From traditional to modern: How hive design drives honey yield in Lao PDR

<p dir="ltr">Honey production serves as a critical source of income for local farmers in certain areas of Lao PDR, particularly through traditional beekeeping practices. However, the transition to modern beekeeping techniques and a comprehensive understanding of farmer and beekeeper perceptions remain underexplored. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted an experiment in Xiangkhouang Province, northern Lao PDR, to compare the effectiveness of three beehive types, traditional (Type 3), top-bar (Type 2) and modern (Type 1), in improving honey production. Our findings revealed that Type 1 hives, designed based on modern beekeeping techniques, exhibited significantly higher productivity than Types 2 and 3. This result underscores the potential of adopting modern hives to enhance honey yields, marking a pivotal step toward transitioning from traditional practices to more efficient, sustainable beekeeping strategies in Lao PDR. Interestingly, our study found no significant effect of landscape characteristics or elevation variables on honey yield across the villages. We recommend that future research incorporate long-term monitoring and a broader assessment of environmental variables both within and around beehive sites. Key factors to consider include the diversity and availability of flowering plant species, environmental degradation, microclimate variations, management practices, and the presence of predators, pests, and diseases affecting colonies. A deeper understanding of these variables could provide valuable insights into optimizing honey production and improving the quality of honey yields in Lao PDR and similar contexts.</p>