Centre has been able to train not only individual beekeepers but also national programme organisers. The beekeeping programme in Ghana provides training for beekeepers of all ages including schoolchildren and old people, and women as well as men. In all the APU has shown the way of medern beekeeping to over 3500 People. It is also interesting to note that many people who have never attended a beekeeping course are also keeping bees in Kenya top-bar hives (KTBH). Changes have been made to the original KTBH in response to complaints received from beekeepers. Lizards, ants Some wasps and other hive predators like the Acherontia atropos have led to the hive entrance being redesigned to keep out any hive predator with a wingspan of over 12 cm. Ghana’s KTBH has 27 top-bars and is usually built with odum wood (Choronew stand has been Phora excelsa). Made which can be dismantied and reassembled in seconds. While the KTBH Serves it purpose well, it does not enable the full potential of beekeeping to be exploited. The main drawback is that during harvesting the combs, as well as the honey are taken, so that the bees have to build new combs before they can start producing honey again. Therefore there is a long delay before the next harvest. In 1986, the APU decided to switch Over to the Langstroth hive which allows the beekeeper to harvest honey without damaging combs. The Langstroth hive tequires some machine work to cut the frames, but after that the beekeeper can assemble it, thus reducing manufacturing cost. The Langstroth hive used in Ghana is not identical to that used in Europe and America. The frames are fixed with stoppers so that little sticks can be used to seal off gaps between the frames. This enables the beekeeper to open the lid of the hive without the tisk of attack by bees leaving from the top of the hive. To date, more than 400 Modified Langstroth hives have been produced, The tropical African honeybee has two major characteristics which distinguish it from bees in Europe and elseWhere: it is aggressive and it absconds frequently, sometimes with only the slightest provocation. Aggressiveness is a minor problem compared with absconding. The time has now come to support research into ways of overcoming the Problem of absconding, using the exPertise of Africans themselves, gained from their experience of working with the African bee. Stephen Adjare, Ghana Bee News, 27, 1989 A
LOOKING AHEAD Please note that if you are planning a beekeeping event and you want details to appear in this column it is important that you send information to the Editor of the Newsletter well in advance of the planned date.
BELGIUM
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
International Symposium on Recent Research on Bee Pathology. 5-7 September 1990, Gent. Further details from: Professor Dr O van Laere, Research Station for Nematology and Entomology, Van Gansberghelaan 96, B-9220 Merelbeke, Belgium.
Fifth International Conference on Apiculture in Tropical Climates. Provisional dates 7-12 September 1992, University of the West Indies. Further details from: International Bee Research Association, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK.
CHINA
UK
XIX International Congress of Entomology.
28 June
4 July 1992, Beijing. Further details from: Professor Z L Zhang, Secretary-General, XIX International Congress of Entomology, 19 Zhongguancun Lu, Beijing 100080, China. Telex: 222337 ICCST CN; Fax: —
(861) 2565689.
INDIA 11th International Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. 5-11 August 1990, Bangalore. Further details from: The Secretary, 11th Congress of IUSSI, Department of
Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bangalore 560 065, India.
NETHERLANDS Sixth International Symposium on Pollination, under the auspices of International Commission for Plant Bee Relationships. 27-31 August 1990, Tilburg. Further details from: The Sixth International Symposium on_ Pollination, Ambrosiusweg 1, 5081 NV, Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands.
THAILAND International Symposium of Asian honeybees and bee mites. Chulalongkorn University in association with USAID and USDA.
10-14 February 1992, Chulalongkorn. Further details from: Dr Siriwat Wongsir, Bee Biology Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
Important Announcement
8th Royal Show International Symposium: The Contribution of the Honeybee to Agriculture and the Countryside. 4-10 July 1990.
The organisers have advised that this Symposium is now
us
cancelled.
Annual General Meeting of the International Bee Research Association. 1 September 1990 at 1415 hours, Pershore College of Horticulture, Worcester. Further details from: International Bee Research Association, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK.
The Behaviour and Physiology of Bees. — The Royal Entomological Society of London and the International Bee Research Association. 11-12 July 1990, London. Further details from IBRA, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK. The Meeting will consist of four main sessions: Environment within the hive; Communication; Foraging behaviour,
Joint Colloquium
Neurobiology.
YUGOSLAVIA
International Workshop and Symposium on standard quality of bee products, bee diseases and residues. 24-26 May 1990, Ohrid. Further details from: The Organizing Committee, (Beekeeping Union of Macedonia), 91000 Skopje, PO Box 7, ul Dame Gruev 28/lll, Yugoslavia.
Congress of ApiculAPIMONDIA. 30 September — 5 October 1991. Further details from: Poslovna Zajednica ZA, Pcelarstvo Jugoslavije, Bulevar 17a 11070 Beograd, Yugoslavia. XXxXiIll International
ture
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This Newsletter is edited by Dr Nicola Bradbear with assistance from Heten Jackson, at the International Bee Research Association. Two editions of the Newsletter are published each year and are distributed free of charge to those in developing countries involved with beekeeping. The purpose of this Newsletter is to provide a forum for exchange of information; if you have a good idea then why not share it with others? If you are involved in beekeeping development then IBRA is always interested to hear of your work. Also if you have any enquiries about beekeeping and the information you need cannot be obtained locally then write to IBRA and we will try to help you. This Newsletter and the Information Service offered by !BRA to beekeepers in developing countries is funded by the UK Overseas Development Administration. If you know of another beekeeper who would benefit from access to this Newsletter or the information service provided by IBRA then his/her name can be added to our mailing list if they write to us. If your address has changed then please return the mailing label together with your new address.
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