According to Dr. Amulen Deborah, an entomologist and lecturer at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, the bee population is declining because of human activities like cutting down trees which act as their natural habitats and source of raw materials for making honey.

She further reveals that extensive farming involves the use of agrochemicals which reduces the viability of sperm hence leading to fewer offspring.

https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/bees-face-extinction-say-experts-NV_137596

Saviour Dralabu, a Masters of Molecular Biology student at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University sponsored by the Adaptive Environmental Monitoring Network for East Africa (AdEMNEA) Project to undertake a research study on the Honeybee (apis mellifera) Pathogen Characterisation, Transmission Dynamics and Risk Factors in selected Agro-Ecological Zones of Uganda.

Saviour Dralabu during lab work

The research mainly focuses on pests, parasites; parasitoids and pathogens while assessing the role of the environment and the in-hive reservoirs of honeybee pathogens.

“At the moment, I am done with field data collection, hence doing a series of lab tests and data analysis such as gene extraction and PCR reactions essential to Identifying and screening bee diseases,” Dralabu assuredly remarked.

Doing PCR and DNA Extraction

In line with Dralabu research study, Dr Deborah Amulen, a PhD Researcher and Applied Biological Scientist at Makerere University, says the study will aid them understand the drivers on bee population declines in the Ugandan context.

“Also, help us build the local capacity of our laboratories in bee disease screening.” She revealed.