First confirmed records of the trapping and killing of lizards due to the beekeeper-lizard conflict and a global overview of the issue
Diğer yayınlar > Diğer · 2023
Yazarlar: Ali Qashqaei, Elnaz Najafi-Majd
Diğer, Uluslararası, 2023,
Özet
Recently, the human-wildlife conflict has become one of the most important challenges for humans in dealing with nature. In some cases, conflicts have happened with species that have not occurred previously or at least have not been reported. The current study provides unprecedented evidence of the beekeeper-lizard conflict that has never happened before. This study was conducted using three methods: field survey, interviewing beekeepers, and review of published materials. In the field survey, the presence and absence of lizard species around the apiaries were identified. Evidence that the bees were being preyed upon by lizards was then examined and the beekeeper was questioned about the damage caused by the lizards. The last method was to review articles, book chapters, and reports to ensure that the serious beekeeper-lizard conflict had not occurred or at least been reported in other countries. In the field surveys, between May and July 2018, three records of trapping, persecution and killing of the Golden Grass Skink, Heremites auratus by beekeepers were found in Tehran and Zanjan provinces of Iran. In addition, narrative evidence of honey bees’ predation by the skinks in Alborz and Qazvin provinces was obtained on a “Beekeeping WhatsApp group”. Most studies on honey bees’ predation by lizards have been conducted in Ethiopia. Also, the largest numbers of honey bee predator lizard species have been reported from Asia (e.g. India, Pakistan) and Africa (e.g. Nigeria, Sudan). Among the recorded lizard species, the Tokay Gecko, Gekko gecko and Common House Gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus are introduced and invasive species. Inoffensive remedy techniques, raising public awareness, various types of low-interest loans and honey bee hives insurance to reduce the conflict, should be used in Asian and African countries; otherwise they will face major challenges in beekeeper-lizard conflict control and management of the issue.