Bookshelf

Proceedings of the First Caribbean Beekeeping Congress

edited by Pamela Collins and Gladstone Solomon 1999 230 pages. A4 Paperback.

Available from Bees for Development price £30

If you need an update on what beekeeping development is happening in the Caribbean, then this is the book for you. An excellent source of current information on the region. There are also technical papers, for example on the reproduction of stingless bees in Tobago, the management of Africanized bees in Costa Rica, apitherapy and reports from institutions and non-governmental organisations on their work in the region. Seven appendices give yet more useful information. These Proceedings were speedily and professionally published after the highly successful First Caribbean Congress help in Tobago in late 1998.

Details of the Second Caribbean Congress in Nevis are given on page 6.

Asian bees and beekeeping: progress of research and development .

edited by Mitsuo Matsuka, Verma, Siriwat Wongsiri, Shrestha, Uma Partap 2000 264 pages. Hardback

Available from Bees for Development price £33

This book arises from the 4th Asian Apicultural Association Conference held in Kathmandu two years ago. It contains wealth of new material on Asian bees ranging from academic research to reports on the beekeeping status of countries in the region. Research orientated papers relate to bee biology, pathology, management methods, bee products and pollination studies. The texts of 72 papers are presented in very attractively produced format. There are further 23 “fact boxes” dispersed throughout the book. Good value, and useful addition for beekeepers’ libraries in Asia and beyond.

The next AAA Conference is in Chiang Mai, Thailand in March 2000.. Details in 'What's on' on page 11.

Beekeeping and some honeybee plants in Umailila, Southern Tanzania

Paul Latham 1999 92 pages. A4 Spiral bound with over 100 colour photographs.

This manual is intended to encourage the conservation and planting of useful bee plants in the southern highlands of Tanzania.

Seventy-four plant species (including crops, trees and herbaceous plants) are pictured and their values for bees are described. The introductory section describes the log hive beekeeping practised in this area, and shows typical smoker, one metre long and constructed from bamboo, Vernonia stems and banana leaves. Paul Latham’s pictures are very good and this book will help anyone to quickly learn to identify the species depicted.

Background to bee breeding

useful new book for beekeepers with serious interest in bee breeding. John Atkinson is highly experienced beekeeper and advisor who has spent lifetime working with and learning about bees.

In this text he provides plenty of information that is not available elsewhere. Examples of the |3 chapters included are ‘Genetics for bee breeders’, ‘Diploid drone production and its avoidance’, and ‘Instrumental insemination’. With few illustrations complex, technical subject is still made accessible by John Atkinson’s light hearted and relaxed style of writing. An excellent book but certainly not recommended for the beginner beekeeper!

Beekeeping: beginner’s guide

Tom Carroll

1997 37 pages Spiral bound A4.

Available from Bees for Development price £10

A helpful text for beginner beekeepers in Kenya and other countries in Africa. Clear, practical information on how to get started, what to do during the year, and the harvesting and marketing of bee products. Also gives useful sources of further information and methods for making simple value-added products.

Elimination of American foulbrood without the use of drug

Mark Goodwin and Cliff Van Eaton 1999 78 pages. A5 Paperback.

Available from Bees for Development price £8

American foulbrood (AFB) is bacterial disease infecting brood of the honeybee Apis mellifera. The disease is found in many countries. Some beekeepers try to control the disease by the use of antibiotics. This is not an effective or desirable way to control the disease in the long term, because the bacteria develop resistance, drug residues appear in honey, and the antibiotics merely suppress and ‘hide’ the disease rather than eliminate it.

In New Zealand {as in the UK and other countries) the use of antibiotics to control AFB is illegal. This book does not describe methods to ‘cure’ colony once it has contracted the disease, rather it advocates destroying by fire all colonies in which the disease is identified. By this strategy New Zealand plans to reduce the incidence of AFB to below 0.1% by the end of ten years and ultimately to eradicate the disease from the country. This manual gives a lot of useful information on AFB, how to identify it, and practical tips on how to eliminate the disease from beekeeping enterprises.

Videoshelf

Beekeeping in Development

edited by Horst Wendorf 1999 81 minutes

1. Appropriate Beekeeping Technology (25min)

2. Processing and Marketing of Bee Products (29min)

3. Management of Bees in Top-Bar Hives (32min)

Three videos on one tape available from Bees for Development price £25

The video shows people handling bees gently and expertly. It catches the excitement of bringing home new swarm, and of people enjoying their beekeeping work. It has been made by the six-year project at Mpongwe in Zambia that has successfully established effective training, extension and marketing.

For people working in Africa, the video will bring fresh ideas for running profitable enterprise. For people outside Africa, the video shows exactly how useful beekeeping can be in rural, remote places. It also reveals just what kind of equipment is appropriate and able to survive typical African year of rains, forest fires, hot sun, floods, bumpy roads, too many predators and too few resources.

The whole programme consists of three sections: Part describes beekeeping development underway in rural area of Africa: Mpongwe in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia.

Top-bar hives are being promoted. Timber is expensive here, and excellent cost-free hives are made from clay. The video shows clearly how to make these, and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. Cement hives cost more, but bring some extra benefits. The video explains how the project assists farmers using team of private (non-government) extension staff, and makes credit available.

Part Il describes the processing and marketing of products. Much honey for sale in Zambia is from honey hunting of wild colonies or from bark hive beekeeping. Subsequently the honey’s water content is high. The project has hit upon the idea of using this to make good quality honey wine, ‘mead’. The video shows honey being harvested from top-bar hives and simple ways to process honey and beeswax. The project has developed some novel marketing lines and shows good ideas for adding value to honey and beeswax crops.

Part Ill focuses on the management of bees in top-bar hives. The video does not claim to cover every aspect, but provides good insight into obtaining bees and looking after them during the year. An excellent video. Congratulations to all the team at Mpongwe!