Bees for development Journal 118 March 2016
Dear friends
Dr Wolfgang Ritter describes some of the reasons why races of honey bees in tropical countries seem to enjoy better health than those in temperate zones where they tend to be managed more intensively. All experienced beekeepers will tell of the therapeutic aspects of spending time with bees, and Heide Hermann and Gareth John continue their story of assisting prisoners by means of beekeeping. Next the operations manager of Forest Fruits honey company in Zambia describes how beekeeping in North West Zambia supports 6,000 families –
Issue 118: March 2016 In this issue
page
Honey cerate................................ 3 Bee colonies kept naturally face fewer problems............................ 6 The Bee House.............................. 9 News............................................10 Look Ahead..................................11 Learn Ahead................................11 Bees for Development Ethiopia...12 Telling the bees (part 2)..............14 FACTSHEET: Top-bar hive bee space...........................................17 Interview.....................................19 Using competition to promote best practice................................21 Bookshelf.....................................23
Bees for development Journal Produced quarterly and sent to readers in over 130 countries Editor: Nicola Bradbear PhD Co-ordinator: Helen Jackson BSc Subscriptions cost £26 per year - see page 23 for ways to pay
value of bees and beekeeping – see our blog for more details. If you have good beekeeping news to share, then do let us know! Nicola Bradbear Director, Bees for development
Next, Dickson, who runs TUNADO, the national beekeeping organisation in Uganda, organised an innovative Best Apiary Enterprise Award. He tells how the winners were not the anticipated prominent exponents, but rather lesser known beekeepers, discovered to be doing top quality work in their own apiaries. This fresh idea is a good way for raising awareness and celebrating the work being quietly continued in out of the way corners by so many bees and beekeepers. We have our own good news too: in February we organised Bee Breakfast and Bee Soiree events in Westminster Palace – home to the UK Houses of Parliament. It was a wonderful opportunity to inform parliamentarians about the great
Photo: Adrian Pingstone / commons.wikimedia.org
First off, Dr Sara Robb describes how to make an effective honey cerate that helps wounds to heal, and helps beekeepers to sell their produce more profitably.
harvesting tonnes of top-quality honey and beeswax destined for export to the EU with, as EU laws and buyers demand, every drop traceable back to the beekeeper who harvested it. Find out how this is achieved on page 19.
Westminster Palace and the tower of Big Ben Photo © Bees for development
This edition of Bees for development Journal brings an abundance of good news about successful, profitable beekeeping with healthy bees, underway world-wide.
Readers in developing countries may apply for a sponsored subscription. Apply online or use the form on page 24. Bees for development Trust Works to assist beekeepers in developing countries. Support Bees for development Trust gratefully acknowledge Marr Munning Trust, E H Thorne Ltd, Size of Wales, The Waterloo Foundation, and the many groups and individuals who support our work. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to help. Copyright You are welcome to translate and/or reproduce items appearing in Bees for development Journal (BfdJ) as part of our Information Service. Permission is given on the understanding that BfdJ and author(s) are acknowledged, Bfd contact details are provided in full, and you send us a copy of the item or the website address where it is used.
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Cover picture A woman with her bees and beehive made with support from Bees for Development Ethiopia – see more on pages 12–13.
