• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.269-275
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• 2018

Beekeeping status of Apis cerana with emphasis of experiences overcoming sacbrood virus disease are presented. Social bee fauna are rich in Vietnam with 6 honeybee species (Apis laboriosa, Apis dorsata, Apis mellifera, Apis cerana, Apis andrenifomis, Apis florea); 8 stingless bee species (Trigona laeviceps, Trigona ventralis, Trigona pagdeni, Trigona gressitti, Trigona fuscobalteata, Trigona capenteri, Trigona scintillans Trigona iridipenis) and 2 bumble bee species (Bumbus haemorrhoidalis, B. breviceps). All of them are native except A. mellifera which was introduced in1887. These bees are slated for conservation by the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development. Honey and other bee products are mainly harvested from 3 species including A. cerana, A. mellifera and A. dorsata. The manageable species (A. cerana and A. mellifera) are increasing in number, reaching about 1,500,000 beehives. Vietnam is the second largest honey exporter in Asia, with a total of about 48,000 tons of honey exported to the international market in 2014. A. cerana plays an important role in poverty alleviation in mountainous and remote areas of Vietnam. Honeybee suffers from various diseases of Sacbrood virus disease (SBV), European foulbrood (EFB), Nosema, and parasitic mites of Tropilaelaps mercedes and Varroa destructor. Most of these diseases can be resolved with biocontrol methods. For the parasitic mites, Vietnamese beekeepers usually apply formic acid.