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<p>Shifts in land use and climate directly impact floral availability, which determines honeybee foraging success and overall colony health. Anthropogenic climatic variation often creates phenological mismatches, impairing foraging, reducing floral resources, and elevating overwintering colony mortality. This study evaluates the seasonal foraging flora, honey production, and population dynamics of <i>Apis mellifera</i> and <i>Apis cerana</i> in relation to local climatic parameters in the Kashmir Himalayas. Bee density on flowering plants was monitored to categorize floral preferences into three distinct strata: highly preferred, moderately favoured and significant based on foraging behaviour and resource quality. Spring conditions provided favourable microclimates and floral abundance, resulting in increased food procurement, enhanced colony growth, and greater variation in honey flavour compared to summer and autumn. Waggle dance activity confirmed elevated forager activity during period. Conversely, forage gaps in summer and autumn necessitated targeted resource management. The behavioural responses and floral selectivity of honeybees highlight their utility as seasonal climate bio-monitors. By identifying critical forage gaps and high-value floral resources, this study provides actionable guidance for colony management under variable climatic conditions. Ultimately, these findings support pollinator-friendly landscape management strategies designed to stabilize pollination services and sustain smallholder apicultural incomes.</p>

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Influence of floral diversity on seasonal foraging behaviour of honeybees (Apis spp.) in the Kashmir Himalayas

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月26日

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  • Mohd Altaf Khan,
  • Navdeep Singh,
  • Rizwana Khurshid,
  • Arif Mohamad Khan,
  • Sajad Hussain,
  • Shiekh Marifatul Haq,
  • Subhav Singh,
  • Deekshant Varshney,
  • Yogesh Patil,
  • Chandrakant Sonawane

摘要

Shifts in land use and climate directly impact floral availability, which determines honeybee foraging success and overall colony health. Anthropogenic climatic variation often creates phenological mismatches, impairing foraging, reducing floral resources, and elevating overwintering colony mortality. This study evaluates the seasonal foraging flora, honey production, and population dynamics of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana in relation to local climatic parameters in the Kashmir Himalayas. Bee density on flowering plants was monitored to categorize floral preferences into three distinct strata: highly preferred, moderately favoured and significant based on foraging behaviour and resource quality. Spring conditions provided favourable microclimates and floral abundance, resulting in increased food procurement, enhanced colony growth, and greater variation in honey flavour compared to summer and autumn. Waggle dance activity confirmed elevated forager activity during period. Conversely, forage gaps in summer and autumn necessitated targeted resource management. The behavioural responses and floral selectivity of honeybees highlight their utility as seasonal climate bio-monitors. By identifying critical forage gaps and high-value floral resources, this study provides actionable guidance for colony management under variable climatic conditions. Ultimately, these findings support pollinator-friendly landscape management strategies designed to stabilize pollination services and sustain smallholder apicultural incomes.