reduce their immunological capacity, and compromise the quality of the honey. The lack of alternative treatments and the lack of available information on natural products makes it important to search for less harmful solutions that are accessible to honeybee producers. The objective of this study was to determine the existing problems in apiaries in Soconusco, Chiapas. After conducting interviews and inspecting the apiaries, samples were taken from infected and uninfected apiaries and analyzed with ADP medium in the laboratory to identify the fungi causing the problem in the production boxes. These fungi were analyzed using a lactophenol blue staining technique under a microscope. In addition to Apis mellifera, the attending producers from some regions of Soconusco, Chiapas, presented other species of honey-producing bees. Among the issues considered, producers do not apply natural alternative products for pest and disease control due to low efficiency and a lack of information and training in their development and use. The damage caused is primarily by mites and fungi, with the diseased hives showing the fungus Aspergillus, a prevalent genus in the inspected hives.