Bees for Development Journal Edition 23 - June 1992

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INTERNATIONAL

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INSIDE INFORMATION Here at IBRA we are busy with arrangements for the next IBRA Conference being held in Trinidad and Tobago in September. It seems that many Beekeeping and Development readers are planning to participate, and we look forward to meeting you there.

Our aim is for the Conference to provide a stimulating mix of opportunities: for discussion, for listening to others’ research and experience, and for looking at the practicalities of beekeeping.

New equipment for straining honey is currently on trial in Tobago, and will be displayed in action at the Conference.

Ripe honey inside the hive is pure, clean and perfect.

Maintaining this situation throughout harvesting is the tricky part: all too easily harvested honey picks up scraps of wax and tiny flecks from containers used during processing. Because honey straining can be a sticky and slow job, beekeepers are sometimes tempted to neglect it altogether!

S

refers to

Other Conference plans are given on page seven.

As we go to press, the sad news has broken of the Varroa mite being found on honey bees here in the UK. The beekeeping community is depressed by the prospect of treatment of our colonies against Varroa into the foreseeable future. And bee diseases are everywhere spreading: on page six Jan Olsson describes the devastation caused by the recent introduction of Thai sacbrood disease to southern India.

Once again we urge beekeepers everywhere: be aware of your responsibility to do all in your power to ensure that bee diseases are not introduced to new areas.

US dollars.

refers to pounds sterling Linch

The new equipment, “Strainaway”, is designed to provide a fast way of straining honey without cloths and without the need for excessive temperatures. The equipment consists of interlocking plastic containers, with stainless steel mesh incorporated into the bases of the upper straining units. Honey can be strained through these either by gravity, with a hand pump or by applying a vacuum. If found to work well, this equipment could be appropriate for small-scale beekeeping enterprises.

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Beekeeping and Development is

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AUIS ITS EL ELS

edited by

DrN icola Bradbear with assistance from Helen Jackson. All items are written by Nicola Bradbear unless stated otherwise.

Four editions are published each year.

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and distributed to beekeepers, projects and associations in 174 countries worldwide.

Advertisements in

Beek eping and Development reach a very wide audience.

Various sizes available. Write for rates.

The International Bee ‘esearch Association is a scientific, charitable trust providing information on every aspect of bees and beekeeping to all who need it.

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Your contributions are invited. We welcome articles on techniques found to work well, on your events and activities, and news items of interest or concern to readers. Please include illustrations or photographs. Thanks to all who have contributed to this edition.

World Vision \ward for Development Initiative 1990

FeEVOULL

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Our aim is to make this journal as useful as possible for our readers, so let us know your views on Beekeeping and Development and of any particular subjects you would like to see discussed in future

development

Cover picture SCOTT CAMAZINE CORNELL UNIVERSITY SECTION OF NEUROBIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR, W307 MUDD HALL ITHACA NEW YORK 14853 USA

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as specific as possible.

In 1992 Beekeeping and Development

continues to receive sponsorship from CTA, FAO, Oxfam, and Traidcraft Exchange.

We have also received donations from The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, UK beekeeping groups and individuals.

editions.

We gratefully acknowledge this assistance.

Items appearing in Beekeeping and Development may be reproduced providing that appropriate full acknowledgement is given and copies are forwarded to us.

We need subscriptions!

Details on page fifteen.

Trenc.n0 An Apis florea forager.

if you have a beekeeping problem we will try to help you. Please make your enquiry

2

We appreciate receiving translations of Beekeeping and Development, our information feaflets or our information charts.

International Bee Research Association, 18 North Road, Cardiff CFI 3DY, UK. Phone: 44 (0)222 372409.

Fax: 44 (0)222 665522

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MAKING A MASK-

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wire screen (28 x 28 cm) woven plastic material or any cotton material light in colour strong cotton for sewing

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BEE DISEASE UPDATE In Beekeeping and Development 22,

page six announced plans to update information on the World distribution of major honey bee diseases and pests. An omission from the list was Acarapis woodi. Please send us your information. |

Thanks to Dr Burr-Nyberg for drawing our attention to this omission.

Adapted from the new Zambian Beekeeping Handbook by Bernhard and Renate Clauss: see Bookshelf on page twelve for further details.

tT IT MOST! JUST WHEN We NEEDED .

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World Vision of Britain have come to our aid with funding for the purchase of new computing equipment for Helen Jackson and myself. This will assist us in the continued production of Beekeeping and Development and in providing IBRA’s_ Advisory Service for beekeepers in developing countries.

We sincerely thank World Vision of Britain, and all their supporters.

Nicola Bradbear and Helen Jackson

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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON *"'F BEE MITES HONEY _onference The Conference was opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Spread over six days the Conference consisted of oral and poster presentations, Apiexpo, a visit to the Royal Chitralada projects and social events. 130 delegates from 30 countries participated.

apers A large proportion of papers related to honey bee mites: their identification, biology and possible control. Much research on mites is underway in south-east Asia and particularly Thailand, and also in the USA and Europe.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presides over the opening of Apiexpo 92.

This Conference took place in February, at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. The Bee Biology Research Unit of Chulalongkorn, headed by Professor Sirtwat Wongsiri was responsible for organisation of the Conference.

South-east Asia is an enticing region for study of honey bees: five species of the genus Apis occur naturally and european Apis mellifera

A Korean lady with displays of honey, royal jelly and ginseng

Plenty of Thai honey and royal jelly on display.

Diverse products

containing honey.

has been introduced. With this diversity of honey bee species there naturally follows a rich diversity of honey bee pests, diseases and parasites. These in turn have attracted the interest of bee researchers worldwide, who find rich resources in south-east Asia for fundamental research. This was underlined by the large number of scientists from all regions who participated in this meeting. The purpose was to provide opportunity for discussion of recent findings. With asian honey bee mites now spreading throughout the world, knowledge of the biology of these predators is of value to beekeepers everywhere. For example, an understanding of how Apis cerana and the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni have continued to survive successfully in the presence of one another assists us in combating Varroa now that it has moved to Apis mellifera as a new host species.

Serious issues were raised at the meeting. Are the increasing populations of Apis mellifera in some parts of Asia leading to reductions in Apis cerana populations such that they are no longer viable? Will continued treatment of Apis mellifera colonies to control Varroa infestation prevent us from identifying Varroaresistant colonies? Some papers reported fundamental research describing new mite species, morphometrics and new distributions of both bee species and mites.

Other researchers are using biochemical analysis to establish evolutionary relationships between the bee species. And interesting new facts were reported - one example - that Varroa mites always tend to congregate on the left side of bees.

Apiexpo 92 This exhibition emphasised the extent of commercial beekeeping in south-east Asia, and the sophistication of marketing of honey and other hive products. Displays by companies from Thailand, Taiwan and Korea showed a wide range of commodities containing hive products in various reincarnations: honey with garlic, biscuits made with royal jelly, ointments using propolis, shampoo containing pollen - an amazing range and variety of value-added products. But the technology involved in creating these products is a long way from the labour-intensive beekeeping which yields the basic commodities:

Prep.

1

To celebrate the inaugural meeting of AAA, the Institute of Honey Bee Science, Tamagawa University, Japan, issued a new series of postcards of asian honey bees. This one shows an Apis dorsata colony and workers on the surface.

Photographed by Nakamura See page thirteen for further details. |

A meeting was held to form a steering committee to co-ordinate regional research on bees and beekeeping. BEENET is initiated by the Malaysian Bee Research and Development Team and sponsored by IDRC

(Canada).

“onclusion This International Conference was efficiently organised, providing an effective forum for bee researchers to meet. Asian apiculturalists deserve congratulations for the efforts they are making to co-ordinate their research activities.

Professor Siriwat Wongsiri hands over the to Soesilawati Hadisoesilo -

AAA emblem

organiser of the next

AAA

meeting in

Indonesia.

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CuiFa

This Conference was also the inaugural meeting of AAA, the Asian Apicultural Association, the new organisation aiming to co-ordinate bee-related activities within Asia.

At a special meeting the officers of AAA were elected and sections with responsibility for eight aspects of apiculture were established.

— tg

Dr

LR

Verma

S Wongsiri General Secretary

India

Professor

Thailand

Dr M Matsuka

Japan

Treasurer Dr T Yoshida

AE

Japan

Em AND

Professor T Sakai Vice-President

ONG:

Officers President

An Apis cerana forager with phoretic* (non-parasitic) mites.

Japan

*

phoresy is a relationship in which one organism is carried by another.

Section Chairpersons Bee Biology

Thailand

Melliferous flora and pollination Dr Sihag

India

Beekeeping technology Dr Wasantha Punchihewa

Sri Lanka

Bee products [to be decided|

Beekeeping economics Mr Tran Duc Ha

Japan

HoSCuTT. ANAL TIME OORSECL UNIVERSITY

China

Professor Chun-Huang Yang Bee pests and diseases Dr Yongyut Waikakul

Proceedings of this Qs Conference are being edited

by L J Connor, T Rinderer, A Sylvester and S Wongsiri.

They will be published in 1992 and the volume will contain approximately 100 articles on all aspects of asian apiculture, The Proceedings will be published by Wicwas Press, and will be available from IBRA. Beekeeping and Development will carry further details as they become available.

Vietnam

Apicultural extension Ms Soesilawati Hadisoeliso

Indonesia

Bees and the environment Dr Makhdzir Mardan

Malaysia

Beekeeping and Development will continue as the Official publication of AAA, with the AAA Newsletter inserted from time to time. AAA will aim to meet every two years: it was decided that Indonesia should host the next

Bookshelf, Abstracts of papers and Thailand see

Bibliography on Asian Honey Bees 1979-1991 see

Colony of Apis cerana nesting in the open air in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

WRATH

meeting in 1994. |

Bookshelf.

HONEY BEE DISEASE

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Samples of diseased comb were brought to Rothamsted Experimental Station in the UK for examination by Dr Brenda Ball. She verified that the disease is caused by Thai sacbrood virus. strongly suggest that some some university or institute in India undertakes a study of the epidemiology of Thai sacbrood virus. Such a study will be very useful if efforts are being made towards breeding a strain of Apis cerana which is resistant to the disease.

However, if am asked for suggestions, shall be happy to provide them if I can.

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Jan Olsson, 15 April 1992

Beekeeper in south India

India The disease is virulent and threatens to wipe out beekeeping in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Spreading

This disease was firs reported from Thaila id in

1976 and has been identified only in Api cerana, the asian hive bee. T 1e disease is caused by a different one from t at causing sacbrood dise. ase in the european honey b se Apis mellifera. (Sacbrood in \pis mellifera rarely causes t re death of a colony.} Lit cleis known about Thai sac rood virus or how colonies of Apis cerana would naturally cope with its presence. The Shah Beekeepers in Kashmi recommend removing and destroying all infected brood com: s and repl acing with new fc undation, or creating at reak in br od rearing by aging the queen.

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In our area of operation there are 4647 beekeepers with 34 000 bee colonies, and a production of about 17 500 kg of honey. Until now the area was free from any sort of bee disease. But this year the bee colonies of Malnadu area have started dying. The larvae are not growing and ultimately the entire bee colonies die.

We need assistance and guidance in dealing with this disease.

Y Mahabala Bhat, Secretary, The South Kanara Beekeepers’ Co-operative Society Ltd, Dharmasthala, India

Enquiries among many beekeepers indicate that they started losing colonies in November 1991. They assumed it was due to normal incidents of absconding. The last reports (10 March 1992) talk of estimates of 5-10 000 lost colonies in Kerala, “several thousand” in Dakshina Kannada and spreading of the disease into Tamil Nadu. In one location, which visited on 2 February and found disease-free, 1500 colonies were lost later in the month. The mortality of colonies in the affected areas is over 90% |

short-term aspects Considering the speed with which this disease spreads and the very high mortality, we must expect the disease will strike

everywhere within a short time. Thus, no beekeeper may escape. It is a very pathetic tragedy to these poor people, and we suggest that they are given some compensation.

Lang term aspects Nature has a way of inflicting disease on living creatures, but never wipes them out completely. A few individuals survive due to freak resistance. Because of lowered competition, they have excellent survival conditions and soon multiply again into a new, resistant stock. There are many cases where this has happened, and the time gap between the wiping out of the old population and the appearance of a new one depends on many factors. We suggest the following plan of action: colonies surviving in disease-affected areas must be found and their queens must be preserved at all costs @ a breeding, testing and selection programme must be carried out @ when testing and selection is over, a large number of breeder queens must be produced and distributed @ large nurseries must be established with these breeder queens, and thousands of nucleus colonies, headed by queens of resistant stock, must be produced and

Research into the management of Apis cerana in north India has either not taken place (honey bee researchers tending to be infatuated with the european bee Apis mellifera) or has been unsuccessful. By contrast Apis mellifera has received much research attention.

Whatever the cause, beekeeping with Apis cerana in the north is practically at a standstill.

The situation is the reverse in south India.

Beekeeping with Apis cerana has taken place in a widespread and regular manner for many years, although a large-scale industry like that created in China during the last four decades is not present. This is due to negligence on the part of researchers in taking interest in the subject, as well as lack of government support.

Thus beekeeping has remained a widespread, but small-scale village industry.

The lack of large-scale beekeeping with Apis cerana in south India is because of management problems which all led to the same result: Apis cerana absconded, and beekeepers found themselves without bees.

Our work since 1980 found a solution to these problems. These include the maintenance of strong colonies, annual removal of old brood comb and supplying sugar syrup to ensure that bees have adequate provisions. By applying these new methods, beekeepers achieved success in their work, and hundreds of rural poor have taken up large-scale, Apis cerana beekeeping. They obtain average yields of 20 kg per colony year after year, producing several tonnes of honey in each apiary. The largest is Honey Valley Apiary in Coorg. The beekeeper produced 6000 kg in 1991 from 300 colonies. Some of those colonies yield over 40 kg. As far as we know he is now the largest, single honey producer in India.

Jan Olsson, Frederiksvej 52/2, DK 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark

®@

distributed.

Symptoms ®

The disease works at lightning speed. Within 10-12 days after infection, brood mortality approaches 100%.

The larvae die in the third, fourth and fifth moult. ® There is no discoloration of the dead larvae for many days They remain pearly white, turning to a light yellow as they begin to dry up ® The diseased larvae stretch and twist in their cells, and finally collapse flatly on the lower cell wall @ There is no smell ® The fina! mystery: a distinct, very characteristic black spot, 0.5-1.0 mm appears in the anterior end of the ®

larva.

7-12 SEPTEMBER 1992

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO The Conference will be held on the campus of the University of the West Indies, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

DONT

OF

These Conferences are held every four years only If you miss this one, you will have to wait until 1996 for the next!

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PRESEN During the Conference we will visit beekeepers in Trinidad on Tuesday 8 September and Friday 1! September.

Cae

sa?

There will be both oral and poster presentations, with time for discussion with authors.

POR On Wednesday 9 September the Conference focus moves to Tobago. Beekeepers in Tobago are planning a day full of activity with visits to Government and private apiaries and other sites of interest. International Delegates booking flights to Trinidad on British West Indian Airlines (BWIA) or on any international airline should at the same time book also a return flight to Tobago on 9 September, specifying the IBRA Conference trip to Tobago on this date. The cost of this return ticket to Tobago is your own responsibility and is not covered by the Conference registration fee. For those booked with BWIA, the cost will be inclusive with your ticket to Trinidad. Those booked with other international airlines will have to pay an additional fee (approximately 35SUS return).

FOS

Fee

EY

We plan to hold a workshop on top-bar hive design. if you use this type of hive then please bring unused examples of your equipment with you: even one top-bar will do. Beekeepers are always interested to see other people’s methods of trying to make bees do what we would like them to do!

POURS Three tours are planned:

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Beekeepers in St Andrew and St David County

Tuesday 15 September:

Beekeepers in St George County.

ACCOMP4aN

as.

ONS

A programme is being arranged for your companions.

IBRA is responsible for the scientific content of the Conference. The Trinidad and Tobago Organising Committee are responsible for hosting the Conference and plans are in hand for a very successful event.

For further information: (International Delegates) and Conference programme contact: Registration The Conference Secretariat, IBRA, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF] 3DY, UK.

CARICOM registration, trade stands, displays, exhibitions, contact:

The Conference Secretariat, Ministry of Food Production and Marine Exploitation, PO Box 389, Port of Spain, Trinidad. Fax: 1-809-622-4246 - Trinidad &

Our hosts in Trinidad and Tobago are planning a very warm Caribbean welcome!

Sunday 13 September: Stingless bees Monday 14 September:

RABEL Workshops (informal discussion sessions} are planned on Africanized bees, stingless bees and top-bar hives. There is still time for you to organise a workshop on any relevant topic. Find out how in the 2nd Announcement.

A. EYESES

Accommodation in Trinidad contact: Hospitality Services Ltd, 60 Picton Street, Newton, Port of Spain, Tobago Trinidad. Fax: 1-809-674-9873

In Trinidad many Africanized swarms are still flying into the southern areas of the Island from Guyana and Venezuela. In the 10 years (1979-1989) 36 630 swarms were collected and destroyed.

There do not appear to be any Africanized bees in Tobago but some swarms may have been conveyed by ships. It may be that indigenous bees so far outnumber Africanized colonies that the latter have not been able to establish themselves. The Apiaries Unit (Trinidad) has destroyed. a few colonies on ships bound for Tobago.

There is no doubt that these two islands are greatly favoured with good honey crops, excellent clim itic conditions and exten sive, and varied forage sources. In addition, they are re rarkably clear of pests and dis eases of honey bees and the beekeepers have lear it to live with Atricanized bees. .

BRAZIL A meeting will be held held in September (1418) to honour Dr Warwick Estevam Kerr on his 70th birthday. The meeting will include talks and symposia by invited speakers. Part of the meeting will be in Rio Claro and part in Ribeirao Preto (150 km apart). During the reunion in Rio Claro there will be a dinner in honour of Dr Kerr, The symposia will be mostly in portuguese, though some invited speakers will give talks in english. See Look Ahead for contact address.

Top-bar hive in action in Congo. Picture provided by Madeleine Moulin - Acevedo, a UN Volunteer assisting

to

promote beekeeping in Congo.

THE GAMBIA A training programme in beekeeping has started. DANIDA (The Danish International Development Agency) is supporting the

The Gambia: placing a traditional hive in a tree.

Traditionally

this is done after the rainy season is

finished (OctoberNovember) The hive is left there for eight or

nine months before harvest.

project with 136,000. The project is one outcome of a social-anthropological research programme on beekeeping in rural development started in 1989. The project involves co-operation between the Gambian Co-operative Beekeepers’ Association, the Association of Farmers, Educators and Traders, The Danish Beekeepers’ Association and DANIDA. The Danish Beekeepers’ Association is administering the project and providing consultants.

Two local organisations are responsible for the project without any interference from the government. Teaching is all done by Gambian beekeepers, carpenters, agriculturalists, specialists in pesticide use and in cooperative organisations. It is our hope that half of the trainees are women One woman beekeeper (F Sonko) has the special job of motivating others to participate in the training.

The traditional way of beekeeping includes killing of the bees with fire when harvesting the honey. In the training programme we will use local knowledge and materials, combined with new knowledge, so that honey can be harvested without destroying bee families - to get more honey and to secure a strong bee population for better pollination.

Six small training centres in different parts of the country will be constructed, and training carried out in a rotatory system.

Equipment will be bought or made locally.

The trainees will join three training sessions in different seasons. One bee uniform will be provided free of charge, and they will make their own hives to take back to their villages.

Trainees will learn to use all types of hives, but the emphasis will be on top-bar hives and sing local hives in modern ways. The first broup of trainees half females and half started ales, training in January 1992.

Bource: Ole Hertz, Denmark

=HANA

«

OLE HERTZ

Dnce the sweetness of the pudding has been ealised people will not wait their turn to aste it.

ed

ALY

rhat was the case in 1991 when rural ndustries officers found they could rely on a lood of invitations from beekeeping

syp

ee Ok

\ American honey doesn't affect us too much, because it sells at a higher price than ours”.

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Source: Lewis Manuel Medina

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i:HE WORLD

enthusiasts to draw up a programme of extension services.

Showing tangible evidence of the profitability of beekeeping is the way GRATIS holds the attention of potential beekeepers. This is done through selling honey and beeswax.

During the year, the demand for honey grew and sometimes outstripped the supply. By taking care of their marketing problems in the early stages, potential beekeepers could be encouraged to learn more skills and expand their apiaries.

Comparison could be made between the smoke-free, pure honey which sold for a maximum of 1200 Cedis ($4) and contaminated honey gathered through traditional means which sold at the low price of 300 Cedis ($1} per Ghanaian beer bottle (624 ml}. Based on a yield of two gallons per hive which is the equivalent of 14 beer bottles, two honey harvests per year could provide 28 bottles. If this is multiplied by 1200 Cedis per bottle, the annual income from one hive could be 33,608 Cedis ($120).

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This strategy of proving the profit in modern beekeeping is effective and also teaches beekeepers ways of establishing markets for their own products.

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bee

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RECIPE

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50 g beeswax, shredded 50 g white soap,

shredded 50 g white wax (use candle ends), shredded 1200 ml genuine turpentine 600 m! rainwater

PUERTO RICO

Two pans. Heat source.

Wide-necked containers with lids.

Puerto Rico has over 35 named brands of honey, most of them regional, but the market is dominated by imported honey from the Dominican Republic. This imported honey sells at a lower price than local honey and retailers make more profit on it. In second place by volume is local honey, which sells at a middle-range price. In third place, small! amounts of honey are imported from the USA, and this sells at a very high price. This “Goya” brand is distributed nationally and in the Eastern USA: it is processed and bottled in New Jersey The Goya Food Company sells over $500 million in food each year but statistics about their honey sales are not

available.

“The imports of the Dominican Republic are affecting us because of its low price”, says Mr Nieves, a local beekeeper. “However, the

Pas non

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Have your posted your pledge to be taken to the Earth Summit in June? See Beekeeping and Development 22.

RTSmeTD x

PSsse

bald

Furniture polish is a useful product which is easy to make When making polish remember that beeswax and turpentine are highly inflammable. Never heat either with a direct flame. The polishes can be coloured by adding a very small amount of dye. Use rainwater rather than treated water. The following recipes work well.

t met

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The Uganda Beekeepers’ Association was officially launched on the 18 February 1992 by the Hon Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry & Fisheries, Mrs Victoria Ssekitoleko.

As a contribution to the new Association, the Ministry has provided premises for its headquarters in Kampala.

The new Association has over 200 members who are aiming together to achieve improvement in the quality and marketing of bee products.

The Association has categories of membership for both individuals (equivalent to 10) and for institutions and companies (equivalent to 20). If you wish to support the Association then please send your membership fee (payable to Uganda Beekeepers’ Association) to the Secretariat, 4 Kimatri Avenue, Kampala

Source: Nelson Akukumah, Rural Industries Officer,

GRATIS

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UGANDA

Mg

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one pan dissolve the soap in the rainwater, warming it slightly.

Place the beeswax and white wax in the other pan with the turpentine and warm very gently until the waxes dissolve. Be careful that this mixture does not get too hot. Pour the warm soapy water into the turpentine mixture, and stir until cool. Pour the resultant polish into the containers.

In

RECIPE Il

RECIPE Ill

150 g beeswax 25 g soap flakes 600 ml genuine

50 g beeswax, shredded 50 g white wax (use

turpentine 400 ml boiling water Two bowls, one of which can be placed in a pot of water for warming. Heat source. Wide-necked containers with lids.

Put the beeswax and turpentine into the bow] inside a pot of water, and warm very gently until the beeswax dissolves. In the second bowl dissolve the soap flakes in the boiling

water.

Allow both mixtures to cool then add small amounts of the soapy water to the b and turpentin e, stirring all the time, ntil a cream of the jesired consistency i achieved,

candle ends}, shredded 50 g soft soap 400 ml genuine turpentine 400 ml boiling water One large bowl. Heat source. Wide-necked containers with lids.

Put the waxes and the soap into a bowl together with the turpentine, and mix together. Leave for several days and after this pour boiling water on to the mixture.

Leave to cool and then place in containers.

BLEBRLEPING. AM PE

VE

LOPMENT

LETTERS

from India

TO THE

EDITOR

wy )

Db °

We have now registered ourselves as a cooperative and are being financed by the Government. We hope to market 5000 kg of honey this year and earn handsome profits Our woodworking machine has been in operation for six months and we have been making Langstroth hives using local varieties of timber. We are no longer dependent upon imported pine wood from outside Punjab.

Eucalyptus wood, which was hitherto considered unsuitable for the purpose is now being seasoned by us using the field method.

After sawing the green tree into planks we keep it immersed in 25% solution of urea for 24 hours and then assemble it before it gets time to get warped. Hives so made stay beeproof and also stand occasional wetting during the monsoon rains.

WwW frome

OW» Ww

Cihiercay

February 1991 organised the first threeday beekeeping course here in Yaoundé, in french and english. More than 20 Cameroonians attended. Most of them started beekeeping right after the course.

Throughout this year have a course every second Saturday in french. Ten Cameroonians have been attending regularly. work with modern frame hives and with topbar hives, and advise everyone to start with top-bar hives. Because equipment is a problem here I started to put some basic things together. Virtually everything is made locally. Occasionally someone has the money for an imported smoker but the ones made locally are very good. Some of the things are made in a rehabilitation centre for leprosy In

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[BRA charts sent by you have been framed by us and are regularly used during discussion in our outdoor classes. We are easily able to

show that honey quality and especially its tendency to granulate varies with the flower source. There is a mistaken belief here that granulated honey cannot be pure.

The article on “low-cost foundation”

victims. would be happy if you could put my address in Beekeeping and Development. As time allows will organise further beekeeping courses and help people with advice and equipment My goal is that we can soon form a beekeeping club and newcomers can learn from the “oldies”.

(Beekeeping and Development 21) is an eye

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opener. We have been wasting wax on extra thick sheets thinking that we are providing extra strength to the comb. Now we know that the bees do not like a thick sheet and they do not let it stay thick. We shall now abandon that practice and save on wax which is in short supply

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My name and address are: Chris Hochstrasser, SIL/BP 1299 Yaoundé,

Major P S Pammi, Punjab Honey and Village Industries, Sanstha

Cameroon.

A class on beekeeping in the Punjab.

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2

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re 1 /, 1} op Caf

The West Africa Beekeeping Association is in action! The Executive Committee have made a number of important decisions: each member country has been given unti! September 1992 to form, revive or consolidate their national beekeeping association. The Executive Committee agreed that the Secretariat of the Association should be based in The Gambia, the proposed Regional Research Centre and Library in Ghana, and the Training Centre in Mali. Preparations are underway for a seminar to be held in Ghana in the last quarter of 1993. Further details of the West Africa Beekeeping Association from Samuel Oppong (President), PO Box 300, Tema, Ghana. |

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Learning about bees

A Cameroonian

mM

Vaoundé

beekeeper explains a traditional hive

ZOOMING IN ON...JORDAN

SAUDI ARABIA

JORDAN

Size

e Ma’an

97 740 km? (37 736 square miles)

Location Jordan is in the Middle East, bordered by Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Israel. The land on the West Bank of the river Jordan is occupied by Israel. The Dead Sea depression, 400 m below sea level is the lowest point on earth. The east of the country is mainly desert, but a high plateau extends from the northern border with Syria towards the south.

The capital of Jordan, Amman is at 800 m.

TURKEY

CYPRUS Mediterranean Sea

Population 3

942 000. It is estimated that 1000 families

practise beekeeping.

GNP $2165 per capita. Agriculture accounts for 8% of the GNP.

Main agriculture

The loss of the West Bank after the 1967 Middle East War deprived Jordan of 80% of its fruit-growing area. Citrus, other fruit, vegetables, olive oil and wheat are the main crops in the remaining East Bank.

Honey bees Apis mellifera syriaca is the native honey bee.

Italian queens are imported.

Beekeeping 1987 figures: 49 000 hives (41 000 traditional, 8000 frame hives). Most beekeeping is in the Irbid and Amman districts.

Hives Traditional beekeeping is practised in hollow clay cylinders made from mud and straw known as ‘baladi’, approximately m x 0.3 m and usually cemented together in groups of 50 or so. Another type of traditional hive is made from woven bamboo. |

Reu Sea

Equipment Most equipment for frame hive beekeeping is imported from Syria or Europe.

Projects GTZ project on beekeeping (1990, 1991) In June 1990 Queen Noor Al Hussein laid the foundation stone of a building for a bee breeding and honey production project. The project is carried out by the Noor Al Hussein Foundation.

Further reading ROBINSON, W S (1981) Beekeeping in Jordan.

Bee World 62: 91-97.

MILEA. O. {1987} Beekeeping in the Hashemite Kingdom of

Jordan. XXXI Apimondia Proceedings (1987) 509-512.

Beekeeping association Jordanian Beekeepers’ Association, PO Box 776, Al-Jubeihah, Amman Honey bee diseases American foulbrood, European foulbrood, sacbrood, Braula sp., Nosema apis, Varroa jacobsoni

Honey bee pests Vespa orientalis, Galleria mellonella. There is no

regulation of pesticide use in Jordan, and poisoning of bees by pesticides remains a very serious problem for beekeepers.

Melliferous vegetation Citrus spp, Echinops spp, Thymus vulgaris. The wild flora is rich and varied, and provides an important source of dark-coloured, sweet

honey.

Honey yield per colony frame hives, average yields are around 4 kg per colony per year, but can be up to 20 kg.

A typical yield from a traditional hive is 2 kg per colony per year.

In

With thanks

to

Salma Zabaneh for her assistance with

this item

u"

Total honey yield 120 tonnes (1988)

Honey imported 491 tonnes (1990)

Beekeeping department Animal Production and Health Department, Ministry of Agriculture, PO Box 2395, Amman.

Jordanians enjoying honey

SAUDI ARABIA

Honey for sale

BCOKSHELF Zambian beekeeping handbook

by Bernhard and Renate Clauss.

Beekeeping Division of the Forestry Department, Zambia (1991) 108 pp. Paperback.

Available from IBRA price

to be announced.

This an A4 size handbook prepared and printed in Zambia. It will be of great value to all those who seek to encourage beekeeping in resource-poor areas of Africa. It is full of practical “hands on” information. It is written in a style that is easy-to-read and encouraging. It gives excellent advice on handling bees. [t is extremely well illustrated.

It contains details of many different types of hive, traditional and modern. It provides sound information of exactly the type needed where there are few resources, and where existing vegetation and honey bees are precious. [t will become a classic text!

Bees and beekeeping in the North West Province of Zambia.

Report on a beekeeping survey

by Bernhard Clauss.

Forest Department-IRDP

Available from IBRA price

(1992) 168 pp. Paperback. to be

announced.

From Bees and beekeeping in the North West

Province of

Zambia.

This report is the result of a three and a half year beekeeping survey of Zambia’s North Western Province. Every page is packed with carefully researched information, and the result is comprehensive and unique description of forest beekeeping: the bee flora involved, the honey bees involved, traditional practices recent hive trials and resultant comparisons between new and old technologies, marketing, difficulties facing beekeepers, and concerns for the future. The Appendix provides new and valuable data on bee plants and flowering calendars. a

,

In the closing page of this book, Bernhard Clauss makes a plea which should be considered by all who seek to teach or learn beekeeping: Any certificate in beekeeping should be granted strictly along guidelines similar to a driving test: nobody can qualify for a driver's licence if he/she fails to pass the practical part of it...

Hive management

by Richard E Bonney.

Blandford (1992) 152 pp. Paperback.

Available from IBRA price 10.50.

This book does not start at the absolute beginning, describing items of beekeeping equipment and explaining the difference between queen, drone and worker. Instead it starts at the beginning of hive management, for example explaining why bees swarm, what happens during swarming, steps the beekeeper can take to prevent bees swarming, and what to do when they swarm anyway! It provides the reader with clear understanding of the reasons behind routine beekeeping practices.

Richard Bonney is a beekeeper in the USA, and his text relates to frame hive beekeeping with Apis mellifera.

Beekeeping

in the

tropics

by P Segeren, V Mulder, ]

Beetsma and R Sommeijer.

Agrodok 32. Published by Agromisa, PO Box 41, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands. (1991) 3rd revised edition. 83 pp. Paperback.

Available from Agromisa in English and French for Dfl7.50 excluding postage. Inhabitants of ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries can apply for Agrodoks free of charge from CTA, PO Box 380, 6700 AJ, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

This Agrodok booklet gives information on how to work with cavity-nesting honey bees.

The booklet stresses the importance of starting at a local level and only later, with growing experience, trying to improve the local system of beekeeping or even trying to introduce new systems.

A lot of information is packed into this booklet. [t starts with background detail of bees, a honey bee colony and the importance of honey and wax production.

Subsequent chapters address bee handling, discussion and description of different hive types, feeding and care of bees, and how to establish colonies.

Final chapters describe how to harvest and process honey, wax and pollen. Diseases are described briefly and further notes are given in four appendices.

Proceedings of the International Symposium on recent research in bee pathology edited by W Ritter, associate

editors O van Laere, F Jacobs, L de Wael.

Merelbeke, Belgium; State Research Station for Nematology and Entomology for Apimondia (1991)

223 pp. Paperback.

Available from IBRA price 17.50.

PEERS

The full texts of 51 papers reporting recent research on all aspects of diseases and parasitism, caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and mites.

This specialist symposium was attended by experts from every continent who are involved with the study of bee diseases, and the proceedings from their meeting provide a concise account of current research findings.

Good value.

Biodiversity of honey bees in Thailand compiled by Siriwat Wongsiri, Thomas E Rinderer and H Allen Sylvester.

Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok (1992} 112 pp.

Paperback. to be

announced.

Reprints of publications by staff and students of the Bee Biology Research Unit and visiting researchers from 1987 to 1990. The texts of 17 papers are given - pure and and applied biology relating to asian honey bees, introduced Apis mellifera and mites of honey bees.

non-wood forest products. Activities aiming

for sustainable use of non-wood forest products should be encouraged as we strive for the conservation and wise use of forest

Beekeeping pollen atlas

in

tore® wne

y

nee

Malaysia:

This book was reviewed in Beekeeping and Development 20.

The book is now available from 15.00

IBRA at

a new price of

Asian honey bees Eight postcards produced by the Institute of Honey Bee Science, Tamagawa University, Japan (1992).

Postcards featuring top quality colour pictures of all the described asian honey bee. species: Apis andreniformis, Apis cerana indica, Apis cerana japonica, Apis dorsata, Apis florea, Apis koschevnikovi, and Apis laboriosa.

The Bee Catalogue: publications from IBRA Nina Gibson and Helen Jackson.

compiled by

IBRA (1992) 36pp. Paperback.

Available from IBRA price 1 including to IBRA Members).

published by Bee

currently available for purchase from IBRA, including visual aids This Catalogue also serves as a useful and quick guide to publications in print, and is essential for anyone preparing a small or large library of bee books.

Biology Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, in cooperation with IBRA (1992) 203 pp. Paperback. to be

announced.

The first part of this publication contains the abstracts of 115 papers accepted for presentation at the recent International Conference on the asian honey bees and bee mites (see pages 4 and 5 of this edition).

The second part is a bibliography prepared by Eva Crane and Penelope Walker. This bibliography lists references for 515 items published between 1979 and 1991 relating to asian honey bees.

Non-wood forest products: the way ahead published by FAO FAO Forestry Paper 97 (1991) 37 pp. Paperback.

Available from FAO Sales Agents or directly from Distribtution and Sales Section, FAO, Via delle Terme di Caracalla,

ponWee gucts:

resources.

Abstracts of papers and bibliography on asian honey bees 1979-199]

Available from IBRA price

pre

Available from IBRA price 1.50.

Bee Biology Research Unit, Research Affairs Division,

Available from IBRA price

OH be

00100 Rome, Italy.

This publication has been prepared by Gerald Wickens of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, UK to serve as a guide to issues regarding

postage (free

A new catalogue of over 300 publications

MALL Of

-

Prices shown for books available from IBRA exclude post and packing charges.

The following must be added to all orders:

Overseas orders (surface mail) .p&p 2.00 up to 10.00 3.50 to 20.00 10.01 4.50 30.00 to 20.01 5 50 to 50.00 30.01 50 7 to 100.00 50.01 .

UK orders up to 10.00 10.01 to 20.00 20.01 to 30.00 30.01 to 50.00 50.01 to 100.00

p&p 1.00 2.50

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3.50 .

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5.00 6.00

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Orders over 100.00, or to be sent by air mail including insurance, prices on request. (No insurance available to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria.)

IBRA cannot be held responsible for damage to, or loss of goods in-transit.

Plos Mi at

-

In sterling or US dollars.

Che. 117 St Bank Street, PO Box 117, National Mary plc, Westminster Bankers: Cardiff CF] 1LG, UK. Account No: 85015415. Bank sort code: 56-00-41. mo, Account No: 291794408.

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Don’t forget - you can order fast by fax. Our number is 44 (0)222 665522

DIPLOMA IN APICULTURE

|

UNIVERSITY OF WALES COLLEGE OF CARDIFF in bee hives, published in issue 21 of Beekeeping and Development. Course participants also

The Diploma in Apiculture is primarily for those in beekeeping industries, research and support establishments, and beekeeping extensionists in tropical and subtropical countries. The entry requirements are a relevant degree or practical experience of beekeeping.

CARDIFF UNIVE R&ITY STUOE

or

NT

PROSrie

senn tas y ened cog

Pile

undertake study visits around the UK and Europe, visiting major honey bee research establishments and conferences to discover recent findings and new techniques. They visit honey packers, practising beekeepers and beekeeping fairs where tips on techniques and new equipment are available.

THE DIPLOMA

Physiology Ecology and foraging Behaviour and pheromones Pathology Basic beekeeping

Honey production and

analysis

a

With access to the University’s science library and the excellent library at IBRA just 400 metres from the University, course participants gather really up-to-date information.

As well as studying bee biology and beekeeping, all participants are postgraduate students of the Biology Department, and so are taught to use computers for report writing, to analyse data statistically and to present research results. Such skills will be useful subsequently when course participants organise extension projects or develop research and support facilities for national or regional beekeeping activities.

a hive of bees laboratories of the

Diploma students examining

= S

adjacent Bee Research Unit

—

For more information on the Diploma in Apiculture at Cardiff please write to me at: The School of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales College of Cardiff,

During the summer every participant undertakes a research project on some aspect of bee biology or beekeeping. The project is designed to address a specific problem relating to beekeeping in the participant's home country. A good example of this was Ghanaian Kwame Aidoo’s project on the use of cheap unembossed wax sheet

|

|

PO Box 915, Cardiff, CFl 3TL, UK. Dr Robert

}

Paxton, Course Co-ordinator |

|

From May to September course participants undertake practical work following usual beekeeping management practices to ensure colony development, swarm control and surplus honey production and harvest.

RS PICKARD

to the research

PICKARD

:

Pollen production and identification Wax production and use Royal jelly production Queen propagation Honey bee breeding Crop pollination Financial planning

RS

'

one-year

What is the Diploma in Apiculture? It is a course of teaching designed to give participants knowledge, skills and training in beekeeping and bee biology. Through lectures, laboratory practicals, seminars and tutorials, wide range of relevant subjects is covered during the first two terms.

OA

fp

Is a

|

Te Fone

APICULTURE

|

|

Some continue their studies beyond the Diploma in Apiculture and take Master's and Doctorate degrees. These are purely research degrees for which students undertake original research for a further one or three years respectively It is fair to ask why a course aimed at those working in tropical and subtropical countries should be run in Cardiff It is true that beekeeping in Cardiff uses european honey bees only, that frame hive beekeeping is used throughout, and that active honey bee management can only be practised for six months. However, all aspects of tropical and subtropical beekeeping are discussed and illustrated. In an ideal world, course participants would have access to honey bees from Africa, Asia and Latin America in a variety of types of hives and in a variety of climates.

However we could not encourage the international movement of honey bees, nor could they survive long in Cardiff's temperate climate! Despite these limitations, there are great benefits to the course at Cardiff access to modern facilities and up-to-date information combined with careful teaching and discussion of appropriate beekeeping.

postgraduate course run by the Biology Department at Cardiff University. During the past seven years many people involved in beekeeping in tropical and subtropical countries have taken the course and returned home to continue their careers, now avid readers of Beekeeping and Development!

However, there may be more readers who are interested in what the course has to offer and in this article hope to outline just that.

oak poet Soe a Bee diversity and anatomy

fh:

IN

|

ee

SUBSCRIPTIONS Readers in some countries face difficulty in obtain ing foreign currency to pay their subscriptions. We are m aking every effort to help you. Beeswax Barter provides a way to pay fo! Beekeeping and Development without involving a cash trans action: the conditions are shown below. Readers in Asian countries may ay in their own currency to their local AAA chapter (list wal tn Daalnanlin aed Development 20, page 8).

RATES Beeswax S 11.00 5 kg One subscription to any destination 20.00 50.00 25 kg 100.00 Ten subscriptions to one postal address in a devel loping country 2.00 4.00 Back issues, per copy kg Subscriptions commence on the date they are rece ived by IBRA. Each subscription covers four editions, and includes airmail postage and packing. See page thirteen for methoc s of payment.

Groups or individuals who are unable to pay may! equest a sponsored subscription: please write to Nicola Bradbear. |

1

REESWAA BARTER Conditions.

Beeswax must be reasonably clean and of good quality.

2. Beeswax must be presented in solid form and not as scr. ps of wax or pieces of comb 3. Beeswax from any species of Apis will be accepted as lon g as the species from which it is collected is clearly marked on the parcel 4. Inside the parcel state your name and address, the weigl t and origin of the beeswax, and the number of subscriptions you are paying On the outside of the parcel state “BEESWAX RAW FOR IBRA” and the u eight of beeswax in kilograms.

5. Any parcel containing comb, adulterated or very dirty we x 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 6. Payment in beeswax is only available for subscriptions t« developing countries and cannot be used for any other subscription or purchase from IBRA. 7. Arrangements for and costs of carriage of beeswax to IBI are the responsibility of the sender and IBRA will not be responsible for any postage or other costs whatsoever, Proof of postage is not acceptec as proof as receipt Ensure packaging used is adequate to endure the effects of travel .

LOOK ALEAD Please note that if.you want details of an event to be advertised in this column it is important that you send information to the Editor well in advance of the planned date.

Ieee we ae

_

United Nations Conference on Environment and “ The Earth Summit’.

Development 1-12 June 1992, Rio de Janeiro.

Further details from: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Case postale 80, Conches, Switzerland The Global Forum 1-12 June 1992, Rio de Janeiro. ; Further details from: 92 Global Forum, Hotel Gloria, Predio Annexo, 366 Rua do Russel, 632, 22212 RJ, Brazil.

In honour of Dr Warwick E Kerr on his 70th birthday.

14-18 September 1992, Part of the meeting will be held in Rio Claro and part in Ribeirao Preto.

Further details fram. Dr Carminda da Cruz Landim, Depio de Biologia, Instituto de Biociencias UNESP, Caixa Postal 199, 13.500 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.

-

oan

XIX International Congress of Entomology.

28 June-4 July 1992, Beijing.

Further details fram: Secretariat,

XIX International Congress of Entomology, 19 Zhongguancun Lu, Beijing 100080, China.

“Telex: 222337 ICCST CN; Fax: 861 2565689.

Apimondia XXXII International Apiculture Congress. October 1993, Beijing.

Further details will be given in Beekeeping and Development as they : become available.

8th International Palynological Congress.

6-12 September 1992, Aix-en-Provence.

Further details from: Lab de Palynologie, CNRS, Université des Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc, 34060 Montpellier

14th Commonwealth Forestry Conference “People, the Environment and Forestry - Conflict or Harmony”.

13-18 September 1993, Kuala Lumpur.

Topics covered will include all facets of forestry and forestry sector development.

Further details from: The Secretary General CFC-14, Forestry Department Headquarters, Peninsular Malaysia, jalan Sultan Salahuddin, 50660 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Fax: 03 292 5657.

Regional Beekeepers’ Meeting.

11-13 May 1992, Castries.

The purpose of this Workshop is to bring together beekeepers operating in the Eastern Caribbean to discuss topics including production, commercialisation and promotion of beekeeping in the region.

Further details from: jorge Murillo-Yepes, PO Box 612,

Saint George's, Grenada,

CNet

Fifth International Conference on Apiculture in Tropical Climates.

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

Further details are given on page seven.

Tropical Trees: Potential for Domestication.

Cedex, France.

24-28 August 1992, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Further from: The Secretariat, The Institute of details Terrestrial Ecology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0OB, Scotland, UK.

International Symposium on Pollination in Tropics.

8-13 August 1993, Bangalore.

Further details from: Dr K N Ganeshaiah, Secretary, International Symposium on Pollination in Tropic: Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Ag ricultural Sciences, GKVK ° Campus, Bangalore 560 065, India. elex: 8458393 UASKIN.

International Workshop on Non-Apis Bees and their Role as Crop Pollinators.

9-13 August 1992, Logan, Utah State University.

Further details fram: Dr John D Vandenberg, USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322 5310, USA.

,

REMEMBER TO MENTION BEEKEEPING AND DEVELOPMENT

The international

Beescience

link between beekeeping science and practice

Volume 2 30

4

Four Issues

e

($20) Surface ($40) Airmail

DEE

18

WMa

G new scientific journal about bees

Wicwas Press Dr.

Bee World publishes news from around the world, and authoritative, peerreviewed articles and reviews aimed to be of wide interest

Individual IBRA membership, including Bee World, 27.50

Lawrence J. Connor, Editor

For Information and Free Catalog Write P O Box 817- R e Cheshire Connecticut 06410-0817 « USA Phone or Fax 203-250-7575

IBRA, 18 North Road, Cardiff, CF1 3DY, UK

TRADE MARK

S\VAN. h\DTAa

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Simple, hygienic two-part strainer

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Garn Products, 25 & 28 Sages Lane, Walton, Peterborough, PE4 6AT, UK Tel +44 733 571172 Fax +44 733 324117 Beekeeping and Development is published quarterly by the International Bee Research Asociation, Telephone 0222 372409 International 44 222 372409, Fax: 0222 665522 International 44 222 665522 See page fifteen for subscription details.

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