New publications from IBRA

1. The impact of pest management on bees and pollination

232 pages, including extensive tables and bibliography. One copy of this report is being circulated to all institutes which received the Bibliography of Tropical Apiculture, and to selected individuals. It is also available direct from IBRA, price £15.00 or US$27.00, post paid.

This new report was commissioned by the Tropical Research and Development Institute, London, and prepared at IBRA by Dr. Eva Crane and Penelope Walker. It highlights a dilemma which is world-wide, but which is particularly acute in developing countries: pest control measures can greatly increase crop yields, but without proper precautions they may kill the pollinating insects on which many crops are dependent.

Until now, there has been a shortage of unbiased information on the effects of pesticide use on bees and bee-pollinated crops in developing countries, and the authors attempt to fill this gap. They discuss the ‘pollination by bees (and other insects) of important crops grown in the tropics and subtropics, and assess the damage caused to bees by pesticides commonly used. Tables group the pesticides into four Use-classes, according to their relative safety or toxicity to bees. Measures that could greatly reduce the killing of bees are explained, and relevant progress in integrated pest management is summarized.

The final section of the report presents recommendations for action at national and global levels to improve the situation. The situation could be improved greatly by a programme designed to spread existing knowledge of the dangers, and of ways in which they can be reduced without damaging crop yields. This task should therefore be given the highest priority.

The report has two useful Annexes: an extensive annotated bibliography on bee pollination of crops grown in the tropics and subtropics, and a bibliography of laws and regulations (world-wide) to protect bees from pesticide poisoning,

2. Laws and regulations (world-wide) to protect bees from pesticide poisoning are listed in a new IBRA Bibliography (No. 29).

It covers 51 countries, giving details of their legislation, etc., if any, relating to the prevention of bee poisoning. It will be of special value in countries considering introducing legislation with this purpose. Price £4.00 or US$7.60, post paid (50% discount to IBRA members).

Two other IBRA bibliographies covering standards and legislation are available: No. 19 "Honey standards, laws and regulations (world-wide)", published in 1977, and No. 24 "World-wide standards for hive products except honey and for equipment used in beekeeping and in processing hive products" (1979.) Bach costs £3.00 or US$5.70 post paid (50% discount to IBRA members).

3. World list of beekeeping journals, annual reports, and other serials currently received by IBRA (120, 1983)

Obtainable from IBRA, price £11 or US$20.00, post paid, this list provides details of all current beekeeping and bee research journals known to IBRA. It also gives information on other serial publications currently received by IBRA, and thus serves as a current serials catalogue of the IBRA library.

Two books, both with simple, well illustrated texts for teaching beekeeping, have just been published, about beekeeping in tropical Africa (Botswana), and in the Arabian peninsula (Oman):

4. A Beekeeping Handbook by B. Clauss, published by the Agricultural Information Service, Gaborone, Botswana, 2nd edition,

1982, 65 pp. Obtainable from IBRA price £7.00 or US1$5.00, post paid. This simple teaching book describes the experiences of Bernhard Clauss, beekeeping in Botswana with A. m. adansonii in Tanzanian top-bar hives. The author explains how he and a group of schoolboys started a successful beekeeping project, on a small, home-based scale. Full instructions are given, starting with a simple description of how to make a top—bar hive, how to catch a swarm and handle bees, and continuing to describe bee management, honey harvesting and some common beekeeping pests (which include humans!

As well as the easy-to-read English text, the handbook has many explanatory photographs, and together these provide an excellent and encouraging guide to beekeeping techniques.

5. Honeybees in Oman

produced by the Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of H.LL, for Protocol, Muscat. Text by RW. Dutton, A.M. Mjeni and R.P. Whitcombe, 19382, 38 pp. Obtainable from IBRA, in either language, price £4.10 or US#8.00, post paid.

This colourful book starts by describing in simple terms the life cycles of A. meliifera and A. florea. Traditional and modern methods of managing A. mellifera are illustrated, but of particular interest is the description and illustration of skilful methods used by Omanis to manage A. florea. The bees cannot be kept in any sort of hive, but instead, the single comb on which they live is supported in a split date palm stalk and the Omani beekeepers are able to remove honeycomb without causing damage to brood.

This book is mainly about beekeeping, but it has an ecological approach, discussing the benefit of bees for cultivating crops, and the danger of harm being caused to bees by pesticides. Bach page portrays some aspect of beekeeping, with a small amount of explanatory text. The book is published in separate English and Arabic versions, and with its attractive layout, provides a clear and simple introduction to bees and beekeeping.