Assessment of pesticides use effects on honeybee colonies and its financial impact in some selected districts of Bale Zone, South Eastern Ethiopia

Pesticides are extensively used worldwide in agriculture to protect crops and in public health to control diseases. They include many chemicals, mostly in the classes of insecticides (e.g., organochlorines (OCs), organophosphates (OPs), carbamates (CAs), pyrethroids (PYRs) and neonicotinoids (NEOs), herbicides (e.g., acid herbicides), and fungicides (e.g., azoles) [1]. Many regions of the world have reported honeybee losses in recent years[2]. These deaths are of great concern, because declines in bee populations may have signifi cant and far-reaching consequences. They could affect for some crops pollination and disturb the stability of the agricultural ecosystems, which also damages beekeepers’ prediction, agribusiness and the whole of society livelihoods. Pollination is a very important ecosystem service for food production and maintenance of biodiversity[3].

It becomes dangerous when the level of pesticides or their residues in a beehive becomes high enough to adversely affect the functioning and development of larvae [7]. Bees are highly susceptible to environmental changes and pollution, which is strongly refl ected in the signifi cant decrease of their survival rate [8].
The introduction of pesticide in Ethiopia to control agricultural pests' dates back to the 1960's [9]. Although, the volume fl uctuates across the pesticide types, the country on the average imports 3346.32 metric tons of pesticides annually [10]. Using pesticides are widely spread following modern agriculture and areas with high crop farming parts of Ethiopia are yearly receiving different types and amounts of pesticides, especially in the highland of Bale where is the belt of wheat and Barley production in the county, the use of Agricultural pesticides are very high and its impact on honeybees are also very dangerous. Farmers who produce primarily cereals, pulses and horticultural crops are use various types of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides without due consideration of the damage on honeybee colonies. A number of bee colonies either die or abscond from their hives due to the extensive use of agrochemicals [11]. Today unwise application of herbicides and various pesticides are killing number of honeybee colonies annually and thus have become critical in the development of Apiculture sub sector. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess and identify the impact of commonly used pesticides for various purposes (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) on honeybee health and their products in Bale, Southeastern Ethiopia.

Materials and methods
The study was conducted in Bale Zone of Oromia Regional State which is located in Southeastern part of Ethiopia within 7°,0'N and 39° 45'E and 7°, 30'N and 39°, 30'E of latitude and longitude, respectively [12]. Three districts, namely Agerfa, Goro and Dellomenna of Bale Zone had considered for this study. Three Rural Kebeles (RKs) from each district, in total nine RKs were selected as survey sites. From Agerfa 47, Goro 45 and Dellomenna 46and a total of 138 beekeepers from the three districts were interviewed on pre-structured questionnaires for their attitudes and knowledge on the side effects of pesticides on bees' and their products. Also checklists were prepared and framers' perceptions were collected through focused group discussions from each RK.
In addition, pesticides and veterinary drug shops were included in the assessments. The selections of RKs were done based on the potential they have for beekeeping (forest cover/ bee forage, existing practices etc),their access to road and service providers, and practices of irrigation for high value crops and pesticides effects. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the districts and RKs while random sampling was used in selecting sample enumeration sites and respondents from each household.

Data management and analysis
The study was based on single-visit-multiple-subject formal survey methodology. All the collected data were properly coded and entered into an Excel spreadsheet, cleaned, verifi ed and analyzed. The analysis was done using SPSS statistical software package version 20. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the effects of pesticides on honeybees. In addition, tables and graph were used with respect to the given variables, and the analyzed data and the major fi ndings were reported as district's information.

Demographic characteristics
From the total of 138 households interviewed, 68.84% were beekeepers and 31.16% non-beekeepers. The survey result indicated that majority (68.12%) of respondent's age participated in study was found between 26-65 years.
Similar repot was reported that the most productive age are actively involved, accommodating experiences from elders and fi nally become independent beekeepers [13,14].Regarding the educational level of sample respondents, 6.5% were illiterate, 10.1% were learned basic education, 65.9% attended primary school, 16.7% of them completed secondary school and (0.7%) were complete college education (Table 1).

Commonly used types of pesticides
Honeybees provide an essential ecosystem service to both natural and agricultural ecosystems worldwide. However, in recent years honeybees are threatened by a number of pesticides poisoning and particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia, the problems are very high due to low awareness of the farmers. From the total 138 sample respondents, 97.1% were pesticides users in crop production and only 2.9% were none pesticides users in the study area. It indicated that majority of the farmers in Bale used pesticides for crop production and they were used as an option of control mechanisms to weeds, insects and fungus(rust). However, the amount and type of pesticides users are differ between agro-ecologies (high, mid and low land) and the numbers and type of pesticides users were higher at high land area according to the respondent response. This report in agreement with previous study conducted by [15]. In the present assessment different types of pesticides were listed by sample respondents in the study area which were commonly used for agricultural crop production.
Accordingly they had categorized about 55.80% as herbicides, 18.80% as insecticides,25.36% as fungicides out of the total pesticides used in the area. This report is in agreement with previous report from Amhara Region of Ethiopia [15]. EC, Karate, Endosulfan, Tilt, and Baylathone) [16]. In Ethiopia, several shops are selling pesticides, and farmers have easy access to pesticides [17]. In addition, pesticides found in drug shops and unions were assessed and its lists with category, target pest and rate of application used were listed in Table 2.  [15,19,20]. In addition they were mentioned as some of the farmers uses non-selective chemicals in the area for on un ploughed farm land to use zero tilleging and when they sprayed chemicals mass number of honeybees were dead on the fi eld.

Time of pesticides application
According to the present study conducted, only 50.7% of the beekeepers located their apiary site by considering the distance between apiary site and farm land which is annually receiving pesticides and about 49.3% of interviewed farmers were didn't take any consideration when they could establish their apiary sites. Similar report, stated that more than 74% of the beekeepers didn't locate their apiary by considering the distance between apiary site and farm land [15].

Estimated fi nancial loss
As sample respondent mentioned, losses occurred because of pesticides' negative effects on honeybees were calculated by analyzing the number of honeybee colonies dead, absconded and dwindled in 2018/19 (

Conclusion and recommendation
The present study results showed that honeybee colonies