BEEKEEPING
&
DEVELOPMENT 41
N EWS
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
GHANA
ARO U N D
Beekeeping inspector checks Nevis bees Mr Laurence Cutts, Senior Beekeeping Inspector for the State of Florida, USA,
recently visited Nevis to advise local beekeepers on pests and diseases and Africanization of their bees. His journey and accommodation were funded by the Florida Aid Agency FAVA/CA to whom Nevis Beekeepers are very grateful.
Ebenezer Franko Agonnor is a volunteer teaching apiculture in nine schools in rural areas of Eastern Here he shows how Ghana. to make a top-bar hive. PHOTOGRAPH SENT BY NANA AFUFFO-LARTEY
While Mr Cutts is impressed that Nevis is pest and disease free and that, subject to laboratory confirmation, there appears to be no Africanization of Nevis bees, he is very concerned that Nevis bees will soon have these problems. He warned Nevis Beekeepers that Africanized bees had taken hold in Puerto Rico, St Croix, Trinidad and probably in Dominican Republic and Haiti as well. Africanized bees were to come to St Kitts or Nevis they could:
If
@
Seriously threaten the tourist industry;
@
Ruin a thriving local beekeeping industry on both islands, with unique export industries based on honey and beeswax;
@
End the possibility of raising queen bees for export.
MEXICO The Proceedings
of the Ninth
American Conference of Apiculture
are now published. They contain papers on Africanized honeybees, pathology, stingless bees and honey production. Sixteen papers in Spanish, five in English.
Available from: Programa Nacional Para El Control de la
Abeja Africana, Campeche N 285 Ex, Hipodromo Condesa,
Be SR
Jig ae
S
WAG
grees ee
As well as the above named islands Varroa mite is known to be on Grenada, because beekeepers from that island imported queens with infested attendant bees from the USA. There is no cure for Varroa and control is very costly. Other bee diseases to be wary of, and not found in Nevis bees by Mr Cutts, are American foulbrood and European foulbrood (brood diseases that can be carried in honey - for example honey imported from countries whose bees have these diseases) and tracheal mite.
DF CP 06100, Mexico.
oe
Africanized bees have found their way to Caribbean Islands as swarms on container ships. They cluster between the containers and come ashore at any port of call. There is also a danger that these swarms, or bees brought into St Kitts and Nevis by other means, carry Varroa.
Laurence Cutts pointed out that if diseased or Africanized bees found their way into either St Kitts or Nevis they would spread, by flying across The Narrows to the sister island. It is important that a sharp and watchful eye be kept on sea port facilities in Nevis and St Kitts. J
Quentin Henderson
Source: The St Kitts-Nevis Observer October 1996
SIX
SOUTH AFRICA The “Hail
annual award to recognise those whose work has uplifted agriculture in South Africa. In 1996 it was won for the first time by a beekeeper, Philimon Modileng. of Fame” is an
Philimon is a remarkable entrepreneur who succeeded despite great difficulties. He began beekeeping at age 13 in 1950, working for a commercial beekeeper. In 1973 he started his own bee farm, beginning with just 12 hives. Today he is regarded as the most successful beekeeper in South Africa, running 3200 colonies, and employing eight people. Average production is 90 tonnes of honey per year.
Philimon M dileng’s career has been difficult: He had tod eal with the aggressive apartheid years. Trave ling around the country, Philimon did not expe rience too many problems with the authorit ies as the police force considered that all beel eepers were white. White beekeepers used black labourers to transport their hives < ll over the country and wheneve Philimon ca me to a road block, he was summoned to carry on. The police were not wanting to € ntertain a truck load of bees. Philimon he d to also contend with farmers who could r ot accept him.
About this t ime Philimon had to deal with the arrival of the Cape bee. This was a shattering period wher 2800 of his colonies were destroyed. | eft with 400, he managed to increase to 000 colonies once again. Being in Bophuthats’ ana, Philimon could not benefit from the Go vernment subsidy being enjoyed by his Sout! African counterparts. Philimon could hardly cope with this episode and his finances we e dwindling. After the 19' 4 elections representation was made to the authorities: permission was granted to a flow Philimon to receive assistance i the same way as the others. This led to misct ief amongst some beekeepers who
A Bees fer Development publication
