News

BELGIUM

Testing side effects of pesticide

The Belgian company Biobest in co-operation with the German organisation CRO GAB/IFU (Niefern- Oschelbronn) is testing the negative effects of pesticides on beneficial organisms used in glasshouses and orchards in Europe.

GAB/IFU was the first laboratory in Germany to test the effects of pesticides on honeybees and bumblebees, and Biobest was the first company to develop the commercial mass production of bumblebees for pollination of glasshouse crops

Tests will be performed on several species, including the bumblebee Bombus terrestris, on all relevant crops throughout Benelux, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Guido Sterk, Field Development and Registration Manager, Biobest

BOSNIA

Peter Rains, retired beekeeper from the United Kingdom recently travelled to Bosnia to meet beekeepers, the Agriculture Minister and directors of companies associated with the honey trade. He returned with kilo of Bosnian honey for Gales who are delighted with its quality. Mr Rains was instrumental in the deal established between the multinational company Gales and their parent company Nestlé and the Bosnian beekeepers. The beekeepers will receive payment for their honey, partly cash and partly greatly needed equipment hives, tools and treatment for Varroa. It is estimated that third of Bosnia’s 1500 hives were destroyed in the war.

Source: Independent on Sunday, 11 January 1998

CAMEROON

I am writing to say thank you to Bees for Development for publishing in B&D38 my request for assistance. As result of this request we received help from Mr André Romet from France, and Mr Brian Durk from the United Kingdom. The picture* shows the first class of the basic beekeeping course with Mr Durk (kneeling right) and students.

* please see the original journal article to see the picture

BRAZIL

Honey of Cane

The use that bees make of the liquid that springs from cut sugar canes allows the collection of product improperly called ‘can honey’. Although it is not classified as honey, its chemical composition in terms of sugar is similar to some ‘real’ honeys elaborated by bees from the nectar of flowers. Chemical analysis of the ‘cane honey’ showed the following results:

Monosaccharides: the ‘cane honey’ always presents more glucose than floral honeys. Fructose levels are similar to those in floral honeys.

Disaccharides: maltose level is always higher in the ‘cane honey’. Sucrose is present in similar amounts to that found in floral honeys.

Minerals: the ‘cane honey’ presents ash contents of 5-10 times more than in floral honeys. The main mineral components are magnesium, manganese and potassium.

Therefore ‘cane honey’ is good source of energy and can be used in the manufacture breads, candies, crackers and any products made with sugar.

Roberto Machado de Moraes, Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimento

INDIA

Easy Way with Apis Dorsata In India Apis dorsata honeybee colonies are seen on tall trees, mountain cliffs in the forest, and high buildings in cities. Every year at the same time colonies come and settle on the same places the marks from wax comb left by the bees during the previous season.

One Apis dorsata honeybee colony was transferred by taking the bees and brood comb from Tamarindus indica tree. A bamboo clip was fixed on the comb below the honey area where the brood starts. The part of the comb filled with pollen was not disturbed. Light smoke was used to calm the bees.

The colony was brought to the apiary at about 1800 hours, and its clip was tied to wooden plank. The side of this plank facing the ground had been smeared with beeswax Bees started clinging to the surface of the plank 200 ml of sugar syrup (1 : 3) was given on alternate days during night time for one week 100g of pollen, previously collected from another Apis dorsata colony, was placed on the right side of the clip. During the first two days the bees were busy repairing the damaged part of the comb and removing dead larvae and bees On the third day about 1000 hours bees started bringing in pollen During the second week the quantity of sugar syrup feeding was reduced to 100 ml sugar syrup feeding was reduced to 100 ml After two weeks, the bees had joined the upper part of the comb to the wax-smeared plank The bees were feeding from the pot feeder and from flowers and extending the upper cells to store nectar and to provide broader base to support the weight of hanging comb.

The colony has now been with us for 45 days kept on the stand in our back yard. It is facing north-south in direction, one metre above the ground, and in the shade of a tree The comb is full of developing brood. The bees are consuming pollen nicely The clip will be removed when the base cells of the comb on each side of the mid-rib are all 75 mm long The bees are no longer giving alarm signals whenever someone approaches the colony, as they did for two days after they were moved.

Iyoti Bhakta, Pune, India

PAKISTAN

Apis mellifera (European honeybee) is now established and found almost everywhere in the country. Although we do not have regular survey, reliable estimate is that there are more than 50,000 colonies of Apis mellifera managed by private beekeepers and government institutes Almost 1000 tonnes of good quality honey, worth Rs50 million are produced annually

Bee farmers are being organised through a network This is known as BEE-NET, an NGO based in Islamabad for the promotion of bee farming through environmentally-friendly and sustainable agriculture in the barami areas.

Mohammad Chaudry, President, BEE-NET

GHANA

Friends of Bee Enterprise (FOBE) were selected to represent Ashanti Region in national exhibition in Accra for entrepreneurs and small-scale business people.

In 1997 FOBE has held three separate training sessions attracting a total of 68 participants. Information provided by Bees for Development for use during the training courses was of immense help, reports Mr Quaye, Director of FOBE

PROFESSOR FRIEDRICH RUTTNER

AS we go to press we are given the sad news that Professor Friedrich Ruttner died on February 1998.

Professor Ruttner established the honeybee breeding station at Lunz- am-See in Austria. In 1965 he became Professor of Zoology at the University of Frankfurt in Germany, and Director of the Bee Research Institute at Oberursel. This is where he carried out his remarkable scientific work in the fields of genetics, breeding, instrumental insemination, taxonomy, mating behaviour and bee botany. With Professor Louveaux in France Professor Ruttner founded the scientific journal Apidologie.

Professor Ruttner was always concerned that there was efficient communication between bee research and beekeeping practice. He was good friend of Bees fer Development and has supported our work for many years.

As President of the Standing Commission for Bee Biology Professor Ruttner played an important role in Apimondia. Professor Octaaf van Laere, the current President of the Standing Commission who sent us this information says “Professor Friedrich Ruttner had life in the service of bees and beekeepers”.