BEEREE
PING
AND
DEVELOPMENT
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
APPEAL Rodbee is an association of honey producers in the remote Rodrigues Island which is a dependency of Mauritius. Honey is produced from fixed-comb, traditional hives in wild areas, Most of our production is sald to intermediaries from the other islands of Reunion and Seychelies Following the recent passage of the devastating and terrifying cyclone “Bella”. the inembers of our organisation undertook a careful survey of all natural bee habitats It is sad and very regretful to state that there is nothing left. No hives, no bees and consequently no honey production lor the clear part of this year. So as to restart production we are hesitantly and with much reluctance forwarding this appeal letter for any form of grant aid or financial support. To date. we have received favourable support in terms of tools and materials from some benevolent societies and organisations. Please give us the names of aid agencies that can support us in this very critical period We need around $2000-2500 to fully satisfy this emergency requirement. Very urgently required are second-hand or reconditioned tools In particular we need chain saw (petrol powered} stone breaker (petrol powered) machetes (4} hammers (5] aluminium sheets - 160 m: for store roofing hurricane lamps (4) Please address ail donations to the Co-ordinator Thanking well in advance M Hurbunas, Rodbee Co-ordinator. loin Kennedy Street, Pamplemousses, Mauritius.
We have now adapted the system of honey hunting in tree holes by the provision of clay hives which are models of pot made trom clay and baked This pot hive is oval in shape with a lid at ane end which serves as the opening where one can harvest the honey, and a small entrance hole of 4 cm diameter at the other end for the bees. This is made from local materials to reduce cost and to teach farmers that resources around them can be put to good use in this system the hive is placed on a fork-shaped branch of a tree and secured with wire, strings or ropes The hive is left in position to serve as a permanent hive and not just a swarm catcher The inside is rubbed with beeswax or smeared with honey to trap any swarm that comes its way
Aduku K David, Peng Tamale, Ghana Beekeeping and Development should always have been the name of the Newsletter. BRAVO for its re-
baptising! Bumanga Umaru Mufti, Borne State, Nigeria. Beekeeping und Development is a real linkage agent which is playing a very useful role. It is alse both informative and educative to us, the beekeepers. hope that, in Uie foreseeable future, we will be able to pay for this priceless paper Beekeeping has been introduced in our Junior Secondary School as a cottage industry. It is our hope that beekeeping will help curb the ruralurban drift in our villages
O K Anno, Begoro Beekeepers Association, Gharta
Wanted Urgently.
BEE RESEARCH OFFICER FOR TANZANIA VSO and IBRA are currently
Bee Research Officer to work on the project that looking for
a
IBRA is about to commence in co-
operation with the Government of Tanzania's Njiro Wildlife Research Centre in Arusha.
The post will be a varied one. It will include the design, construction and evaluation of top-bar hives. you have a diploma in Science or Agriculture and at least three years work experience, VSO would like to hear from you. Experience in bee hive design and management would be an advantage. For more details, please complete and return the coupon to: Enquiries Unit, VSO, 317 Putney If
Bridge Road, London SW15 2PN.
= Pay based on local rates Equipment and re-equipment grants provided = Rent-free accommodation usually provided # National Insurance and medical insurance 8 paid « Language training provided where necessary Return flight paid @ Posts (always approved by our field staff) are for a minimum of two years.
Conditions of work:
#
VSO It’s a working experience.
[~
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY I'm interested. have the following training |
experience:
Name
Telephone
Address
Telephone 081-780 1331
(24hr. ansaphone).
Postcode___ Charity No. 313757
FOURTEEN
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Bw991
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