Honey collecting in the forests of Malaysia

The large, single comb nests of the giant honeybee, Apis dorsata, are found high in the trees of Malaysia’s tropical forests. Plundering the honey from these nests is a skilled and dangerous operation. This is the work of the honey collectors.

A meeting to document information on this traditional honey collecting was held at Universiti Pertanian Malaysia following on from the meeting on Apis cerana. This was certainly a unique event with honey collectors being brought from remote Villages throughout Malaysia to the University where for three days they were encouraged to describe their craft, and discuss the problems they face. The meeting Was conducted in the Bahasa language and experts including apicultural scientists, Sociologists and ethnographers were kept busy recording as honey collectors described their collecting methods, the traditional songs and the customs and taboos connected with the craft.

Much information, most of it previously quite unknown, was gathered during the course of the meeting. Customs vary from one region to another, but most honey collectors operate as follows: during daylight hours a bamboo ladder is constructed from the base of the chosen ‘bee tree’ towards the crown (most bee trees are well over 60 m high). After nightfall the honey collectors climb the partly constructed ladder and continue building it towards the A. dorsata nests which are to be plundered: this process may take several hours with additional pieces of bamboo, rope and nails being sent up to the men as necessary, using a pulley system operated from the ground. When the honey collector has managed to move into position near an A. dorsata nest, a bundle of reeds is lit and this flaming torch is used to allow the collector to plunder the nest. The burning reeds are knocked on the branch from which the nest hangs. As the burning embers fall to earth (and amidst chanting to entreat the bees to leave the nest) the honey collector is able to approach the nest and, if all goes well, break off the honeycomb and deposit it in a collecting bucket. The rest of the nest is thrown to the ground. It is likely that the use of the burning torch causes guard bees to be attracted towards the sparks and follow the embers as they fall down to the ground below the tree, thus leaving the nest temporarily unguarded.

Some bee trees may be home to 20 or more nests of A. dorsata and by plundering all of these nests the honey collectors could obtain honey to a value in excess of US$1000.

Honey collecting therefore plays an important part in the economy of forest dwellers, but with half a million acres of forest still being cleared every year in Malaysia, it is obvious that populations of A. dorsata are being depleted. During the course of the meeting honey collectors considered the future survival of the bees: they were encouraged to remove only honeycomb when collecting, and as far as possible to leave brood comb intact.

The meeting served a most useful purpose in allowing traditional honey collecting practices to be documented. This is an essential step in helping the honey collectors and in trying to ensure that A. dorsata colonies and their habitat are given the protection they require. The organisers of the meeting and the sponsor, IDRC of Canada, are to be congratulated for their hard work and foresight.