Bees for Development Journal Edition 17 - November 1990

NOVEMBER

for heekeepers in =

SOLD 1989

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OruANhiC HONEY AND BEESWAX Traditional beekeepe rs using hives made from local materials produce large quantities of honey and wa) in the forests of Africa and elsewhere. Until recently the honey from these traditione beekeepers has been considered poor quality on the export ., “we... market. However horbey from Africa is now starting to establish a unique place in the major European mai kets due to its special characteristics.

A breakthrough c ame when Bob Malichi of North Western Bee Products, Kabompo, Zambia was invited to the Rainforest Harvest Conference (see ‘Fruits of the «

ev

|

forest’).

During this Confer ence much interest was shown by companies looking for pure organic products in he honey and wax samples brought by Mr Malichi. As these samples were produc ed from fixed-comb traditional hives in a large area of essentially natural vegetat ion, there was no possibility of contamination from sugar feeding, use of antibi otics or other hive medicines, or spraying of nectar-producing plants with agro-cher icals. » 10 °

HERBAL TREATMENT FOR VARROA

*

Colonies of Apis mellifera in Vietnam, as in so many other countries world-wide, are heavily infested by the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni. In this article a Vietnamese beekeeper describes a method of treating Varroa using plants which are widely available.

have checked the effectiveness of using the leaves of Eupatorium stacchadosmun and Cymbopogon nardus to control Varroa. hope the method can be apptied by beekeepers to keep colonies strong. The great advantage is that this method avoids the use of chemicals which harm bees and contaminate bee products. |

|

Method

Two equal portions (two handfuls) of Eupatorium (young shoots and leaves) and Cymbopogon (cut into 7-10 cm pieces) are mixed. This mixture is spread on the bottomboard of an empty hive with all frames removed. After this the frames with bees are replaced. It is advisable to leave a larger comb-space than normal to allow air containing the scents of the plants to circulate. The bees react immediately

to the smell by fanning. The next day we check the colony and sweep the dead mites from the bottom-board.

If this method is combined with a biological method of mite control then colony strength can be increased quickly.

P&3

THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST NEWSLETTER! From 1991 the Newsletter will be available on subscription. Further details inside. tame

BR

100% recycled paper

International Bee Research Association

ISSN 0256-6426

Dear Friend

Starting in 1991 the Newsletter will be published four times a year. It will provide you with more news, more frequently. To continue receiving the Newsletter you must send the subscription now.

The subscription charge arises as a consequence of ODA’s new Strategy for Research on Renewable Natural Resources, which is removing core-funding from IGRA and other ODA core-funded associated bodies.

The purpose of the Newsletter is to provide information on low-cost sustainable beekeeping. Our concern is that the introduction of the subscription charge will mean that those who have greatest need no longer have access to the information. We are making every effort to keep costs as low as possible, and to keep payment methods simple. The annual subscription rate is We understand that readers in some developing countries will 10. have difficulty in obtaining foreign currency. However there is usually someone within a community who can arrange for UK payments to be made. If beekeepers form local groups to arrange payment and distribution, then we will send copies to one address, making these available at the reduced rate of 50 for ten subscriptions (ie 40 copies in all).

For those living where foreign exchange is totally unavailable, we may even accept payment by beeswax in lieu of currency! Find out how on page 3 .

Please complete and return the form on the back page of this issue. Our hope is that we will receive sufficient numbers of subscriptions to allow us to continue publication.

Please support us in this work.

Helen Jackson Assistant

Nicola Bradbear Editor PS: Don’t delay in sending your subscription will be removed from our mailing list.

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FRUITS OF THE FOREST London last summer a Conference with the theme “The Rainforest Harvest” was held. Delegates at the Conference received pots of Zambian honey distributed on behalf of North Western Bee Products Ltd by Bob Malichi and David Wainwright (see “Organic honey and beeswax”). Honey thus formed one example of a product which can provide an economic lifeline for forest dwellers.

In

Prince Charles attended the Conference. In his speech he drew attention to the fact that forest dwellers have often been the last on the list of those to profit from export crops. He told the Conference that benefits must go to local people, and called for the establishment of a system to pay for the use of forest resources.

A treat for delegates was “rainforest ice-cream” made from cupuaca and biriba, two fruits of the Amazon. These and other

fruits,

nuts and resins are being promoted by entrepreneurial environmentalists, trying to find sources of income alternative to timber for people living in tropical forests. With people in industrialised countries increasingly aware of environmental issues, such forest products could find an enthusiastic market.

HERBAL TREATMENT FOR VARROA (continued from page 1) Eupatorium stacchadosmun: Compositae. This herbaceous plant, often known as snakeroot, usually grows to 0.5-1.0 m in height.

The stem and leaves are very smooth and light violet in colour. The leaves stand in opposite pairs.

Cymbopogon nardus: Graminae. Also known as citronella or lemon grass, this perennial grass develops into bushes 0.8-1.5 m high. The root is white and light violet. The leaves are narrow and long like rice leaves, with rough edges. All parts of the plant give the special lemon aroma.

Conclusions 1. Every beekeeper in Vietnam can grow these two kinds of plants around the house. Compared with the cost of controlling parasitic mites in Apis mellifera colonies by chemicals (about 4-5$US per colony), the herbal method is much cheaper, and shows good efficiency.

2. Tropilaelaps clareae is not affected by this treatment, and further research is needed in this aspect.

3. Lemon grass can also be used in making soft drinks and is very good for the digestion. Eupatorium is a spice and the young sprout can be eaten fresh.

Baoléc, August 1990. Cong du Dien, Lamdong Beekeeping Company.

Pay your subscription in BEESWAX As mentioned on page 2, we understand that some beekeepers will face difficulty in obtaining foreign currency to pay their subscription for the Newsletter.

We are therefore willing to accept beeswax in payment, subject to the following conditions:

1. Beeswax must be reasonably clean and of good quality.

2. Beeswax must be presented in solid form (ie not as scraps of wax or pieces of

comb).

Eupatorium and Cymbopogon on the hive floor.

3. Beeswax from Apis mellifera is preferred. However beeswax from Asian species of Apis will be accepted as long as the species from which it is collected is clearly marked on the parcel. . Beeswax should be sent to IBRA, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK. On the inside of the parcel state your name and postal address, the weight and origin of the beeswax you are sending, and the number of Newsletter subscriptions you are paying for.

Mark on the outside of the parcel “BEESWAX RAW FOR IBRA” and the WEIGHT of beeswax in kilograms. . Any parcel containing comb, adulterated or very dirty wax or otherwise unusable wax will be destroyed on arrival at IBRA. It will not be returned to the sender, and will not be accepted for barter, neither will future beeswax received from the sender. . This beeswax barter system will operate for an initial period of 12 months. It will be extended only if successful and subscribers abide by these conditions. . Payment in beeswax is only available for subscriptions to developing countries and cannot be used for any other journal subscription or purchase from IBRA. . Arrangements for and costs of carriage of the beeswax to IBRA are the responsibility of the sender and IBRA will not be responsible for any postage or other costs whatsoever. Proof of postage is not accepted as proof as receipt. Ensure packaging used is adequate to endure the effects of travel.

TREE BEEKEEPING IN LAOSby

B

Khatri*

still retains 65% of its land avea covered by forest. The population is low and villages are so scattered that it takes a full day to walk from one village to another. The main activity of rural people is shifting cultivation (slash and burn agriculture) but the main source of income is from bee products. Beekeeping and honey hunting are practised in most of the country but the main area is in Sekong to the border with Kampuches and adisicina Victron. In most parts honey is collected from volonies of Province 67 the south Ay. 4 nesting ia the wild, without anu rine fide Laos

;

ny

4,

Opening the tree hole. Combs are visible inside.

The beekeeper making

a

four months before the swarming season.

The time taken to make holes depends on the tree species. If the trees are soft it may take three or four hours, but if the wood is very hard it may take a full day. The holes are 50 cm above ground level to protect them from becoming damp, and if the tree is growing on a slope then the hole is made on the side facing the slope. c. Wedging the holes. Holes are kept open for three or four months until they are well dried and there is no more oozing of sap. When the holes are dry and ready for bees to occupy them, the beekeepers almost completely seal the holes with mud, but leaving a small entrance hole. Bees never occupy the holes until they are partly closed.

hole for bees.

A special technique of “tree beekeeping’, totally different from traditional

pe no Spe ‘eae

beekeeping in other Asian countries, is widely practised in Sekong Province.

Instead of making hives, beekeepers simply form holes in the trunks of forest trees. Bees occupy the holes and build their nests, and subsequently all the combs with brood and honey are collected by the beekeeper. The practice is as follows: a. Selection of trees. Beekeepers use a wide variety of tree species but unfortunately the English and_ scientific

names are not available. The chosen species have dry timber and do not ooze sap. Bees will not occupy holes which are wet with sap. . Making holes in tree trunks. Only one hole is formed in each tree and the size of hole varies with the size of the tree. As the tree grows the hole also gets bigger. The average hole size is 50 cm long, 25cm wide and 25cm deep. The hole is formed using a long axe. Holes are formed in September and October, three to

*

o

se

*

Combs within the tree hole.

4

:

oe

°F

‘4

he

d. Arrival of swarms. In most of Sekong

swarming occurs between December and January, but this varies with location.

e. Management. There are no special

Empty tree hole, before the opening is covered.

4

A well-closed tree hole. Bees are visible around the entrance on the left.

Management practices for this type of beekeeping. After bees occupy the holes the beekeepers visit them periodically to confirm the number of

Bears are the main honey and bee eaters. Bears destroy the whole tree trunk and eat the bees and honey. It is difficult to prevent this activity: if the nesting holes are made in trees too close to villages then bees do not occupy them, and if the bee nests are too far from the villages they are difficult to protect from bear damage.

j.

ants the beekeepers periodically inspect the holes. If mud is deposited they clear it away.

Wasps eat the bees but this is not so serious. People also eat the wasps and their brood and if they. find a wasp colony they take it, using smoke.

Honeybee diseases. No honeybee diseases have been observed.

Bidur Khatri is

age

tts, Taking out combs with

a

stick.

colonies and to protect them from enemies. f. Owning bee colonies. The number of bee colonies owned varies but at present it is reduced due to the lack of market for honey. The maximum number of colonies owned by one family is 200, with 50% of holes occupied by bees. g. Harvesting. The time of honey harvest depends on when bees occupied the holes, but beekeepers harvest honey around five months after occupation. There is no special equipment for honey harvesting.

Combs are taken out with a stick and all those with brood and honey are collected. Bees are brushed off with a small leafy branch.

In the evening the combs are sorted into those with honey or brood.

Combs with brood and pollen are eaten. Honeycombs are squeezed and the raw honey thus collected is stored for later sale. Wax is placed in a big bamboo container and melted on the fire or in a copper pan with hot

Using leaves to brush bees off the combs.

Red ants are serious enemies of bees. These ants deposit mud in the entrance of bees’ nests making it too small for bees to pass through. With the bees unable to move in or out of the nest they starve and the red ants eat bees and brood. To prevent these

Honeybee predators. Various honeybee predators are the main cause of low honey production:

United Nations Volun-

grated Rural Development Project financed and executed by UNDICD (United Nations Department for Techunical Co- operation for Development). The main objective of the project is to raise the standard of living of the minorities in Sekong Province.

~

Bees moving upwards and about to abandon a tree hole after all the combs have been removed by the beekeeper.

water.

After all the combs are removed the bees abandon the nest hole. There are no further food resources available locally (the rainy season has already started). The bees move towards the mountains, returning to the plains when winter comes. Thus the bees migrate and occupy new nest sites every year. h. Use of bee products. Honey is the main income source. Beekeepers sell most of their honey; some people use it as medicine, others to sweeten tobacco. Sometimes honey is mixed in the local alcohol and used in festivals. Wax cakes are sold in the market and used to make candles. i.

a

teer Specialist in Apiculture’, working since February 1989 on an Integrated Rural Development Project in Sekong Province, Southern Laos. Before coming to Laos he worked for 12 years in different beekeeping projects. The honeybee programme was started in 1989 and is one of the main activities of the Inte-

Wax and candles for sale in a Laos Market.

People enjoy eating the whole co mbst honey, pollen and brood.

As promised in Newsletter 16, further details of The Asian Apicultural Association are now provided:

The Constitution of the Asian Apicultural

Association — Name: The name of the organization shall be the The Asian Apicultural Association

ARTICLE

|

(AAA).

— Objectives: To promote the exchange of scientific and general information relating to all phases of honeybee sciences and apiculture in Asia and to encourage and assist international co-operation in the study of problems of common interest.

ARTICLE Il

— Co-operation: The AAA may co-operate with other Associations, Societies or Corporations to such extent as may be

ARTICLE I!l

necessary or desirable to fulfil the objectives of the AAA. ARTICLE IV — Official Language: The official language of the AAA shall be English.

ARTICLE V — Administrative Centre: The Institute of Honeybee Science, Tamagawa University.

ARTICLE VI

— Membership: Section 1. The Association shall consist of Individual, Group and Sustaining Members.

Section 2. Membership fee for an Individual Member is $20 per two calendar years, a Group Member $100 per two calendar years, a Sustaining Member is $300 per calendar year. Equivalent currency may be allotted to a chapter in a country.

Section 3. Any individual may become an Individual Member.

Any group or body may become a Group Member, and any individual, or body or firm may become a Sustaining Member, subject to the approval of their application by the Council of the Association and upon payment of the subscription.

Section 4. Members shal! be entitled to admission to all meet-

Asian Apicultural Association Verma, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal.

by LR

The major task of AAA is to act as an

information dissemination centre by publishing scientific and extension literature for the advancement of apiculture, primarily with Asiatic species of honeybees. This association will also act as a co-ordinating agency for sharing technology and its transfer for the development and promotion of apiculture. It will organise seminars, workshops, conferences, and monitoring tours, and provide beekeeping advisory services to government and non-government organisations in the region.

The Asian region is rich in bee resources with four or more species of honeybee. Among these the Asian hive bee Apis cerana resembles European Apis mellifera because it can be kept in hives. A. cerana has many valuable characteristics of biological and economic importance. These include a do-

6

—

ings of the Association, to vote, to take part in discussions and to receive the Newsletters.

ARTICLE Vil — Chapters: Members in each Asian country could consist one or more chapters(s) and pay his/her membership fee to the headquarters of the chapter.

ARTICLE Vill — Officers and Council: Section 1. The Officers of the Association shall be the President, two or three VicePresidents, Secretary General, Several Council Members (including subject section chairpersons) and Treasurer.

Section 2. The governing body of the Association shall be a Council, which shall consist of the contemporary Officers.

Section 3. The Council shall Teport at each ordinary General Meeting of the Association held during the biennial Conference (Article XI Section 2) on the work of the previous two years.

ARTICLE IX — Election or appointment of Officers: Officers shall be ejected at the Ordinary General Meeting of the Association held during the biennial Conference and shall hold office from the end of that Conference until the conclusion of the following biennial Conference. Officers other than President may be reelected for more than one term.

ARTICLE X

— Subject Sections: These are 1) Bee biology, 2) Bee

pathology, 3) Melliferous flora and pollination, 4) Beekeeping technology, 5) Bee products, 6) Beekeeping economy and 7) Apiculture extension.

ARTICLE XI — Conferences and General Meetings: Section 1. A full Conference of the Association shall normally be held every two years at such time and place as the Council shall direct.

Section 2. An Ordinary General Meeting of the Association shall be held during each biennial Conference.

Section 3. Local Conferences and special meetings may be arranged at the discretion of the Council.

ARTICLE XII — Publications: Newsletter as the Official Organ of the Association and special publications shail be published.

ARTICLE Xiil — Amendment: This Constitution may be amended at any General Meeting of the Association provided that any proposed amendment has been approved by the Council, that notice of the proposed amendment has been circulated by the Secretary General to members not less than one month prior to the meeting at which such amendment is to be considered and that it receives the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of those present, entitled to vote and voting.

Concepts and Challenges"

cile and industrious nature, being less prone to attacks from wasps, and high levels of resistance to noserna disease and parasitic Varroa jacobsoni and Tropilaelaps clareae that plague A. mellifera.

A. cerana can co-exist with other native bee species and requires least chemical treatment in control of epidemics. However, this native bee species has several difficult behavioural characteristics.

These include frequent swarming and absconding, a tendency to rob, the production of a large number of laying workers, and relatively low honey yields.

These negative traits vary with bee race and management efficiency.

There is a movement in Asia to import A. mellifera for commercial exploitation. Such introductions into northern India, the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, parts of China, Japan, and Thailand are the basis of flourishing beekeeping industries. The exotic bee species can produce more honey than native A. cerana and is more suited to management technology.

However, many importations of A. mellifera have proved disastrous because of its allopatric nature, the introduction of new diseases, and the presence of parasitic mites. There is now apprehension that importation of A. mellifera will lead to the decline of the A. cerana population in its native habitat to a level that threatens its extinction as a genetic resource. A. cerana is already a rare species in Japan and parts of China. Before this happens elsewhere a conservation strategy involving promotion of beekeeping with this native bee species must be adopted to maintain genetic diversity. Such strategies first require the exploration and evaluation of different sub species/races/ecotypes of the native species and then selective breeding, appropriate apiary management and research.

The genetic diversity of A. mellifera Tecognises 24 sub-species of varying economic usefulness. So far only three sub-species of A. cerana are recognised, although there may be more be-

cause

of

its

wide

geographic

distribution. The northern and high altitude sub-species/ecotypes of A. cerana are likely to yield valuable honeybee germplasm which may have commercial applications; this is possible not only throughout Asia but also in the western hemisphere where A. mellifera is threatened with parasitic bee mites and the spread of Africanized bees.

In south and south-east Asia, there are some countries where A. mellifera has not yet been introduced, and projects funded by national, bilateral and multinational donor agencies are attempting to improve beekeeping with

A.

cerana.

Unfortunately such efforts have not yielded satisfactory results. One obvious reason for the failure of these projects has been the unsuccessful transfer of western bee management technology and expertise to beekeeping with A. cerana. This species requires different management practices and equipment because of its nest building behaviour, colony cycle, temperature regulatory mechanisms, foraging, colony defence, smaller body size, and other behavioural characteristics. Some attempts have been made in India and China to improve the traditional methods of beekeeping A. cerana and in mountain parts of these countries A. cerana matches A. mellifera in honey production.

The ecological resources of the Asian Region offer great potential for the development of apiculture. It could become a “land of honey” with such ideal climatic conditions and diverse bee and floral resources, but this requires adequate original planning by policy makers and continuing commitment from the programmes. In many countries of the region apiculture is still a traditional household activity, the native hive bee is kept in traditional hives, and honey is harvested by squeezing the whole comb. It is then sold in pre-used containers without quality control.

Although beekeeping with A. cerana has been closely linked with the natural and cultural heritage, particularly of the Mountain communities, it has not yet developed on scientific lines as it has commercially with A. mellifera in several countries of the West. Several countries do not possess the basic infrastructure, skilled manpower, extension, and training facilities, or basic re-

search

programmes

for

the

advancement of apiculture. Scattered promotional efforts being made by different national and international agencies have not yielded the desired results.

It is hoped that the co-ordinated efforts of AAA will play a significant role in filling these gaps.

A T-shaped frame for queen rearing in Kenya top-bar hives

by J Woyke

LZ

T-shaped queen cell frame for Kenya top-bar hives.

Figure

1.

23

A: General view Central vertical bar of the fram C: Horizontal queen cell bar D: Wooden blocks attached to the cell bar.

B;:

Various designs of top-bar hives are used throughout Africa. The Kenya top-bar hive has sloping sides and contains top-bars instead of frames. It is easy to construct and offers some advantages over frame hives and traditional hives. It is very good for beekeepers switching from traditional beekeeping in hives with unmovable combs, to movable-comb hives. Control of the (sometimes) aggressive African honeybee is much easier in top-bar hives than in Langstroth ones. Because the top-bars are wide enough to touch each other, the bees cannot fly out of the top of the hive when the roof is taken off. When a top-bar is taken out from one side of the hive, the bees can be driven by smoke to the other side of the hive. During examination of combs only one open space exists at any time and the bees can be relatively easily controlled.

African bees vary greatly in their behaviour: there are aggressive ones and gentle ones, productive as well as unproductive ones, those with a high tendency to abscond and those with a low tendency, some that migrate, others that are stable, and so on. It is therefore advisable to rear queens from colonies with desirable characteristics. When queens are reared on a small-scale, emergency queen cells may be used, or Miller, Alley or other methods.

Modern methods of queen rearing involve the grafting of bee larvae into queen cups, which are attached to bars in a frame.

The rectangular frames used to rear queens in Langstroth hives do not fit into the trapezoid Kenya top-bar hive. Trapezoid frames should be constructed for such a hive, but it would be difficult and furthermore the three queen cell bars would be of different lengths and non-interchangeable.

Therefore a T-shaped queen cell frame with three horizontal bars for queen cells (Figure 1) has been developed. The bars are removable and can be exchanged.

The dimensions of the parts of the frame presented below must be adjusted for the hive you are using. The sizes given here are for a Kenya hive with internal dimensions: 28.0 cm deep, 44.5 cm wide at the top and 19.0 cm at the bottom.

The frame is constructed of wooden bars measuring 1.0 x 2.0 cm. The top-bar of the frame is 48.0 cm long ie the same length as all other bars of the hive. Another bar 23.0 cm long (Figure 1B) is nailed perpendicularly downwards in the middle of the top-bar. Three excisions 1.0x 1.0cm are cut in the vertical at a distance of 2.5m from the top-bar and then 6.0cm from each other (Figure 1B). Three horizontal bars; 39.0, 31.0 and 24.0 cm long are also prepared. An excision 1.0 x 1.0 cm is cut from one side in the middle of each bar (Figure 1C). The longest bar is put with its excision in the upper excision of the vertical bar, the middle bar in the middle excision, and the shortest in the bottom excision.

Queen cell cups may be fixed with melted wax directly to the horizontal bars, although it is more convenient to attach them first to small square blocks of wood.

The blocks 2.0 x 2.0 x 1.0 cm are cut from wooden bars 1.0 x 2.0 cm. Melted wax serves to fix both the queen cell cups to the blocks and the blocks to the bars (Figure 1D).

Several series of African queen bees (Apis mellifera adansonit) were reared using the frame in Ghana. The results were very good. It was easy to introduce mature queen cells or young queens into colonies, after the old or undesirable queens were removed. But problems occurred with mating nuclei, because most of them absconded. Therefore, it is recommended that to requeen colonies of African bees, it is best to replace with a mature queen cell or virgin queen, rather than with a laying queen, to avoid the problem of absconding by mating nuclei.

Professor Woyke is Head of the Bee Culture Division at the Agricultural University in Warsaw, Poland. Professor Woyke also undertakes beekeeping work in many countries on behalf of FAO, and has worked for some time with the Technology Consultancy Centre in Kumasi, Ghana.

-RACTICAL BEEKEEPING

A low-cost foundation press

Figure

1.

Embossed beeswax foundation sheet

by Rafiq Ahmad

A foundation press is one of the most not easily available to beekeepers in important components of frame hive beekeeping. They are manufactured in industrialised countries and therefore even if available in developing countries, are extremely expensive. Consequently, embossed wax foundation sheets are

Making the press _

Take a perfect sheet of embossed beeswax foundation for Apis cerana or Apis-

mellifera and place it on a plain wooden sheet or floor (Figure 1). Mixtures of white cement and water, or portland cement and water, or plaster of Paris and water are used to prepare the press.

Fill all the cell cavities of the foundation sheet with cement or plaster of Paris mixture, and turn it upside down. All the cell cavities of the other side of the wax sheet are now filled with the mixture

(white cement and water ratio 32 g: 16 ml, or plaster of Paris, sodium

carbonate and water ratio g:3g:21 ml) rubbed into each cell

27

with your fingers for 15-20 minutes per 40 cm x 20 cm sheet area, in such a way that air bubbles are completely removed from all the cell cavities (Figure 2) . This is the most critical stage. A little carelessness in filling the cell cavities will spoil the mould. The beeswax sheet is placed in a rectangular frame of “deodar” or some other good quality wood of size 40cm x 20cm, depending upon the size of the hive frames (Figure 3). This wooden frame is half-filled with a mixture of white cement and water (ratio 2.5kg: 1 litre) or plaster of Paris, sodium carbonate and water (ratio 2.2 kg:50g:1.75 litre) and finished with a steel trowel. Four horizontal and three vertical iron strips are placed to give strength to the press plate. An iron or wooden handle is fixed on to the plate (Figure 4). The mixture is further used to fill up the wooden frame to give 3 cm or more thickness to the plate and it is finally finished with a steel trowel. Then

many countries. Studies were therefore conducted to develop a low-cost foundation embossing machine or press.

This article describes how to make one for Apis cerana or Apis mellifera at very low cost.

it is left for five to eight hours to dry thoroughly. Thereafter, the comb foundation wax sheet is removed (Figure 5) and, if made of cement (not of plaster of Paris) the plate is placed in water for 48 hours. It is afterwards dried in the shade for at least two days. This plate forms one part of the press. The other part of the press is prepared in the same way but without a handle. Both plates, made either of cement or plaster of Paris after lining up the indentations, are united by using hinges. They are now ready for imprinting of wax foundation sheets (Figures 6 and 7).

:

°

Figure 2. Embossed beeswax foundation sheet filled with white cement mixture and rubbed in wé to remove air bubbles from cell cavities.

Making the foundation

A releasing agent containing one table-

spoon of honey in one litre of warm water and 125 ml of methylated spirit is prepared. The beeswax is melted in a pot placed in another container with water to prevent burning of wax. A sieve made of very fine fabric is hung into the melted wax to obtain clean and liquid wax.

The releasing agent is brushed over the lower and upper plates. The press is closed for a few seconds. Then the upper plate is lifted slightly and excess liquid is poured off from a corner: this is important to gain the best results.

The hot wax is taken out in a small ladle from the sieve and poured on to the lower plate (Figure 8). Quickly completely cover the lower plate with a thin layer of wax, and close the press before the wax has time to set. Surplus wax, if any, is quickly poured off at a corner.

The hotter the wax the thinner the sheets.

4

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Figure 3. Embossed beeswax foundation sheet két in the frame.

Figure 4. Frame with the embossed beeswax sheet, half-filled with white cement mixture, along with wires and handle.

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The top plate is lifted and the edges of the wax sheet are cut with a hot knife and all hardened wax is removed. This facilitates removal of the embossed wax sheet. After removing the sheet of wax, make sure that both the plates are very clean and free from wax, and pour fresh releasing agent on to the lower plate.

The next wax sheet can now be printed.

The top plate, on adding wax, sometimes sticks to the lower plate. Under such circumstances do not force the plates open as this may ruin the mould.

To get the plates open, place the press over steaming water. In this way the wax melts and the loose plates open easily.

For cleaning, the plates are brushed thoroughly with hot soda water to remove all wax and washed again with spirit and finely sieved wood ash. After use, the press is cleaned and dried and comb foundation sheets are properly stored. This cement or plaster of Paris press, unlike a metallic one, does not require a water cooling system.

2. foe Or

We

We

Figure 5. Embossed beeswax sheet being removed from the plate after five hours.

Rafiq Ahmad is Chief Scientific Officer of the Honeybee Research Programme,

af production

The material used for the preparation of the comb foundation includes: white cement 5 kg (Rs 17) or plaster of Paris and sodium carbonate 5kg (Rs 10), beeswax comb foundation sheet (Rs 5), wooden frame (Rs 5), iron rods (Rs 16), hinges (Rs 7), screw (Rs 3), formica (Rs 5), iron handle and bars (Rs 6). One person can prepare four to six comb foundation presses in a day (Rs 16 per two hours). Thus, the cost of production of a white cement press comes to Rs 80 ($US4.5) and a plaster of Paris press to Rs 73 ($US4) per unit in Pakistan.

Figure

7.

White cement comb foundation press.

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council.

foundation press.

Figure 8. Wax sheet being imprinted in foundation press.

THIS COGLD BE YOUR LAST. NEWSLETTER! From 1991 the Newsletter will be available on subscription.

Further details on page 2

ND

wy 44 4+4

American foulbrood (a disease of honeybees caused by the bacterium Bacillus larvae) has been identified in Argentina for the first time. It was found in colonies in the area of Tandil, Buenos Aires Province.

(A

M

June a seminar on tropical beekeeping was organised by the Beekeeping Section and the Forests, Trees and People Programme of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Much discussion centred around appropriate hive design, and in particular the work of Mogens Jensen, Thord Karlsson and Bérje Svensson in developing a suitable hive from first principles for Apis cerana in Bangladesh. Mr Karlsson’s experience in determining optimum hive size and volume are reported in this edition of Newsletter and details of constructing the new hive will appear in a future edition.

In

Contributions for this page are welcome. Contact addresses are also available from IBRA.

|

ARGENTINA

SWEDEN

Alippi)

RE

GHANA A Bee Club has been formed. in Saltpond in Central Ghana. The Club aims

to promote beekeeping with regular meetings to share experiences, exchange ideas and give practical assistance to Members and others outside the Club.

Members have built up knowledge of beekeeping through the courses, books and journals that are available to them.

For example a two-day Workshop on beekeeping held at Amissano in March 1990 was attended by government personnel, farmers and teachers. The Workshop dealt with aspects of practical beekeeping and ended with an open forum and video show.

(K S Aidoo)

JORDAN The Jordanian Beekeepers’ Association was established in December 1989. The Association is non-profit making and will issue a bi-monthly newsletter including tips for beekeepers and international news.

(I K Nazer)

On 27 June 1990 Queen Noor Al Hussein laid the foundation stone for a building for a bee breeding and honey production project. The project is carried out by the Noor Al Hussein Foundation within the framework of its programme “Women and Development” in Al Ejina area in Karak Governorate.

(Jordan Times) 10

(EY Traditionally producead in Packed By North Western Bee P O BOx 140096 Ka North-Western Provi |

Orgasic honey and beeswax

Zambia’s Forests 5

Limited

(continue d from page 1)

Thereis an increasing demand for these guaranteed pure an 1 organic products, as the major supermarket chains in Europe now stock an ever-i ncreasing range of organic products. Up until now officially-certified organic honey vas not been widely available. North Western Bee Products Ltd has now been offic ially inspected and nic hanev and way approved by the Soil Association of the UK as a source of orga Bee its Products to expand This has enabled North Western export of honey and wax and to secure a price well above the conventional market value of their produce.

At the same time the 6000-strong Tabora Beekeepers’ Co-operative Society in Tanzania has successfully resumed exports to Traidcraft in the UK and other ethically-based marketing organisations in Europe (see also Newsletter )15. These exports by North Western Bee Products and Tabora have only been possible after ears of ground work establishing an organised marketing system, and educatin the producers in the selection of the correct type of honey for sale. Other honey containing a higher water content, pollen and so on, is retained locally for beer brewing.

The market for organic honey is larger than the output of North Western Bee Products, and there is the opportunity for other producers and organisations to become registered and begin exporting organic honey. Any interested producers should contact:

Tropical Forest Products, PO Box 92, Aberystwyth SY24 5DJ, UK. Send a sample and full information including: type of organisation and number of members; amount of honey produced and amount available for export; types of hives used and use of bee medicines and sugar feeding; type of bee forage and use of agricultural chemicals in surrounding areas.

D Wainwri

by

ght

RACTICAL BEEKEEPING How to make a hive suited to local, native honeybees

byT Karlsson In 1989 Thord Karlsson studied natural nests of the Asian hive bee in Bangladesh. Here he describes his work and hopes that ft will inspire others to do similar studies.

Honeybees are not domesticated: the behaviour of bees in a hive is the same as the behaviour of bees living in the wild.

Beekeeping consists of providing more or less suitable nesting places for wild honeybees and harvesting their honey. Honeybees’ natural behaviour determines the limits of hive design and management.

We must not speak about the natural nest of honeybees and the natural behaviour of honeybees as if these are invariable. Honeybees kept by man in hives are found in a wide range of habitats, from deserts to rainforest and from the tropics to temperate latitudes with several months of winter and snow. Every variety of honeybee species is adapted to its own climate and natural surroundings, arid hive and management principles must be adapted accordingly. Practices evaluated for European bees and conditions have often been uncritically used in completely different situations, resulting in failure. Instead the natural nesting behaviour of the local honeybee should be studied, and then with careful testing, appropriate hives and management methods should be developed.

A hive must be well suited to the bees, and must also be suitable for the environment, withstanding stresses from weather and other factors such as termites. Most importantly, the hive must be favoured by the people who will be using it. The hive must fit their economic resources, their capabilities, and the social context they are living in.

Data on natural nesting places must be considered carefully. For example in Bangladesh some nests are found in ground cavities, although these nests will obviously be unsuitable in the rainy season. This indicates a scarcity of good nesting places. If there is a scarcity, then collected data will show which places bees could use, rather than what they prefer.

The nest entrance is important because nearly all communication with the surroundings passes through it. The size of nest entrance is a compromise between different factors: usually it varies widely, but a study will indicate the average area. It is usually simple to measure, but if the entrance is irregularly shaped you may have to take several measurements.

The direction the entrance faces will probably affect nest temperature. Even if data on nest entrance show a strong tendency towards one direction, it cannot be assumed that this is a preference of the bees, unless you know the entrance directions of all potential nests. However, if most of the wild nests have a given entrance direction, then at least the bees do not avoid this direction and will probably thrive in a hive facing this direction.

Nest volumes are dependent on available cavity volume, but some tropical honeybees seem to swarm when they reach a certain stage in their development regardless of

Bees nesting inside the cavity of a tree (B Khatri')

_

space available. However, they may still be good honey producers.

If a wild colony is nesting inside a tree then one (not necessarily advisable) way to determine the cavity volume is to cut the tree down and, after measurement and removal of the wax combs, to fill the cavity with sand. However this method cannot often be used. In densely populated areas remaining trees are valuable and it is impossible to cut them. In drier areas it is unwise to cut any tree, since it will take a long time to replace, if ever.

In these cases we have to make the best of the situation.

The entrance can sometimes be enlarged, without damaging the tree too much, to make it possible to study the nest.

The volume may be roughly estimated by measuring the height of the cavity and then its width and depth. It is also helpful to keep a drawing or a photo of the nest.

If the nest occupies the whole cavity, the nest volume will be the same as the cavity volume. If not, it is usually easier to get the volume of the nest than of the cavity because the nest is usually more regular in shape.

Having determined nest and cavity volumes, these will give an indication of how large a hive should be. Remember that a “domesticated” colony with the right management could grow much bigger than a wild colony where swarming is not prevented.

Comb area is another guide to colony size. The areas of individual combs give an idea of how large a suitable frame should be. Equally interesting is how the combs are fixed. If the honeybees fix the combs only to the roof, then it should be possible to use a hive with top-bars. If the combs are fixed tightly to the walls too, it may be harder to find a topbar system to suit the bees. Framed combs or fixed-comb hives are better for these bees.

There are several methods to measure the comb area and different parts of the combs. I used a simple wood frame with a grid of 2 cm-sided squares. It was easy to YW

count how many squares covered the comb. This number multiplied by four gives the area in cm?.

A very interesting measurement is the “comb centrecomb centre’ distance, that is the distance between the mid-ribs of two combs hanging side by side (see Newsletter 12). This measurement determines the width for topbars. The difference between the comb centre distance and comb thickness will give the bee-space. Using these measurements an appropriate frame width and corresponding bee-space can be calculated. Bearing in mind that propolis and odd scraps of wax tend to increase the distance between frames, it is better to make the bee-space a little narrower, say 1 mm, than in the natural nest.

Honeycombs are usually thicker than brood combs.

Usually brood combs are in the middle of the nest while the outermost combs may be solely honey combs. Remember this when measuring “comb centre-comb centre” distance. measured the comb thickness with vernier callipers. To calculate the comb centre distance the measurement between the two most distance combs was recorded. This measurement was divided by the number of combs minus one. For example; if the distance form the mid-rib of comb 1 to the mid-rib of comb 7 was measured, the distance was divided by six.

Cell diameter should be measured between two parallel cell walls. used vernier callipers to measure 10 to 20 cells, to arrive at a mean value for each wax comb. If you are interested in the worker brood cell diameter, take care not to measure drone brood cells or honey storing cells, both of which are usually larger. |

|

Constraints Seasonal variations will affect the results of such a study. In some parts of the world honeybees are migratory. Sometimes you can find hardly any bees and those you can find are living in very good nesting places. In another season there are colonies everywhere, nesting in every more or less suitable place. The study season will also affect the amount of brood and storage that the bees have.

If the main goal is to gather general information about the honeybees for example in one region, all kinds of existing environments have to be surveyed. This is important to prevent inappropriate beekeeping practices being recommended.

Be careful that colonies studied are really representative of colonies in the area. It is always easier to find and examine colonies near the ground than those nesting higher in the tree canopy. It is also easier to examine a weak and calm colony than a strong and furious one, but this will lead to false results!

it is impossible to examine every colony. In Hindu areas old banyan trees (Ficus bengalensis) are considered to be holy and colonies in such trees are thus out of reach.

Snakes are another problem to consider: these have twice disturbed my work by being very near my hands. So do be careful!

Where worked, and think in most parts of the world, every tree has an owner and the tree could represent a large amount of wealth for the owner. discovered that it was very important to ask for help from locally well-known assistants to get permission to cut into a tree.

In spite of all the difficulties involved, hope that people will start studying the natural nesting sites of their local bees to arrive at a better understanding of how hives should be designed to best suit the bees. However please do not cut trees down, unless it is absolutely necessary, and do not kill the bees. Place them in a hive instead. |

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12

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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BEEKEEPING COURSES Please mention this Newsletter as the source of your enquiry.

UK NEW COGRSE Train the trainers A 16-week course designed for women who have some basic experience of handling bees and are trainers of exten-—

sion workers or farmers, is available at

The Agricultural Education and Train-

ing Unit of Wolverhampton Polytechnic.

This new course follows the well-proven approach of combining technical updating with the development of effective training skills. The course will be based at Wolverhampton Polytechnic with several attachments to other institutions, including IBRA. Aims of the Course: to provide technical updating in beekeeping skills; to practise planning and delivery of training sessions in beekeeping; to develop a training manual to be used for an extension workers’ course; to produce suitable visual aids and resource material for the course; to design monitoring and evaluation methods appropriate for a

beekeeping development programme.

— participants Entry requirements should: be actively involved in training

extension workers and farmers; have some practical experience of handling bees; have qualifications recognised by their home government as suitable for a post as extension workers or farmer trainers; be competent in both written and spoken English.

Date: The Course will run from 28 April11 August 1991.

For further details contact: Agricultural Education and Training Unit, Wolverhampton Polytechnic, Walsall Campus, Gorway Road, Walsall WS1 3BD, dK. Telephone: 0902 323219; Fax: 0922 722099; Telex: 336301 POLWOL G.

DIPLOMA IN APICULTOURE An international diploma course taught within the Bee Research Unit of the University of Wales in Cardiff. This annual course runs from October until July and it intended for those who already have science degrees or appropriate posts in government research or the agricultural industry.

For further details contact: Professor R S Pickard, Bee Research Unit, School of Biology, University of Wales, PO Box

915, Cardiff CF1 3TL, UK. Telephone: 0222 874312; Fax: 0222 371921; Telex: 498635 ULIB CFG.

Advertisements Starting in the next edition, the Newsletter will carry advertisements. Small classified ads cost 0.65 per word per insertion, minimum 10 words, pre-paid. Full page, half page and quarter page advertisements are also available, in full colour, two-colour or black and white.

Please write for rates.

Fifth International Conference on Apiculture in Tropical Climate Ss The purpose of this Conference is to advance knowledge of tropical bees and improve and promote beekeeping as it is practised in developing countries.

; The Conference is organised for the benefit of the beekeeping and development community, and suggestion: and assistance

to make it a fully useful and productive event are welcome.

Ma a haliday far hoalaanare It Is NOL Organised as a promt-making exercis ae

falthaiuah delanatec certainh seem to enjoy

themselves!).

We want the Conference to be a worthwhile and useful experience for all delegates. At the Cairo Conference in 1988 we found that many more people had useful information to impart and wanted to give presentations than there was time for: one way around this is by effective use of poster displays. Some delegates thought that the number of talks should be restricted, with no concurrent sessions and more time available for group discussion. It must be remembered however that the published in the long-term disperse the information to many more people.

Proceedings are an important outcome of the Conference which For Newsletter readers who have never attended one of our Conferences, then recommend that you start planning now! IBRA cannot provide financial support for your attendance, but at every Conference we have enterprising delegates who have approached local companies and charities for sponsorship to participate. and return the form If you wish to receive further details about the Conference as they become available then please complete |

below.

Nicola Bradbear, Secretary

—

Conference Steering Committee.

5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON APICULTURE IN TROPICAL CLIMATES, TRINIDAD 1992 Please send me further details Conference as they become available: Name.

Address

Return to: IBRA, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK

13

Varroasis of the honeybee

by FAO yarroasis of the honeybee

Ko

€Y

|

ێy

BOOKSHELF Honey bee pests, predators and diseases (2nd edition) edited by R A Morse and R Nowogrodzki

“ae

2

Ithaca, NY, USA and London, UK; Cornell University Press (1990) 474 pp.

Hardback. exAvailable from IBRA price 23.00 cluding postage and packing*.

The necessity for this new edition arises because of the great changes in honeybee disease distribution which have occurred in the 12 years since the first edition. It is the parasitic mites which are causing so many problems to the bee-

ABC and XYZ of bee culture

(40th edition) written and edited by R A Morse and associate editor

K

Flottum

Medina, OH, USA; Al Root Co (1989) 516 pp. Hardback. exAvailable from IBRA price 17.50 cluding postage and packing* This is the 40th edition of a book first published by Amos Root in 1877. The new edition has been edited and written |

14

keeping industry at present and this is reflected by three new chapters dealing with this subject.

Every chapter in the book has been revised and updated, and the latest edition, covers more or less every creature that regards the honeybee colony as attractive prey: from viruses to bears, and everything in between — fungi, moths, ants, spiders, to mention but a few. The book also describes many other mishaps that befall honeybee colonies: overheated bees, laying workers, poisoning by toxic plants and so on. For every problem the book summarises our current state of knowledge and suggests a remedy, preventative measure or action to take. There are plenty of helpful illustrations and five appendices give useful additional information.

Beekeepers are often reluctant to learn about pests and diseases until their own bees succumb to some problem. In that event this new publication can be relied upon to provide helpful information and sound advice. This book is written by American authors, but the information provided relates to beekeeping everywhere.

by Professor Roger Morse and a number of other specialists. This encyclopaedia of apiculture consists of 516 pages including a particularly well compiled glossary of apicultural terms.

The strength of this book lies in its practical information: clear text is accompanied by clear photographs, but the material provided is primarily intended for those practising North American-type beekeeping with frame hives and using Apis mellifera. The book does contain much other information and no doubt has items not carried in other encyclopaedias: it will be a useful addition to beekeepers’ libraries and represents very good value for money. The old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” is important to remember for this publication: while it is of pleasant format and layout inside, purchasers may be discouraged by the now rather old-fashioned brown cover and lack of colour illustrations.

fi

Rome, Italy; FAO (1989) Areview of this audio-visual programme was given in Newsletter 16. Please note that the whole programme consists of an audio cassette, printed commentary brochure and a colour film strip (rather than 108 colour slides as stated in Newsletter 16). However this is not a cinema film but colour slides in sequence, copied onto 35 mm film. The programme is available with either an english or french commentary, please state which language you prefer when you order. The filmstrip plus commentary brochure and cassette are available from IBRA price 26.00 excluding postage and packing*.

Beeswax (2nd edition) by R Brown

BEESWAX

a

f ae

“fe

nl

sE cone

Wig,

cores

Ron Brown

Burrowbridge, UK; Bee Books News and Old (1989) 150 pp.

Available from IBRA price 6.75 excluding postage and packing* This is the second edition of Beeswax which was published in 1981 and won the Silver Medal shortly afterwards at the Apimondia Mexico Conference. The book contains details on the history, chemical content, and the many uses of beeswax. The 20 illustrations are carefully chosen to make this an essentially practical book for the beekeeper, wax candle and polish maker.

Ron Brown is a well-known British author and lecturer on beekeeping.

Beekeeping in the year 2000: Proceedings of the 2nd Australian and International Bee Congress 2126 July 1988 compiled and edited

byJ

W

Rhodes

Orders totalling:

upto 10.00 10.01 to 20.00 20.01 to 30.00 30.01 to 50.00 50.01 to 100 00 Over 100.00 quest.

PROCEEDINGS

SECOND INTERNATIONAL GEE CONGRESS

AALAAN see FRAMAN |

UK address (2nd class/parcel rate).

1.00 2.50 3.50 5.00 6.00

prices quoted on re-

Post and packing charges for orders to overseas address by surface mail (this service does not include goods-intransit insurance and IBRA is not responsible for damage to or loss of goods once they have left our premises).

Orders totalling:

upto

Brisbane, Australia; International Colour Productions Pty Ltd (1989) 288 pp.

Aailable fom IBRA price 20.00 excluding postage and packing. * The text of 88pages pus kenote speeches and details of the Congress activities are presented. Inevitably the emphasis is on Australasian beekeeping, but the subjects covered include bee breeding, pathology, pollination, flora, management, technology and equipment, and bee product marketing.

Definitely a publication to be included in apicultural libraries and the editor deserves congratulations for the modern, clear and highly-readable presentation of these Proceedings.

Studies on Social Forestry in India and Tigerpaper Vol XVII: No 2 (April-June 1990).

These two publications are available from FAO regional office in Bangkok.

Neither contains information pertaining to bees or beekeeping but both carry interesting papers on forest and wildlife conservation and social forestry programmes.

Those wishing to obtain free copies write to: Dr Y S Rao, Regional Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.

Please note: copies of these free FAO publications are not available from IBRA. *

IBRA MAIL ORDER TERMS Please quote this Newsletter when you order Post and packing charges for orders to

00

10

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to 20.00 to 30.00

2

00

3.50 4.50

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to 50.00 to 100.00

Orders over 100.00, or to be sent by air mail (including insurance**) prices quoted on request. **

No insurance available to Afghanistan, Iran, lraq, Lebanon, Nigeria.

All orders are subject to the availability of books at the prices quoted.

Methods of payment

Cheques and bank draft (if paying in non-sterling, please add 5% to cover bank charges for exchange). Bankers: Midland Bank, 56 Queen Street, Cardiff UK. Account No: 01326740.

Postgiro/National Girobank: Account No: 29 179 4408.

Credit cards: Access/Mastercard/Eurocard/Visa — please give name on card, full address, type of card, card number, expiry date on card and your signature.

LOOKING AHEAD Please note that if you are planning a beekeeping event and you want details to appear in this colunm it is important that you send information to the Editor of the Newsletter well in advance of the planned date.

CHINA

ment

of

Biology,

Chulalongkorn

XIX International Congress of Entomo-

University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.

logy.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

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.

IRELAND International Partnership: alternative trade in the 1990s.

23-28 April 1991, Kilkenny.

This event will provide an opportunity for member organisations to brief themselves on the major developments in their field, and to meet representatives of more than 30 producer groups drawn from every continent.

Further details from: Ms Carol Bergin, Conference Co-ordinator, New Orchard, Kilkenny, Ireland, Fax: 63220.

THAILAND International Symposium on The Asian honeybees and bee mites and APIEXPO 92.

10-14 February 1992, Chulalongkorn University.

Further details from: Dr Sirtwat Wongsiri, Bee Biology Research Unit, Depart-

Fifth International Conference on Apiculture in Tropical Climates.

7-12 September 1992, University of the West Indies.

Further details from: International Bee Research Association, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK.

USA International Conference on Black Locust: biology, culture and utilization.

17-21 June 1991, Michigan State Uni-

versity.One Session will include “Honey production”.

Further details from: Dr James W Hanover, Department of Forestry, 126 Natural Resources Bldg, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1222, USA. Fax: (517) 3361143.

YUGOSLAVIA XXXIll International Congress of Apiculture APIMONDIA. 29 September — 4 October 1991.

Further details from: Poslovna Zajednica ZA, Pcelarstvo Jugoslavije, Bulevar 17a 11070 Beograd, Yugoslavia.

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