RK He
Ke
has
beekeeper
of
method
HH
HH
using newspaper to make a If smoker fuel. useful sheets of newspaper are used burn up in smokers they quickly producing hot smoke The for a short period. is of ideal smoker fuel course
cool long
smoke
produced
period, and achieved by can be into a pulp newspaper making or papier maché. into a Shred newspaper bucket of water and leave over
a
HH
this
HH
a
developed
it for 10 days, stirring produce occasionally to Obtain a a soft mush.
plunger,
finally
and
HH
HH
push the compacted After from the pipe. pulp the pulp has. dried thoroughly it is ready for use. this of The advantages material are: 1) it gives a
HS
non-irritant
smoke and
does
not deposits; produce tar well; alight 2) it stays be can it and 3) and extinguished with water Use reused after drying. a length of ignited newspaper to get the material burning. (Ken
of
division Reed, Epsom the Surrey Beekeepers!
Association)
KR
Beekeepers should never When you are
1. You
HE
a
HH
with
mix
HH
tube with an internal diameter slightly smaller than the smoker and fill it with the pulp. Press the water out of the
HH
of
piece
KK
KR
forget:
beekeeper:
a
support forestaticn:
if
furniture source.
use
for
otherwise barren land: beekeeping is often viable in rocky areas is where other cultivation impossible.
3. You develop the beauty of areas
by
providing flowering plants. a
5. You create employment for
blacksmiths and carpenters
tailors, (manu-
facturing beekeeping clothing
and
equipment). 6. You play an important role in the
production
of your bees.
John Kaddu, Uganda
keep bees locally using pots made of mud, old buckets sealed nicely, and trunks of trees into which | drill large holes. Mult made from millet or maize is ground, some water is added to it and sprinkled inside the container. This usually gives a good smell and within 12 hours bees are attracted into the container. This container is placed on a tree far from houses in an area with plenty of flowering plants. A good source of water is important. Adongo A Daniels, Central Veterinary Laboratory, PO Box 97, Tamale, Ghana. I
Honeybees in mole holes
of
most woodland and grassland bees
are being destroyed by bush fires every year and colony numbers are decreasing. In Ethiopia, in the savanna grass and woodland area called Assosa, some colonies of bees can be seen living in the ground in preference to the traditional hives hung high up in trees. believe that this is to avoid strong winds. Bees in this area placed in Zander* hives give good results if seasonal routine work is done, according to the colony's needs: the results are best when the hive is placed with protection from wind on all sides, rather than in the open field or in trees. The holes in the ground taken over by the bees are made by moles and other similar animals which live under ground and excavate their holes. The colony enters the hole when it is empty and inhabit it from November to April. |
valuable food for or increased income both for yourself and perhaps for your country by the export of bee products.
increased
interest that I read about the discovery and introduction of Apis florea to the Khartoum area of Sudan. Some people may take it as a blessing in the short term, but we as beekeeping people will in the long run be the victims of the situation. In your Newsletter No 11 (November 1987) I noted with great appreciation the ideas of DrRobert Whitcombe which I strongly support. The idea of having A. florea in Sudan, be it naturally or accidentally imported, is nearly the same as importation of old beekeeping equipment or bees from an infected area. In my opinion the A. florea colonies in Sudan should be completely destroyed with immediate effect if we really want to keep bee disease out of this Eastern Region of Africa. Paul Y Nnyiti, PO Box 370, Handeni, Tanzania.
In
2. You provide an economical
pollinated crops
Apis florea in Sudan
you
plant trees for your bees they provide tomorrow's shade, fuel and
4. You provide your family
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR It was with
HH
English
An
FUEL
HH
HH
SMOKER
insect-
grown in the area
WN
Ny
SN
They leave the holes from the end of April to the middle of May when the start of the rains leads to the chance of flooding. I will be grateful to have your views and other beekeepers’ experiences of bees living underground in holes. Wolde Medhin Fita, Box 450, Jimma, Ethiopia. * (The Zander hive, named after its inventor Professor Enoch Zander is a top- opening, movable-frame hive, widely used in Central Europe. Ed) would like to correspond with beekeepers interested in development beekeeping. At this mission we have 15 Tanzanian top-bar hives and try to encourage local people to start with bees using the methods advocated in ‘The Beekeeping Handbook’ by Bernhard Clauss. I
Peter H Murless, Kwa Zainokuhle Diaconic Centre, PO Box 108, Estcourt 3310, South Africa. Beekeeping in Nigeria: Mrs Marieke Mutsaers, International! Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Oyo Road, PMB 5320, Ibadan, would like to contact and visit other beekeepers in Nigeria. Please send your address to her.
QUESTIONNAIRE Grateful thanks to ail who have completed the questionnaires and returned them to IBRA during the past six months. The responses we have received are currently being analysed. Your comments are very much appreciated and will ensure that your requests and suggestions are considered as far as possible. |
Thank you again for your help. Nicola Bradbear 11
