Bees for development
JOURNAL
No 119 June 2016
• SWARMING BEES ARE HEALTHY BEES • AAA IN SAUDI ARABIA • APIMONDIA IN THE PHILIPPINES • TOM SEELEY’S NEW BOOK
The Journal for sustainable beekeeping 1
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
Dear friends
No such problems for the honey bee colonies living wild in Arnot Forest, which have been studied for forty years by Professor Tom Seeley. In his latest book, destined surely to become a classic, he describes the (almost) lost art of how to discover the tree homes of
Issue 119: June 2016 In this issue
page
Practical beekeeping – Swarming bees are healthy bees!.................. 3 Interview – Ms Luz Zarsuela Gamba from the Philippines......... 8 Apimondia International Symposium on Indigenous Bees 10 Factsheet: Propolis.......................12 AAA Conference, Saudi Arabia....14 News.......................................15-17 Look Ahead / Learn Ahead..........17 Bookshelf – Following the Wild Bees by Tom Seeley.............18 Noticeboard.................................19 Our new-look wesbite..................20
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 18 for ways to pay
Tom Seeley watches during the Ulster Beekeepers fundraising auction in support of Bees for development in March 2016. Also in this picture is UK beekeeping expert Margaret Thomas. wild honey bee colonies – read more on page 18. Finding wild bee colonies is surely a sport ready for resurgence amongst bee enthusiasts, and this fantastic new book might well be the trigger. In earlier days the trees would be cut down and the honey bee colony plundered for its honey and beeswax. Now of course trees and bees are limited resources,
and finding the nest is ample prize enough. As George Edgell wrote in 1949: ‘the reward is when, after hours or days of trial and error, your eye catches the flash of wings in the tree and you are able to say checkmate in one of the most difficult, complicated and fascinating games in the world.’ Nicola Bradbear Director, Bees for development Photo © Bees for Development
Swarming bees are healthy bees – this message may come as a surprise to beekeepers who have been taught to rigorously prevent their bees from swarming. However, as Wolfgang Ritter explains on the next pages, honey bee colonies have selfhealing capacity, and swarming, by providing a break in brood rearing, helps to limit parasite increase. Beeswax and comb creation also play crucial roles in limiting the progress of pathogens. Of course there are good reasons why beekeepers have been taught to prevent swarming – to maximise the work force for honey production, and to prevent bees from swarming in areas where thousands of potentially stinging insects will not be tolerated - in this case, the beekeeper can best help the bees by anticipating swarming – Wolfgang explains how to do this.
Readers in developing countries may apply for a sponsored subscription. Apply online or use the form on page 20. Bees for development Works to assist beekeepers in developing countries. Bees for development Trust gratefully acknowledge Charles Hayward Foundation, The Daylesford Foundation, Eva Crane Trust, E.H. Thorne Ltd, The Waterloo Foundation, and the many groups and individuals who support our work. 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.
Bees for development 1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth NP25 3DZ, UK Telephone: +44 (0)1600 714848 info@beesfordevelopment.org
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Cover picture Ms Luz Zarsuela Gamba entrepreneurial keeper of stingless bees in Sorsogon Province in the Philippines. Read about her work on pages 8-9.
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
Practical Beekeeping
Swarming bees are healthy bees! How to use the self-healing capacity of bees When bees are left alone in a favourable environment with low bee density and good food provision, they will survive for years without help from a beekeeper. This surprising observation in times of the Varroa mite has already been frequently confirmed all over the world, including in Europe. Swarming has been identified as one possible factor for their good survival. Why is this the case and how can it be integrated into our own beekeeping practice? What happens during swarming?
Dr Wolfgang Ritter Bees for the world OIE, World Organisation for Animal Health, Freiburg, Germany ritter@beehealth.info
nest to minimise possibilities of subsequent transfer of diseases. And only healthy bees succeed in reaching the entrance holes of nests at great height.
Photo and illustrations © W Ritter
Only strong, vigorous colonies swarm. As a rule, a swarm consists of 2 kg i.e. around 14,000 bees together with the old queen, which together form the first, ‘prime’ swarm. Subsequent ‘after-swarms’ with young virgin queens are smaller in size. Some late swarms with only a few thousand bees are rarely able to survive.
A natural swarm consists mainly of worker bees over 18 days old, forming the cluster of bees crowding around the queen and scout bees. Only a few younger bees take care of the queen and the subsequent first brood. Before emerging from the hive, the bees have filled their honey stomachs so that they can survive for the days before new resources are available at their new nesting site. Swarms search for nesting places at a good distance from their original
In Africa the collection of swarms in trees has been an integral part of local style beekeeping methods. This is one of the reasons why Varroa mites and foulbrood do not stand a chance in Africa 3
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
Collecting a swarm
Water spray
Swarm box How to collect a swarm When collecting a swarm, one’s own health has priority. Better to leave the bees than to take dangerous risks!
• Take care that the ladder stands safely – ask a friend to hold it. • Spray the swarm cluster with water. • Put a swarm box underneath. If nothing else, a bucket will do. • Jolt the bees into the container. 4
• Place the swarm box on the ground to allow the remaining flying bees to join it. • The swarm has now ‘forgotten’ its origin and can be sited in a new place.
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
Photo ©s Bees for Development
clustering. After wax production and comb construction, almost no food is left. During the dense contact within the swarm, and later in the construction cluster, also the spores of the pathogens in the bees’ cuticles (coats) are eliminated. The spores become part of the beeswax combs where they do not cause damage. It is for this reason that colonies suffering from foulbrood and other brood diseases can be treated by the
It is not easy to spot even a large swarm high in an oak tree – can you see it?
Does swarming make bees healthier? Bee swarms are generally carriers of the ubiquitous pathogens, i.e. those pathogens that are present in every bee colony. Among these there are fungal spores of the chalkbrood pathogen that is present in the bee’s cuticle (coat), and the Nosemosis pathogen in the bees’ intestines. Both of these pathogens can be found also in the food stored in their honey stomachs which have been fully filled before swarming. There are also viruses like the Sacbrood Virus and Chronic Paralysis Virus. Among the ubiquitous parasites are the Varroa mite and its specific viruses like the Deformed Wing Virus (DWV). During swarming the number of bees infested by mites and viruses is reduced. Moreover, most of the mites remain in the brood. Swarming bees can spread the pathogens that cause American Foulbrood (AFB) and European Foulbrood (EFB). However, compared with infested brood, only in very small numbers. It is true for all honey bee diseases
– that massively infested bee colonies – rarely reach a sufficient strength to enable them to swarm. Therefore, the transfer of pathogens nearly always happens from bee colonies that are only slightly infested, showing a healthy outer appearance.
What happens to pathogens and parasites inside the swarm? The digestion of food carried with the swarm already starts during take-off for the flight, and continues during the time that the swarm is 5
Often it is the bees wings glimmering against the sun that catch your eye artificial swarm method or ‘shook swarm’ method. In the case of very strong infestation, or near to the focus of a large outbreak of foulbrood, the pieces of comb built during the first three days are destroyed in order to eliminate the spores that they contain. Swarming limits multiplication of the Varroa mite, because of the interruption of brood rearing, both in the parent colony and in the swarm. Similar to the extraction of
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
drone brood, this early reduction of the mite population leads to a considerably lower infestation rate later in summer.
Bees may swarm naturally, or the beekeeper may
Mother col
When does a swarm get sick? The honey bee colony’s selfhealing capacity is weakened when the swarm (or anticipated swarm) is collected and transferred directly on to comb foundation or ready-constructed combs. In this case, worker bees and the queen can immediately start breeding and the colony’s self-healing effect is greatly reduced. Foulbrood can break out, and the Varroa mite can continue to multiply without interruption. Using brood combs to create nuclei reduces or even inhibits the self-healing effect. Fortunately, most of the pathogens imported by a swarm do not cause the outbreak of a disease. An outbreak of those diseases may happen only in the case of unfavourable conditions occurring later. How well the honey bee colony survives disease – disregarding whether it was a swarm or not – will essentially depend upon the subsequent management and the infection or infestation pressure from the surroundings.
QC Queen and queen
Nucleus
Anticipated swarm
or QC
QC
How to attract a swarm into a swarm box An empty hive is successful as a swarm trap only if it has the aroma of a bee nest. However, in some countries it is not allowed to deploy a used hive for this purpose, and only new hives are allowed to be used as swarm traps. To catch a swarm, the swarm box should: • have a volume of 30 to 60 litres, • have an entrance hole towards the south with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm2, • be treated inside with bee balm or a pheromone to attract a swarm, • be hung in a tree, around 5 m above ground, or on a flat roof, • be placed at a distance of at least 800 m from the mother colony, in order to catch its own swarms.
To anticipate swarming
There are different possibilities to artificially imitate the swarming
Includes Queen cell Bees
Includes Queen or queen cell Brood
process, as far as possible: • Brush around 1-2 kg of bees into a new hive with frames or top-bars and starter strips. • Add the old queen (if you are anticipating a primary swarm) or a virgin queen, or a queen-
Large number of spor
cell ready for emerging. • Cut out all queen cells in the mother colony, except one, or anticipate more after-swarms. • Place the artificial swarm nucleus around 2 km distant from the mother colony.
Checklist
Yes
Only swarms that are easy to reach are collected. Swarms are trapped only in new hives. Colony multiplication is done either by natural swarming or anticipated swarming 6
No
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Even during an outbreak of American Foulbrood (AFB) disease, bees carry far less foulbrood spores than the infested brood. The bees can heal themselves only in swarms or in created nuclei without brood (anticipated swarm). The same is true regarding Varroa mites. At the start of the spring season in Germany more than 90% of the Varroa mites are located in the brood. By the interruption of breeding, the number of mites in the swarm or the nucleus can be reduced considerably. Moreover, mite multiplication is also interrupted for some days in the mother colony.
anticipate swarming and create a nucleus colony
lony In a honey bee colony that swarms, the brood comb of the mother colony will retain the majority of any mites and/or spores. The bees in the swarm will carry a relatively small proportion of any mites and/or spores.
cells present
Photo © Vita (Europe) Ltd
Natural swarm
Queen present
es and/or mites
Small number of spores and/or mites Varroa mites on unsealed larvae Left: A queen and worker bees. When a colony swarms, it is the old queen that takes the risk of leaving with half the workforce, to fly to a new nest site and to establish a new colony. They run the risk of the journey, of the new nest site being suitable, and of being able to find adequate forage over subsequent days and weeks to begin successful brood rearing.
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Interview
Ms Luz Zarsuela Gamba entrepreneurial keeper of stingless bees in Sorsogon Province in the Philippines made you become Q What interested in bees? I am worried that not enough people are aware of bees, and 12 years ago I noticed that slash and burn farmers were destroying stingless bee nests. did you get started with Q How your bee business? I began in 2003 with 38 colonies of European Apis mellifera honey bees, however they did not do well in this climate. did you change from Q Why European bees to stingless
bees? I was recommended to try working with indigenous, stingless bees by Professor Cleo Cervancia of University of the Philippines Los Banos, and by Mr Tio Ompong Palconitin - he was the ‘father’ of beekeeping with stingless bees here, and invented this coconut
shell method of housing them. In 2004 I obtained five colonies of stingless bees, and I asked slash and burn farmers to bring them to me: I bought 30 this way at first, but still every year I pay for every colony brought to me by a slash and burn farmer, and now 1000’s of colonies have been rescued in this way. We also now divide colonies.
Q
How many colonies do you have today? We currently have 2,400 colonies – we lost many during Typhoon Nona in December 2015.
happened! I have experienced a 50% increase in coconut harvest and my neighbours say the same. The bees have had a significant effect. products do you Q What harvest? We harvest pollen, propolis and honey. do you harvest the Q How pollen? We remove a coconut shell and
are the forage sources Q What for these bees? Natural forest and coconut plantations you think the presence Q Do of all these stingless bee
colonies has improved the coconut harvest? This is the best thing that
Colonies of stingless bees are housed in coconut shells and protected from sun and rain by a white painted metal roof 8
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take out the contents. We take out yellow-brown lumps of pollen from the bees ‘pots’ that are made of cerumen. We then scatter the contents in partial shade: the bees come and collect the cerumen and take it back to their hive. They do not take the pollen back. After the pollen is dry – about three days, we package it in bags and sell to wholesaler buyers. We harvest bout 230 kg each year. do you harvest the Q How propolis?
that it would come to this! We also give pride to this community and indeed to our Province – this was not expected. We are now on Trip Advisor, so we have passed the standard! advice would you give Q What to anyone who wants to do as you have done? You need passion and patience and willingness to learn. I have attended every possible seminar,
We just wash it with water and dry it. We harvest about 180 kg each year. much honey do you Q How harvest? We harvest about 750kg per year – we pack in 25 kg containers. is next for Balay Q What Buhay Sa Uma Bee Farm? My staff work with honesty and care, and so many visitors are coming to see us, from all over the world. My plan was just to protect the environment – I did not expect
Photo © Bees for Development
Yields of coconut have increased by 50% due to optimal pollination by the stingless bees
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local and international, and I learn everything I can. I want to recreate forest, planted with indigenous trees, and labelled for the next generation. I do not want a single bee to be killed. I wish to establish a training centre – this is my legacy for the next generation – to save bees and to save their lives! One colony of Tetragonula biroi Friese housed in coconut shells
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
1-4 February in the Philippines
This Symposium was masterminded by two dynamic women: Professor Cleo Cervancia and her team at University of the Philippines Los Banos, and Ame Locsin, President of BEENET Philippines. Two days of Symposium papers and discussion took place in Tagaytay City, followed by a well organised day of field work with stingless bees within Makiling Botanic Garden near to University of the Philippines.
Photo © Bees for Development
Apimondia International Symposium on Ind
Joel Magsaysay of Ilog Maria Bee Farm in Luzon
Professor Cleo Cervancia, President of Apimondia Commission for Asia
Ame Locsin, Chair of Organising Committee
A e
Keepers of stingless bees
Khaerul Umur from HDI, Indonesia 10
In
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
digenous Bees
The roof of the arena at Ilog Maria Bee Farm
A colony of Tetragonula biroi Friese. These stingless bees build elaborate structures of cerumen around the hive entrance
nside the stingless bee nest
Nur Adilah from Malaysia 11
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
Propolis or ‘bee glue’ is a generic name for the resinous substance collected by bees from plants and used within the bees’ nest. It is a heterogeneous mixture of many substances collected, transformed and used by bees to seal holes, to line the internal walls of their nest cavity (tree or hive), and to protect the entrance against intruders. The word propolis means ‘defence of the city’ – derived from the Greek words ‘pro’ (meaning in front of) and ‘polis’, (meaning the city). It has an accepted role in direct defence against parasites and pathogens in a bee colony. Bees make use of both the mechanical properties of propolis and of its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Typically, propolis is coloured dark brown, although it can be yellow, green, grey or red. The chemical composition varies depending on the region and floral sources. Propolis collected by different
Photos © Bees for Development
Propolis
bee species in the same region also vary. The three top-producer countries of propolis in world trade are China, Brazil and Russia. The market size of propolis products in Japan was recorded at about US$ 3 billion in 2009.
How do bees collect propolis? Resin is collected from the sticky protective layer around tree-buds and from plant exudates following a wound to the plant. The bee bites off scraps of plant resin with her mandibles and packs them into the corbiculae (pollen baskets) on her hind legs. Each corbicula can carry about 10 mg of propolis. Because of its stickiness, propolis gathering is a slow business: it can take an hour to fill both baskets. Back at the nest, unloading can take another hour. Propolis is only collected when the temperature is above 18°C. Sometimes bees collect man-made materials and use these in the same way as ‘real’ propolis. For example, bees will collect drying paints, road tar or varnish. Presumably to bees, these substances have a consistency and strong odour similar to plant resins.
Do all honey bees collect propolis? No: Apis cerana, the Asian hive bee, does not use propolis. Different races of Apis mellifera use propolis to different extents: Apis mellifera caucasica is known for its high
A honey bee with the corbiculae on her back legs full of propolis
A beekeeper in Macedonia selling honey and propolis collection of propolis. Many stingless bee species also collect propolis.
How do you harvest propolis? To encourage bees to produce conveniently-sized propolis, place a perforated, plastic grid in the hive. This is a piece of plastic with small holes - not more than 6 mm. The bees will seal up the slots with propolis. Take out the grid and put it in a freezer. When cold enough, flexing the sheet will cause the propolis pieces to drop out. It might be possible to harvest 50 g per hive per season this way.
What do bees use propolis for? • Apis mellifera honey bees use propolis to keep their homes dry, cosy and hygienic. The propolis coating makes the walls of their nesting place waterproof and draught-proof. Propolis is used to seal up any cracks or gaps where micro-organisms could flourish. The volatile oils in propolis must serve as a kind of antiseptic airfreshener. • As a building material to decrease the size of nest entrances, and to make them smooth for passing bee traffic. • A thin layer is used to varnish the rim of brood cells before the queen lays eggs into them. • To embalm bodies of mice or other predators too large for them to eject from the nest: these
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would otherwise decay and be a source of infection. • Apis florea, one of the Asian honey bee species deters enemies by using rings of propolis (like grease bands) to coat the branch from which its single-comb nest is suspended.
Propolis for bee health Studies have investigated the chemical components of propolis that could be used to treat human diseases, yet there is a surprising lack of information on the importance of propolis in regards to bee health. Studies on the effect of propolis on the reproductive success of Varroa destructor in field colonies suggest that propolis treatments may reduce the number of mature females produced in a single cell, and propolis extracts have been shown to cause larval mortality of wax moth. Cape honey bees have been observed encapsulating the parasitic small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, in ‘propolis prisons’ which prevent the beetles from reproducing. The majority of studies relating to the effectiveness of propolis have investigated propolis versus the bee pathogen
Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood. Results suggest treated colonies show a reduction in number of diseased bee larvae.
Medicine for humans Propolis is used by many societies for its therapeutic properties. Considerable research has been done on the biological properties of propolis including • antibiotic • antitumour (used in the treatment of cancer) • antioxidative (inhibits oxidation of molecules that can lead to cell damage) • anti-inflammatory Propolis is used as an ingredient in mouthwash products and toothpastes and also in cough syrups, oral pills, lozenges, ointments, lotions and vitamins. Propolis products are often sold as health-giving products but in many countries it is not permitted to sell propolis as a medicine nor make medicinal claims. Propolis cannot be used as a crude material. It must be purified by extraction with adequate solvents, to remove unwanted material,
Propolis tincture – the most common solvent is 70% ethanol whilst preserving the active components. There is great interest in trying to standardise the product, and develop internationally-accepted quality control techniques. Yet the heterogeneity of the product makes this difficult. Progress has been made with standardising the propolis derived from poplar trees from Europe, Asia and Americas. Another area of research work is to connect a particular chemical propolis type to a specific type of biological activity for formulating recommendations for practitioners.
References Miguel, M.G. and Antunes, M.D. 2011. Is propolis safe as an alternative medicine? Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences. 2011 Oct-Dec; 3(4): 479–495. Matsuka, M. 2009. Diversity of propolis: Production, preparation and consumption. Paper presented at 41st Apimondia Congress, Montpellier. Popova M.P., Bankova V.S., Bogdanov S., Tsvetkova I., Naydenski C., Marcazzan G.L., Sabatini A.G. 2007. Chemical characteristics of poplar type propolis of different geographic origin. Apidologie Volume 38, 306–311.
Stingless bees collect a lot of propolis for nest building. One way to harvest propolis from stingless bees is to build a door at the side of the hive and gradually open it – leaving just a small crack each time. The bees will quickly fill the gap with propolis which can then be harvested. These stingless bees are Meliponula nebulata. The picture shows the hive with door fully open. 13
Simone-Finstrom, M. and Spivak, M. 2010. Propolis and bee health: the natural history and significance of resin use by honey bees. Apidologie. Volume 41, 295-311.
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
AAA Conference – Jeddah, April 2016 Photos © Bees for Development
The 13th Asian Apiculture Association Conference was held in April in Saudi Arabia – the first time for this Conference to be held in an Arab member country, and smoothly organised by the Bee Research Chair of King Saud University. The Conference was attending by people from 35 countries, presenting talks and participating in the trade show. Top-right: President of AAA, Prof. Siriwat Wongsiri (centre) with Secretary General Dr. Chen Li-Hong (left) and Professor Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, supervisor of the Abdullah Bugshan Chair for Bee Research at King Saud University Centre left: Keeper of local, indigenous bees, Mr Ahmed Abid Orabi, presents his company, Orabi Honey Centre right: An Eritrean beekeeper living and working in Saudi Arabia, selling honey comb from local style hives Below left: The trade event was held in the elegant surroundings of Jeddah Hilton Hotel Below right: Mr Zuher Fatami is another keeper of indigenous bees – he can identify four separate types of local bees, which he manages in simple cylindrical hives. Honey harvested from these bees sells at premium price – maybe some of the most expensive honey in the world, retailing at prices of up to US$ 600 per kg.
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News Ethiopia
We are Boyo Association for Rural Development (BARUDEV). Our objective is to conserve nature through beekeeping. We very much appreciate reading Bees for Development Journal – we have learned so much and have passed on the information to rural beekeepers who cannot read and write. We need organisations to partner with for more skills and knowledge and it is only through your network we can have these partners. Please send us past issues of Bees for Development Journal. Chia Benard Ful Director of BARUDEV
Bees for development Ethiopia are working to reclaim an area of degraded land in Dangila, Amhara. In April 2016 the site was mapped using GIS and is estimated to be 73 ha. The reclamation process involves planting indigenous trees, protecting natural vegetation re-growth from cattle grazing, and constructing terraces to reduce water runoff and soil erosion. The local authorities will help formalise a local ban on cattle grazing during the reclamation process. More than 15,000 seedlings have been raised in the main nursery site and will be moved to temporary nurseries near the site to avoid transport problems during the rainy season.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A RESOURCE BOX FOR A FUTURE EVENT SEE BACK PAGE FOR DETAILS
Photo © Bees for Development Ethiopia
Cameroon
Tilahun Gebey, Director of Bees for development Ethiopia, in the area demarcated for reforestation
DR Congo Photos © CEPANKI
Training covered how to establish and maintain an apiary, honey harvesting and making candles and polish from beeswax.
Women in apiary at Kibati, Democractic Republic of Congo The Centre for Promotion of Beekeeping and Agriculture in North Kivu (CEPANKI) CEPANKI organised training for the benefit of beekeepers from all its sites, namely Rugari, Kinigi-
Kibabi, Luke and Kibati. Eighteen men and four women took part in the training meeting in February 2016. Participants said they were keen to apply their new knowledge for the benefit of their families. 15
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
News Nigeria
Rwanda
I wish to thank Bees for development immensely for the many assistances received over the years especially Bees for development Journal and Resource Boxes which have really boosted my activities as a beekeeper. Recently, my organisation Apifloral Resource was among the ten organisations awarded for giant strides in beekeeping and capacity building. We received the Local Raw Material Content Award from the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology at Abuja, Nigeria. I dedicate this award to Bees for development for all your assistance to me and my group. Emmanuel Ubeh CEO Apifloral Resource c/o Dept. of Agricultural Extension Federal University of Technology FUTO, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria Photos © Apifloral Resource
Thank you very much for your support via the information received from Bees for development Journal, I intiated the introduction of top-bar hives in the communities surrounding Nyungwe National Park with whom I work. I would like to thank you also on the behalf of the community I supervise. Vincent Hakizimana WCS Rwanda Programme, PO Box 1699, Kigali-Rwanda Photos © Vincent Hakizimana
Emmanuel Ubeh receives his award from the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology New beekeepers preparing to harvest honey
Honey harvest on its way to market
Apifloral Resource at the awards ceremony 16
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
News Tanzania
Photos © Joseph Ayengo
Thank you for the Bees for development Resource Box which you sent to us. I received the Resource Box one week ago – it was very helpful to the group and to me. We managed to make twelve top-bar bee hives using the information from the Journal. Seven hives have been occupied by bees already. Thank you a million times! Joseph Ayengo, Tanzania
Top-bar hive manufacture under way
LOOK AHEAD ARGENTINA 4th World Symposium on Organic Beekeeping Santiago del Estero, Argentina 6-10 September 2016 Further details apibio2016.com/en
TOBAGO 8th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress, plus pre-congress Queen Rearing Course and post-congress Africanised Bee Tour of Trinidad. 12-16 September 2016 Further details acboonli ne.com
RWANDA 5th ApiTrade Africa Event 21-26 September 2016 Kigali Further details apitradeafrica.org
Occupied top-bar hives in Tanzania
THE NETHERLANDS
SICAMM Conference - ‘The Dark Bee Project’ 20 - 23 October 2016 Lunteren Further details www.sicamm.org/ NextConf.html
TURKEY
5th International Mugla Beekeeping & Pine Honey Congress 1-5 November 2016 Fethiye, Mugla Further details muglacongress.org
TURKEY
APIMONDIA: 45th International Apicultural Congress 29 September – 4 October 2017, Istanbul Further details apimondia2017.org
UGANDA
Uganda National Honey Week 22 - 27 August 2016 Kampala More information www. tunadobees.org
To have your conference, workshop or meeting included here and on our website send details to Bees for development, address on page 2 17
LEARN AHEAD COSTA RICA
International course on bees and pollination 16-26 August 2016, Universidad Nacional Heredia Further details m.j.sommeijer@uu.nl
TANZANIA
BSc Beekeeping Science & Technology University of Dar es Salaam Further details coasft.udsm.ac.tz
UK
Strengthening livelihoods in developing countries through beekeeping 7 October 2016, Monmouth Sustainable beekeeping 8-9 October 2016, Ragman’s Lane Permaculture Farm Further details beesfordevelopment.org Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @BeesForDev
BOOKSHELF
Prices in US$ and € are approximate
Following the Wild Bees
The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting Thomas D Seeley 184 pages hardcover ISBN 978-0-691-17026-8 Princeton (May 2016) £17.95 If you read just one book this year – make it this one – for it is marvellous, packed full of new information. Tom Seeley is one of very few scientists studying honey bee colonies as they live in the wild - he has been researching honey bees living in the Arnot forest for over 40 years. The book is ostensibly about the fun to be had from the sport of bee lining – the craft of locating where a honey bee colony is living by successively catching and releasing bees, gradually following the bee line back to their nest. While describing this, Professor Seeley provides all sorts of interesting knowledge about bees that his research has revealed. For example, bees arriving to feed on sugar solution weigh 76 mg, and after they fill up and set off home, their weight has increased to 138 mg. Therefore, bees are carrying home payloads equal to 82% of their body weight. On the outward foraging trip, bees fly at 9.5 metres per second (20.8 miles per hour) while after loading up and on their way home, their speed understandably reduces to 6.7 metres per second (14.6 miles per hour). Much other excellent data is given about the abundance of wild colonies (only 2 -3 per square mile), how bees’ work is effectively balanced between foragers and food storers, clear explanation of how honey bees find their way, and how best to acquire wild colonies of honey bees by situating nest boxes of the right design in the right location during swarming season.
Thomas D. Seeley is the Horace White Professor in Biology at Cornell University, USA. We are very proud to have Professor Seeley as a Patron of Bees for development Trust.
WAYS TO PAY
Photos © Monica Barlow
Here in UK, it is often asserted that ‘there are no wild colonies of honey bees’. However, many of us know this to be wrong, and Professor Seeley explains how, even when the bee line is well established, it can still be extremely difficult to finally spot the honey bee colony nesting high in a tree - he describes the challenge of finding a nest entrance at 53 feet (16 metres) up a hemlock tree. He is confident that everyone can find wild colonies nesting in trees or buildings if they give bee hunting a try. Genetic analysis has proved that the population of wild honey bee colonies in Arnot forest is not bolstered by immigration from beekeepers’ colonies, and that this population suffered die off in the mid-1990’s: it seems that the colonies living today are derived from the handful of colonies that survived the arrival of Varroa around that time. This remarkable book is closed with a quote from Henry David Thoreau: “In wildness is the preservation of the world”.
Swarming ensures maintenance of genetically diverse and resilient honey bee populations
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Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
New Resources in Kiswahili We are pleased to announce that two of our most popular posters ‘Ten reasons why’ and ‘Bees make honey’ are now available in Kiswahili. These are available to purchase from our Online Store or can be requested as part of our Resource Boxes for community groups in developing countries.
Bottlingtanks Made of high quality stainless steel. All tanks come with a loose-fitting lid or with an airtight lid as an option. Capacity from 25 kg - 600 kg.
Solar Wax Melter For frames or comb. It has a strong wooden frame, insulating double window and a small tray for collecting the melted wax / honey.
Refractometer Measures water content in honey. Range: 12-25%. With automatic temperature compensation.
Honey Press Easy and effective way to press your honey. Made entirely of stainless steel. Holds approx. 9.5 L.
Honey Extractors Our modern tangential manual extractors. High quality machines at a very affordable price.
Packaging Many different sizes and shapes in both PET plastic and glas. Available with plastic and metal lids.
at Available om ienty.c www.sw ... for better honey
Swienty A/S
19
Hørtoftvej 16, Ragebøl DK-6400 Sønderborg Tel. +45 74 48 69 69
www.swienty.com Fax + 45 74 48 80 01 shop@swienty.com
Bees for development Journal 119 June 2016
Have you seen our new-look website? With market research data suggesting that hand-held devices such as smart-phones and tablets have overtaken desktop and laptop computers as the preferred method of accessing online digital media, we have embarked on a complete review and refresh of our website. Phase 1, containing updated information about our core purpose and objectives was launched at the beginning of May with a new Online Store and a completely redesigned online Resource Area to follow. If you have comments about the new site please get in touch by email at info@ beesfordevelopment.org
SUPPORT FOR TRAINING Bfd Training Booklets and Training Cards are for use by beekeeper trainers in Africa Each booklet provides one day of training on one topic. The cards provide pictures and plans illustrating techniques discussed in the booklets. These are included in our Resource Boxes for training events and workshops. Projects and associations in developing countries are welcome to apply for a Sponsored Resource Box by filling out an application form on our website, or request the form by email. Projects in other areas can purchase Resource Boxes through our website store.
www.beesfordevelopment.org
SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE This Journal is available for resource-poor beekeepers, projects, schools and groups in developing countries Supported with funds raised by Bees for development Trust Name................................................................................................. What is your involvement with bees and beekeeping? ......................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................... Organisation ..................................................................................... Postal address................................................................................... ......................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................... Country............................................................................................. E-mail address................................................................................... Date of application............................................................................. Additional copies of this form are available from our website Email journalrequest@beesfordevelopment.org Post to Bfd Trust at the address below
Bees for development, 1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth NP25 3DZ, UK Telephone +44 (0)1600 714848 info@beesfordevelopment.org www.beesfordevelopment.org © Bees for development 2016 ISSN 1477-6588 Printed on environmentally friendly paper
