Bees for Development Journal 140
September 2021
Dear friends Wild bees and trees
nesting places for honey bee colonies is highlighted by our work with the BfD Bee Houses, and on page 18 we review Jonathan Powell’s new book in which he describes his invention during lockdown of making a nesting box for honey bees from a couple of wooden pallets, and noticing how very rapidly such a bee house is occupied during the swarming season - indication perhaps of the dearth of good nesting places for honey bees. Studies on the genetics of honey bee populations in the south and western states of USA show that it is wild colonies which maintain the high genetic diversity needed for bees to survive and thrive. And it’s not just bees that need tree cavities, so do birds and mammals, and many other species that depend on the safe refuge offered by holes in trees. Ancient trees cannot be replaced or replanted except for future generations far ahead. By then the earth might be healing itself from what we have done to it.
Recently social media has strengthened debate between beekeepers and people who care for ‘wild bees’. However as Paolo Fontana mentions in his article (opposite), this is a false narrative – honey bees are wild bees, and more bee species beyond honey bees are being exploited, and deserve our greater care too There are still places on earth where trees and people live together in harmony and one of these is north west Zambia – on pages 10-13 Janet Lowore considers the (poorly understood by outsiders) sustainable use of the bark of trees in miombo woodland to make bee hives. For natural ecosystems to survive and thrive, the local community needs to be at the heart of protection efforts, and the beekeepers in this region are guardians of honey bees and of the forest too. Healthy ecosystems contain ancient areas with complex natural architecture. Honey bees need giant trees with big cavities to safely insulate and accommodate a honey bee colony throughout the years. Every ancient tree is hugely precious, a keystone species containing hundreds of other species across many genera - living in it and dependent on it. An ancient tree and the life it supports are not replaced by planting hundreds of saplings – except over centuries. This lack of suitable
In this issue
page
Bee conservation is not ‘child’s play’............................. 3 Propolis – from nuisance to new medicine...................... 7 Worldwide Propolis Survey...... 8 Bark hive beekeeping and forest maintenance – Part I......10 Beekeeping development in Mongolia.................................14 News.......................................16 Look Ahead.............................17 BfDJ Hub Update.....................17 Bookshelf................................18 Comment clarifer la cire d’abeille/Processing beeswax.................................20 BfD Connect............................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 £30 per year – see page 19 for ways to pay
Bees for Development Works to assist beekeepers in developing countries. Readers in developing countries may apply for a sponsored subscription. Apply online at www.beesfordevelopment.org Bees for Development Trust gratefully acknowledge: Artemis Charitable Trust, Bees for Development North America, Briogeo, British Wax Refining Co Ltd, Charles Hayward Foundation, Didymus Charity, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd, Ethiopiaid, Euromonitor International, Eva Crane Trust, Healing Herbs, Hiscox Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund UK, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Nelsons Homeopathic Pharmacy, Rowse Honey Ltd, UK Aid Direct, Wales and Africa, Waterloo Foundation, Welsh Government, Yasaeng Beekeeping Supplies and many other generous organisations and individuals. Copyright: You are welcome to translate and/or reproduce items appearing in Bees for Development Journal as part of our Information Service. Permission is given on the understanding that the Journal and author(s) are acknowledged, our contact details are provided in full, and you send us a copy of the item or the website address where it is used.
Image © Rogers Wasibi
Issue 140 September 2021
Nicola Bradbear, Director Bees for Development
Cover image: Beeswax at its best – beekeeper Aidah Anyango from the Mount Elgon Coffee and Honey Cooperative, Mbale, Uganda agrees! Our training module Processing beeswax is now available in French – see page 20
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