Foraging of the African Honeybee, Apis Mellifera Adansonii, in the Humid Semi-Deciduous Forest Environment of Ghana

Abstract

The relative abundance, the foraging pattern and rate of Apis mellifera adansonii were studied, particularly in relation to weather for three flowering seasons. Twenty-four plant species were identified in three study sites as melliferous plant species. Most of them grow sympatrically and flower sequentially. Their flowering seasons are sharply defined, but few of them showed some overlaps. Some of them provided nectar and pollen while others provided either nectar or pollen. Peltophorum pterocarpum, which was the most conspicuous plant species during the early part of the year, recorded the maximum hourly visits of bees although it presented only pollen as a floral reward Generally, however, the bee visited more frequently nectar-producing plants than those, which offered only pollen. The foraging rate of the bee depended on the plant species they worked on. As observed for other species of Apis, the Apis mellifera adansonii worked much more slowly when collecting pollen than when foraging for nectar. It did not differ from other races of honeybees in its response to change in weather conditions.