Bees for Development Journal Edition 59 - June 2001

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Honey market eco- protectionism: Eco-protectionismis the concern that applying environmental tests to the origin of products will provide a new excuse for limiting the imports of products from poor countries. Is this happening in the case of honey imports to the European Union (EU)? + On 12 February

2001 the EU Commission agreed

a new decision

(2001/158/EC) listing countries authorised to import honey into the EU. These are the countries currently listed: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, India, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey,

Uruguay, USA and Vietnam.

You will see no African nations are included on this list and from Asia,

only China, India and Vietnam are eligible.

The purpose of the legislation is to prevent honey containing

undesirable residues from being imported into Europe. To be listed countries must submit a plan, setting out guarantees

regarding the monitoring of various residues including antibiotics, pyrethroids, organochlorines and heavy metals.

For your country to be permitted to export honey to the EU, it must first be added to the list of permitted countries. Ask your Ministry of Agriculture

to contact the EU. The list given above is certainly not intended to be a closed list: already Zambian honey exporters have formed themselves into a group, and overseen by their Ministry of Agriculture, have successfully applied

for Zambia to be added to the list. You can find details of the new decision

(2001/158/EC) at http://www.forum.europa.eu.int/public/irc/sanco/vets/info/ You can obtain further details of Zambia's successful application by

e-mailing Bees for Development.

Beekeepers working in remote areas of poor countries have good

possibilities to produce top quality, non-contaminated honey and beeswax. We must ensure that they also have fair opportunity to obtain top prices for their premium products.

a The next issue of Beekeeping & Development will be a special edition focusing upon beekeeping appropriate for the Cape Verde Islands (and many other countries too). It will be published in English and Portuguese.

A Bees for Development publication

THE

Beekeeping-&

Bo" DEBATE.

Development

resistant AFB for genetic pollution from

AMERICAN FOULBROOD

|

|

the.

determine whether these AFB bacteria Have Round-up Ready gene. That gene should have

IS THERE A GM CROP CONNECTION?

been tagged along with the tetracycline resistant. if, in

gene

-

fact, this antibiotic resistant AFB was

due to horizontal gene transfer between GM crops

. In the USA the New York State Legislature has been

and foulbrood bacteria.

considering banning the cultivation of genetically modified a ~~(GM) crops, and/or requiring labelling of products containing GM ingredients.

|

want to stress the speculative nature of this

possible GM organism/antibiotic-resistant AFB

connection. However, if it is true, the public health implications are enormous. A documented

State legislative committees held public hearings on this subject during October 2000. was invited to testify at these hearings. Although am no authority on the topic, decided to review publicly available information pertaining to the possible impact of GM crops on honeybees, and present this material at the hearing. identified three main areas of concern: |

GM Crops. think that the technology exists to be able to

antibiotic-resistant gene transfer into a disease

|

organism would strongly indicate that the Food

|

and Drugs Administration (FDA) should re-assess

the potential human risks associated with

|

There is a great lack of publicly available information evaluating the effects of GM crops

for the sale and consumption of some of these

antibiotic resistant gene has no expression and

modified plants.

on bees. Biotechnology corporations fund research

is harmless. However, if this gene was able to

on GM crops in their efforts to gain regulatory

transfer from the GM plant and enter another

approval for the marketing of GM varieties

bacterium, that bacterium would become

of canola, corn, cotton, soybeans and other crops.

antibiotic-resistant. This might render commonly

This research supposedly proves beyond

used antibiotics useless against diseases attacking

reasonable doubt that these novel genetic

humans and livestock, including honeybees.

combinations are safe to introduce into the

Honeybees in the USA are

environment. Canadian researcher Mark Winston recently attempted to gain access to the results of research that assessed the effects of GM crops on honeybees. Canadian government authorities

acknowledged that such research had been conducted, but refused to provide any details.

Their refusal was attributed to the fact that such research is confidential and owned by the

undisclosed biotechnology corporations who funded the studies in question. Similar policies

apply in the USA. This lack of openness raises serious credibility issues regarding corporate

claims about the safety of GM crops.

If

their

research is solid, then why is it kept secret?

8

Laboratory studies carried out by the French

government research institute INRA indicate that pollen from some GM crops shortens the lifespan of adult bees. It also seems to cause some learning

dysfunctions that could result in the disorientation of foraging bees. Disoriented bees may become lost or unable to locate nectar sources.

against AFB for 40 years until 1996. In that year, tetracycline resistatice was confirmed in both Argentina and the upper midwestern states of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Since then it has spread to at least 17 states in the USA, including New York, and to parts of Canada. During the 1990s, millions of acres of Round-up Ready crops were planted in Argentina,

think we should

immediately request, through our local, state and national associations, that the FDA analyse samples of antibiotic resistant AFB in order to determine whether or not a genetic transfer has occurred from GM crops. If we act together, the FDA will find our combined resolutions to be a powerful stimulus te investigate this matter.

Biotech corporations have maintained that we should trust their research findings that secretly prove to Federal regulators that GM crops are

safe.

|

would suggest that it would be wise to

maintain a healthy scepticism on this matter.

Often there is a fundamental conflict between

the corporate interest in short-term profit, and the public interest in the health and safety of the people.

In

fact, we have recently seen

examples of this conflict exposed in the courts

concerning other corporations. |

believe that we all are now participating

consent. Many European beekeepers are fiercely

the creation of Round-up Ready crops was

opposed to the cultivation of GM crops near their

researchers at the University of Jena showed that

resistant to tetracycline. After 40 years of effective

apiaries. It is well within the realm of possibility

genetic material from GM canola crossed the species barrier, and was positively identified

usage against an infective bacterium found in the

that US beekeepers should be too.

- Melieve

this is the first publicly documented case of horizontal gene transfer from GM crops 8 bacteria. This discovery may have major implications for the future of GM crops. One main objection to GM crops has focused on the fact

guts of honeybees, suddenly two geographically isolated countries simultaneously develop common thread between tetracycline resistance.

A

Argentina, Canada and the USA is the widespread and recent cultivation of GM crops containing

tetracycline resistant genes. |

that during genetic manipulations required to “-reate GM organisms, antibiotic-resistant ‘marker’ -

|

came out in June 2000, when German

most important public disclosure

in bacteria that live in the guts of honeybees.

"

increasingly aliicted by a strain of antibiotic-resistant American foulbrood (AFB). Before the advent of antibiotics, this bacterial infection was the most serious bee disease in the world.

Tetracycline was used effectively

As an industry

Canada and the USA. According to my information, the antibiotic resistant gene used in

eo Possibly the

““s.

GM crops, and possibly revoke Federal approval

into the target plant. Within the plant, the

so-called genes genes are combined with the of interest” These combined genes are inserted |

oP ay

spoke about this with Dr Hachiro Shimanuki,

until recently the research leader of the USDA/ARS

Honey Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, USA. He is not aware of any attempt to analyse the

:

A Bees for Development publication

in a vast GM experiment without our informed

Joe Rowland, Secretary of the Empire State (New York) Honey Producers Association, USA Source: GENET (European Network on Genetic Engineering). Sent to B&D by John Irwin

EXPLANATION GM crops are those that have been developed by genetic engineering — transferring genes from one species to another.

Useful reading The B&D debate GMOs

B&D 54 (2000)

59.

.

A.

Beekeeping & Development 59

FROM APIS

DORSATA IN WEST

by Vincent Mulder', Valentinus Heri’ and Trevor Wickham’ ‘Committee Science & Technology for Vietnam, Wageningen, Netherlands 2LSM Riak Bumi, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia 3Rainforest Solutions Project, Canada

The Danau Sentarum National Park (DSNP) in Kalimantan, Indonesia includes

around 132,000 ha of lakes, seasonally submerged forests and rainforest.

The Park has 6,500 inhabitants living in 39 permanent or seasonal villages.

The majority of the population are Melayu, whose main activity is fishing.

They live in floating houses in villages built on stilts. Besides Melayu, around 10% of the population consists of Dayak groups, mainly Iban, who live at somewhat higher sites, mostly with several families living together in longhouses. Their activities besides fishing include collecting and selling forest products, hunting and agriculture.

With 3,600 mm rainfall per year the lakes are almost continuously filled with fresh water flowing into the Kapuas River. The water retreats only during a short period from July to September, causing some lakes to completely dry out.

This seasonality has great consequences for the vegetation. As a result most of the forests in the area are low stunted forests, flooded for most of the year. In the dry season there is a great danger of forest fires, as relatively dense canopies dry out, and dried fallen leaves and wood act

as a fuel layer on the soil. Forest fires occur frequently. in the hillsides surrounding the Park, forests continue to be cleared for both shifting cultivation and palm oil plantations.

The end of the dry season is followed by a rise in water level, which leads to bud induction and a massive blooming from December to February.

This period of flower abundance is vital to the honeybee colonies. Due to the absence of a dry season in 1995 there was almost no honey harvest in early 1996 with the same phenomenon happening in 1969 and 1970. The recent forest

fires have led to low harvests since 1998.

Nests of Apis dorsata the giant honeybee have traditionally been exploited to produce large volumes of honey and wax for trade. Usually when Apis dorsata nests are hunted, the bees are chased away with smoke, and the comb is completely cut away for collection. Traditional honey hunters are well known in many areas of Asia where they climb steep cliffs, or ascend tall bee trees using handmade ladders and local tools’.

in 1989 the existence of managed

honey and wax collection from this still bee was confirmed fo

be

a common

practice among

Minh, Southern Vietnam’. References and early

beekespers in

U

notes confirmed that a special as rafter system,referred existed for more

to

pin fad

heehee a than

ed

An old Dutch reference from 1851 on an expedition to Kalimantan reported the existence of a similar management system for honeybees, locally called tikung beekeeping, which was later described in more detail?*. As in U Minh, the bee

management system described for Kalimantan occurred in an area of submerged forest, with a lack of tall trees (or rock faces) on which bees could build their nests.

This report is the result of a study visit to the upper Kapuas Lake Region, which surprisingly revealed the tikung system to be still popularly practiced by a relatively large group of the local population. Much use was made of recent studies by project staff of the DFID Danau Sentarum Conservation Project active since 1992°. This Park was gazetted as a wildlife reserve in 1982, and subsequently as a National Park in 1999, with a total area of 132,000 ha. Several studies have described the local honey and wax business®’ on which a Community Based Income Generating Programme was designed.

The Danau Sentarum flooded forest contains a variety of tree species. According to the honey collectors around 20 species are important for honey production. Tembesu (Fagrea fragrans) is most important as it is used for making the tikung or honey planks. At present beekeepers recognise the following important nectar source trees: masung (Syzygium claviffora), tahun (Carallia bracteata), tengelam (Syzygium sp), putat (Barringtonia acutangula), kawi (Shorea balangeran), pecaras or bakras (Homalium caryophyllaceum), samak (Syzygium sp) ubah (Syzygium ducifolium) and \ebang (Vitex pinnata). The most popular are honeys from masung and tahun.

oeior

SU

Tembesu wood and rattan (for example Calamus schizoacanthus) are among the most exploited. products in the Park. However, timber and rattarts exploitation account for only 7% of the total overall income of the population. By farthe -~ largest portion of income for the Melayu (89%) is generated from fish resources. Honey production, though variable from year to year, contributes roughly 1%°.

A Bees for Development publication

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~

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Beekeeping & Development 59

COLE

N

KALIMANTAN HONEY HUNTING PRACTICE In this article we deal only with

Apis dorsata (mwonji) that produces almost all of the honey in the area.

However Apis florea/andreniformis (mwonji lalat) is present in the area and is occasionally hunted. Apis cerana (nyerungan) is rare for the lake region, but is found in tree cavities in the higher rainforest surrounding the Park.

Also stingless bees (engke lulut) are known to produce small amounts of honey.

Although the tikung system is the most typical honey production method practiced in the Park, honey hunting from tall bee.trees is also popular in

this region.

This technique is locally called /a/au in Melayu language, or tapang, which is Iban language for bee tree. Tree species that bees occupy in this area are predominantly: rengas Gluta renghas; tempurau Dipterocarpus gracilis; ran Dipterocarpus tempehes; menungau Vatica cf umbronata. In a narrower sense, tapang refers to Koompassia species, of which Koompassia malaccensis occurs in the lowland forests around the Park. On elevated land and riverbanks adjacent to the lake area these tall trees often stand alone, due to clearing for agriculture on the levees. This marks the fact that these /a/au or tapang are respected trees due to ownership, religious beliefs or simply economic value.

Between 10-50 and often up to 200 Apis dorsata nests can be seen hanging from the thicker branches at 15-30 m high, forming a wide canopy. Although the bee colonies seasonally migrate to settle on the /a/au tree, some trees have nests all year round. Others show only abandoned combs during part of the year. Swarms settle from December to February and are said to come from the hills or rocky mountains that can be seen at a distance surrounding the lakes. A second arrival of bees is said to occur each year from July until October.

Honey is harvested on moonless nights in February. Starting in January some colonies from these /a/au trees are said to move to the tikung area — the dwarf or stunted forests in the lakes.

Ali OUSL protest iefe.

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Incidental cutting of bee trees is reported.

In 1960, 183 /alau trees were cut by their Iban owners near Semalah village because of shifting cultivation. At present only six trees remain.

A lalau or bee tree in the rainforest area that surroun A dozen Apis dorsata:colonies are visible

aie avalian.c* falay primary forest:

53 10 new

frees Bes rs 0

peop Ownership of a /a/au tree is maintained for a lifetime and can be inherited. Customary laws define ownership of /a/au trees, which has to be recognised by the local leadership.

If accepted, the whole community is informed and no ownership marks are made on the trees. Determining the right time for harvest is important, and once it is decided, the village head communicates this to all /alau owners and families that have the right to share part of the harvest. In the past, in the Kapuas River Delta this communication sometimes required several nights travel for the messenger who would carry a piece of knotted rattan, indicating the number of days remaining until the night of harvest?.

Harvest is done at or around the new moon.

In most cases a group of local shamans specialised bee hunters - gather for this activity.

A few days before the harvest they start making a ladder along the trunk of the bee tree up to the branches. Wooden pegs 30 cm long made of bamboo are hammered into the tree trunk at a distance of 1.5-2 m. A long pole is attached to the end of each peg by rattan.

When the ladder is finished, the harvest can commence. Usually around 1900 hours one or two honey hunters ascend the ladder, with a smouldering torch made of dried roots of jabai (Ficus microcarpa), a wooden knife and a basket attached to the hunter's waist by a long piece of rope.

The hunters sing songs at various stages of the harvest. There appears to be a basic text formula, which is sung in five stages:

A Bees for Development publication

(1) finishing the ladder; (2) clearing the bees from the nest; (3) cutting the comb; (4) hoisting the basket; and (5) descending the ladder.

The songs are passed from fathers to sons, and are sung to the spirits of the trees to make them friendly. We recorded one such song by a Melayu honey hunter from Semalah, Mr Abdullah Sani (see over).

The songs are humorous, and tease the crowd below, who respond with a whooping yell.

Often honey is mentioned in reference to a women or young girl's beauty and their sexual attractiveness. Local and regional politics can also receive mention in the spontaneous lyrics of the creative singers/honey hunters.

Once the honey hunter reaches the branch above a comb, a wooden knife is used to cut the comb.

With a smouldering torch the bees are brushed away from the comb, after which they disappear as falling sparks down below. It is believed that an iron knife should not be used to avoid damaging the tree bark, after which the bees would not return. In some cases the brood comb is cut separately and thrown down. The honeycomb is then cut and put into the basket that is lowered to the ground. Traditionally these pieces are provided to please any bad spirits.

Honey collected from a single /alau tree may be hundreds of kilograms, depending on the number of nests. Reference (7) describes a crop of 140 kg from more than 20 nests on one /alau

tree. In this case 16 people, owners and hunters shared the honey. Division of harvest seems to vary with every situation: agreements are probably made ad hoc prior to harvest.

Beeswax is also collected from the honeycombs.

The combs are boiled after which the liquid is filtered. A nest with 6 kg of honey gives about 0.5 kg of wax. The prices are about the equivalent of US$1.2 for one kilogram of honey. and US$1.4 for one kilogram of wax.

The villagers immediately consume bee brood from a harvested comb.

_

@.

Beekeeping & Development 59

Below is the song by the Melayu honey hunter from Semalah, Mr Abdullah Sani.

TIKUNG

On the right it has been translated into English

Among the honey hunters that collect honey through the /a/au system, many also collect honey using the tikung technique. Tikung is the name of a carved hardwood plank

TUNTUNG JANTAK

THE LADDER IS READY

Tempukung sekuta bangan Oh nemiak bejahar nyumpit

There are nests of ants in the jungle.

Children learn to shoot the Sumpit (blow darts).

Pakau ku tuntung Tapang dan Udah ku anjak enda begerak

Udah ku injit enda beretit Paya lucak ulu Tempunak

have already made the Pakau (ladder steps) on the Tapang tree. climbed, but the ladder didn't move. |

|

Mud in the upper Tempunak river. in the upper Sekayam river

Ningkam di dalam ulu Sekayam O...0...0...

And

NEPAS

CLEARING AWAY THE BEES

Bukan emas sembarang emas Emas pelinggang se dari Jawa

Not just any gold.

Bukan tepas sembarang tepas Serdap di diam si jaga Rengas

0...0...0...

0...0...0... (yelling by the crowd)

This gold pan is from Java.

Not just to clear away the bees.

But to make the spirits of the Rengas tree friendly.

0...0...0...

MINTA MADU

TAKING THE HONEY

Tetak kayu se tetak kayu Tetak kayu secapit Ubah Anang nuan enda isi’ madu

Cut the log, cut the log.

The logs are cut from the Ubah tree.

Pecit susu dara di rumah

Else

0...0...0...

house.

NGULUR

BRINGING DOWN THE HONEY

Ngiang-ngiang akar genali Unjung di rumpu' setabah tabah

tree.

Jaga nuan

ini' Sengiang Tali

Kami ngulur lingang bunga lingang Kebaca

0...0...0..,

Don't have no honey.

I'll

squeeze the girl's breast in the

Hanging around the roots of the Genali

(approximately 0.8 — 2.5 m long by 25 40 cm wide); one side has a convex and the other side a concave shape.

It is made of tembesu (Fagraea fragrans) or sometimes medang (Litsea sp). Carving and shaping a tikung with simple tools is a time-

-

consuming process — often taking a full day to complete just one board.

Such planks are attached to tree branches in the stunted swamp forests. The ends of the tikung planks are carved with notches (mainly rectangular, but sometimes V-shaped) to which a wooden peg is inserted, thus attaching it to a branch.

Tikung planks are positioned with a slope of about 30° with the upper part oriented towards the open sky. The concave side faces downward, so the upper convex side can facilitate rainwater runoff. Sometimes a pole is horizontally attached about 2m below the tikung for the tikung owners to stand on while attaching and/or harvesting the tikung.

Tikung pianks made of durable fembesu wood can last over two generations (40 years), and can still be used after enduring a forest fire.

Ownership of a tikung is indicated by an individual owner mark — usually a series of indentations at the side of the plank, recognised as the family mark. Each new generation (son) adds a new indent. This mark system is complicated, but well understood by all tikung holders in the same area.

Don't be afraid to bring it to the grass.

Ask Grandmother Sengiang Tali to protect you.

We are bringing down some honey from the Kebaca tree's flower.

a

0...0...0...

PULANG

GOING HOME

Perang alu, perang kelelap

We've fought against the bees.

We've fought against the Ara tree's twisted bumps.

Go home spirits.

Perang di lengkong si kayu Ara

Pulang ayu, pulang semengat Pulang semua kita berdua

0...0...0...

Let's go home all of us.

0...0...0...

Bee nests in /a/au trees are said to contain more honey compared with tikung nests.

However, losses due to spillage are higher with /a/au. The actual average honey crop from a nest of a /a/au tree is said to be much less than 10 kg because of the difficulty in harvesting the entire combs. As mentioned on the previous page, in the lake region honey harvest from

lalau trees is of lesser importance than from tikung. In recent years the proportion of lalau honey has declined due to the decreasing number of /a/au trees. Furthermore, tikung is more popular as it is an easier and safer way to crop honey.

@

A Bees for Development publication

mae

Re ak

bce

ready for hanging in the

-

Beekeeping & Development 59 In one day, 5-6 tikung planks can be positioned in the submerged forest, which is usually 2 m above the highest water level during rainy season. The trees preferred for hanging tikung planks are kamsia

(Mesua hexapetala), masung (Syzygium claviflora) and empai/timba tawang (Crudia teysmannia).

a

i

aiways

ae fa fau Rarvest. Prior

+

SWANTS, SOM earance of the tikung nd & srmiall boat he kung may be made. The iast blossom from the tahun (Carafife bracteata) that honey is gives the si Mavyest ready for

Honey collection from tikung resembles that of /alau. However, no songs are sung, as no spirits are believed o live in tikung trees. It is a collective practice. Harvest is done on moonless nights, usually from 1900 hours until 0400-0500 hours during which more than 20 tikung can be harvested. In discussions beekeepers said that harvesting in daylight would be very dangerous as bees sting fiercely. (However, in the village of Belibis we were told that in recent years a small group of tikung holders had started daytime collecting, using large quantities of smoke.

They now seemed to favour daytime harvest as it is quicker due to better visibility.

After harvest, the bees returned to the tikung for some days, after which they would leave.)

Tools for harvest from tikung are similar to that for jafau. At present a plastic or tin container is used instead of the traditional bark/rattan basket.

A wooden knife is used to cut the comb. Tikung honey collectors believe that if the comb is cut with iron the bees will not return to the site next season. Also there is a fear of wounding each other in the dark when harvesting with a sharp iron knife. No protective clothing is used.

The nests are approached in small boats. man reaches up close to the tikung to smoke away the A

curtain of bees. All bees either fall into the water and drown or crawl up branches and leaves, as it is too dark to navigate and fly. In order to ensure floating bees do not crawl into the boat, other men in the boat use paddles (or their hands) to move the water away from the boat.

Usually the brood comb (sarang anak) is cut first and temporarily put on top of the tikung plank. This

enables the honey collector to focus all his attention on the honeycomb, at the head of the tikung, which he then cuts and puts into the basket first.

Bees are not likely to return to the fikung the toliowing day, and are believed to return to the mountain area. All kung nests in the same vicinity must be

In the past each priyau belonged to headmen, who gave his subordinates rights to place tikung.

The priyau area was hereditary and sometimes subdivided to each one of the inheritants.

The owner marks on the tikung reflect these interdependencies of tikung holders in the same priyau caused by inheritance.

At present rules applying to tikung owners in the same priyau include: a minimum number _

of tikung to be put up (for example 25 in Leboyan); obligation to put all tikung in one

priyau only; a minimum distance between two tikung positions (for example 15 m in Leboyan); and to report the number and positions of tikung to the head of the priyau.

Reference (7) gives data from 1994 on the number of families, tikung holders and number of tikung per family for selected villages in five main tikung areas: 30% of the families owned tikung, one family having from 10-500 (in Leboyan the average was 81 per family).

The number of tikung occupied by bee nests in that season was around 23%. Average honey yield per collected nest was around 6 kg.

This gives a total production figure for all of the Danau Sentarum Lake area for that year to be between 20 and 25 tonnes (an average year).

To be continued: honey and beeswax marketing, and techniques to improve tikiing beekeeping.

being robbed by ciher bees.

Tikung owners are mainly Melayu men, however, at harvest nights women and children may join the owners activity as well. Traditionally the tikung within the same area formed groups, who abide These groups by their own rules and regulations. their tikung in the same area. Both that also

put area and the groups are called priyau.

Tikung hung betwee of the low trees

A Bees for Development publication

Beekeeping & Development 59

NES AROUN INDIA

COSTA RICA

The Regional Programme for the Keeping of Honeybees and Stingless Bees (PRAM)

Workshop on reviving beekeeping in the Western Ghats

has evolved since 1990 through work between the National University of Costa

The tropical forests of the Western Ghats in Karnataka are among the 18 bio-diversity hotspots in the world. The plant and floral diversity has evolved along with the diversity of bees in this region. There are three main types of indigenous

Rica and the Bee Research Department at Utrecht University in The Netherlands.

Following the arrival of African bees in Costa Rica the incidence of bee diseases increased due to the importation of queens from countries where these diseases

frequently occur. PRAM is now teaching beekeepers how to manage their colonies to prevent diseases, and how to treat infected hives. There will also be better control over the products that are used to treat bees for disease. This is major a

objective of the National Bee Health Programme in co-operation with the apiary inspectors of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Source:

PRAM Report 1999-2000

LD )) rt

>

|

KENYA Around the slopes of Mount Kenya the number of livestock and hives you own

determines social status.

If

you do not own

a hive you cannot borrow honey even for

medicinal purposes (you are not considered man enough to face the bee sting: beekeeping is traditionally a male

occupation).

For this reason a prospective beekeeper set up two top-bar hives directly behind his house. The hives were soon occupied, but the bees attacked his wife and daughters.

honey producing bees: Apis cerana, Apis dorsata and Trigona sp. For the past 50 years there has been a systematic effort to domesticate beekeeping with Apis cerana and Trigona bees. The rock or giant honeybee Apis dorsata is found in the forests and mountains and migrates long distances.

Honey hunters harvest from both Apis cerana and Apis dorsata.

Traditional beekeeping with Apis cerana is in logs and earthen pots. Beekeeping with boxes started in 1929. Coorg became famous for its honey that was in great demand due its special taste and quality.

Since 1979 there has been a gradual decline in beekeeping. To assess the beekeeping status in the region and initiate steps to revive it, two-day workshop was organised in March 2001.

The problems faced by the beekeepers were discussed and they confirmed that since its arrival in 1992, Thai Sacbrood Virus (TSBV) has been the main reason for the decline in beekeeping.

Many farmers have tried indigenous plant based medicines, but these have been ineffective.

Beekeeper Sri N V Sharma reported that he has developed a herbal medicine that successfully controls TSBV. During the workshop one group visited young beekeeper Dharmendra. He has 30 Apis cerana colonies and two Apis mellifera colonies. He also has experience of harvesting Apis dorsata colonies.

Dharmendra invented his own ingenious method of controlling TSBV. He collects Apis cerana colonies from the plains that have resistance to TSBV and are a different strain from those in the hilly region. The second group visited Beekeeper Venkatramana. He had 10 colonies but has lost nine to TSBV, and the remaining colony is infected. TSBV is in decline, but from time to time cases appear and destroy colonies.

Determined to keep both hives and family

Apis mellifera the solution?

response to the spread of TSBV, Apis mellifera has been introduced into the area. It was claimed that Apis mellifera is

resistant to TSBV and would produce more honey. Beekeepers at the workshop observed its introduction has been a failure because: e It is slow and not adapted to tropical conditions, falling prey to birds and predators.

e

attacked early in the morning, either irritated or excited by the perfumes in the

cosmetics and soaps his family used. He applied the same cosmetics to his hives

e It is susceptible to mites and needs

constant medication. e Hives are bigger, consuming more wood,

increasing the fixed cost per hive, and the cost of purchasing the imported colony is high. e Expensive sugar feeding is required in the

rainy season when the bees will not fly.

Often a new Apis mellifera queen takes a long time to mate or does not mate. e

The taste of the honey is considered bland in comparison to ‘local’ honey (medicine men prefer honey from Apis cerana).

Mogens Jensen from Denmark said that it is difficult to Keep Apis mellifera in the Western Ghats. Dr M S Reddy from the Beekeeping Department said Apis mellifera beekeeping can only succeed by regular migration to areas where forage is available. There was heated debate on whether Apis mellifera should be introduced further. The majority of the participants were against this, concerned that it might lead to the importation of diseases, for example foulbrood.

Most honey on the Indian market is harvested from Apis dorsata. A session was held with the participating honey hunters to understand ways towards sustainable harvesting from giant honeybees. Tarak Kate, from the NGO Dharamitra

showed how sustainable harvesting is possible by removing only part of the honeycomb, which causes minimum damage to bees and allows for further harvests from the colony.

Pandurang Hegde, Save Honeybees Campaign, Karnataka, Didia

twice a day for three days. After a week the bees stopped their attacks when the

*

familiar scent no longer bothered them.

Nyuki Newsletter

A Bees for Development publication

|

The colony does not develop from October to March.

Pratim Roy from The Keystone Foundation explained harvesting Apis dorsata colonies in the Nilgiris Hills in Tamil Nadu. He shared his experience of honey processing and marketing which helps honey hunters obtain better prices.

All the participants appreciated the video presentation on honey hunters*.

the bees only attacked the ladies! After two days of scrutiny he concluded that the bees

|

e It does not forage on local plants, especially in the hilly region.

a

he tried to find out what was going on as

Source:

Is In

You too can enjoy this video: see Bookshelf page 13 for a review of Keystone’s excellent video

|

|

Beekeeping & Development 59

ETHIOPIA Yeneneh Demissie constructing his low-cost, top-bar hive from bamboo and wood (both

3reakthrough in Varroa tolerance

cheap and easily available commodities).

The hives are plastered with a mud mixture (three parts earth mixed with one part cow dung and water) and left to dry for four days until the mud dries out.

:

potential use in selection programmes. The trait is widespread in the US honeybee population

Next a sand mixture

(three parts sand, one part cinders and one part cow dung) is applied. This topcoat covers any cracks and gives a good finish making the

The suppression of mite reproduction (SMR) is a genetically inherited trait that results in Varroa-tolerant bees. This characteristic is one of several found in Africanised bees that have

and is readily available in the gene pool.

Research undertaken by Jeff Harris and John Harbo at the USDA Honey Bee Breeding

: *

hive more durable.

Abrham

Tesfaye

Abrham and Yeneneh obtained the information they needed to construct their hive from a long ago edition of B&D (Number 11 published in 1987)

Laboratory in Baton Rouge shows that female Varroa in a colony do not all attempt to reproduce at the same time. In general one-third of the mites can be found on adult bees and the

rest in the brood cells. Also

SEYCHELLES

ZIMBABWE

An FAO report by Angelo Isola on beekeeping in the Seychelles states that there is promise of untapped resources and great demand for the

Rural farmers established Matosara Beekeeping Group in 1992. Our 105 women and 95 men

product. The 70 beekeepers could add to their numbers with a younger generation of beekeepers to expand honey production.

Honeybees of the race Apis mellifera unicolor were imported to the Seychelles from Madagascar. Italian queen bees have been recently imported and this means that there is a mixing of these races of bees. The tocal bees are not defensive but show a tendency for swarming. a result of the bees being kept in

keep bees in top-bar log hives. We harvest 5-6 tonnes of honey and 1.5 tonnes of wax annually.

The bulk of the products are sold locally and the rest on the black market. Matosara is renowned

for its high quality honey furniture polish and candles. Our group’s extraordinary success

is largely due to the integrity and commitment of founding members including myself, Phidelis Garambauamwe and Trace Chipunza.

Sent by Felix Tarambayamwe

This could be

small hives. A high degree of inbreeding has led to fewer worker bees hatching and a drop in

these categories can be found in any one colony.

The number of non-reproducing mites

in a colony

is measured by examining 30 singly infested brood cells and recording the reproductive

success of each female found there. Several environmental variables affect the percentage of non-reproducing (NR%) mites. These include

temperature and humidity (increase NR%), season (higher NR% in summer) and climate (larger NR% in the tropics). NR mites often have no sperm (have not been mated) and in colonies selected for NR over 50% of mites are found

It

takes six weeks after requeening a colony with SMR queen to see results. This is called

an

‘delayed mite suppression’ or SMRd. Mite suppression occurs immediately in some

could contribute to further diversification of the country’s agricultural base.

populations and is known as SMRi. To show how in a colony the

Seychelles Nation March 2001

SMR queens affect change

researchers performed several queen exchanges between control and SMR colonies, and found that mite populations became more or less

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE NEEDED

reproductive dependent upon the queen received.

The researchers say,

One morning Alemseged Mengesha who lives in Wolaita Soddo, left half a

not lay eggs, produce only a male and no females, and/or produce progeny too late to mature before the bees emerge. One or all of

dead ‘entrapped by the pupa cocoon’.

honey production. With nectar producing plants available throughout the year and the demand for local honey so high, commercial beekeeping

Source:

15-25% of mites

that enter brood cells do not reproduce: these mites either die before laying eggs, live but do

glass of tea on the table

when he was cailed away from his breakfast. An hour later he returned and found the glass full of dead bees.

“We are confident that honeybees will become resistant to Varroa mites. In the future, bees will need fewer chemical treatments to control mites and eventually they will need none”.

Ready to add them to the rubbish pile Alemseged was advised by a passing farmer to instead put them on some cold ash left from a fire. After 45 minutes 80% of the bees had returned to life and flown away.

A full description of this work appears in the May 2001 issue of Bee Culture and on the ARS website

Alemseged wants to share his experience and asks what is the secret behind the life giving properties:

msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/jwh/SMRD/SMRD.htm

Extract from Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter, April 2001 sent to B&D

by Charles Frederic Andios

is it something in the ash?

Send your views to B&D Source: Spore 91 2000

A Bees for Development publication

Bes:

AND INDIGENOUS HONEYBEES

by Farooq Ahmad, Surendra Raj Joshi, and Min Bahadur Gurung, ICIMOD, Nepal Photographs

(CIMOD

This is the second article in the series bringing news about the work of the Austrian Governmentfunded beekeeping project at ICIMOD in Kathmandu, Nepal. Austroprojekt GmbH in Vienna, and ICIMOD jointly manage the project. In B&D 58 we told you about the main features of the project ‘Indigenous Honeybees of the Himalayas’. Here is more news of our project activities. first hand what they need, what their constraints are, and what they can offer.

REARING QUEENS OF APIS CERANA In the mountain areas of Nepal, beekeeping with the indigenous Apis cerana is one of the most popular backyard income-generating

A one-day ‘getting-to-know’ meeting was organised in February. Honey hunters, local beekeepers, representatives of INGOs, NGOs, and government departments, people

activities amongst the poores people.

However, populations of Apis cerana are in

with commercial interests, and even bank representatives met together to discuss the

decline. The main reasons appear to be: @ limited knowledge about bee management

among beekeeping communities; @ a decrease in foraging areas due to expansion of agriculture into new sites; @ regular disease

=

epidemics and lack

of appropriate disease control research; @ the managed introduction and patronisation

of European honeybees, Apis mellifera by regional and national institutions; @

formation of a network and the best way forward. This was a major milestone;

absence of an adequate infrastructure for queen rearing and selective breeding.

One of our project activities is to address the last of these problem areas. The aim is to train a core group of people who will be able to provide local support and training in queen rearing. In the long term, we hope that these

people will be able to supply selected queen bees in the village areas and help improve the productivity and popularity of Apis cerana

across the region. A two-week training course on queen rearing of Apis cerana was held in

Kathmandu (where the project has its own apiaries) during February and March this year, with technical support from the Honey Bee Research Institute of Pakistan. Sixteen beekeepers and staff from the project’s partner institutions in Nepal took part.

the first time in the history of the country that grass-roots beekeepers and honey hunters had been invited to take part

discussion forum.

The training programme was designed to be

in a

practical, participatory, needs based, and results-oriented. Participants were taught how

The participants agreed that

to schedule queen rearing operations using local resources. This included how to divide

colonies, prepare queen cups, and graft — both with and without grafting needles, instead using matchsticks and toothpicks, which are readily available. At the end of the fortnight, the trainees were pleased with their progress and enthusiastic about launching their own village-level, queen rearing activities. We are confident that this training will help strengthen

“Nepal needs a proactive and strong beekeeping network, in the first instance facilitated by ICIMOD’s beekeeping project.”

Interested participants formed a working group that was given the task of deciding the structure, constitution, and strategy for the network.

our Apis cerana selection programme at grass-roots level.

NETWORKING INITIATIVE Nepal is blessed with a diversity of honeybee species and beekeeping and honey hunting traditions. Research and development support are needed for these to give more benefit to farmers.There are a number of government, non-government and grass-roots organisations,

and individuals carrying out research into the development of beekeeping, honey collection, and marketing. The work is scattered and has had little impact on the overall beekeeping scenario. Our project is focusing on the development of an active network linking the

whole honeybee community in Nepal, from local people through research groups, to government departments and marketing interests. Everyone involved can tell others A Bees for Development publication

Next time in B&D:

ow project work with the honey hunting communities

EXPLANATION ICIMOD is The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, an international organisation devoted to the development of the Hindu Kush

Himalayan region.

|

Beekeeping & Development 59

APIS MELLIFERA ADANSONII IN

THE UPLANDS OF

EST CAMEROON

Three years working on projects in the West and North West Provinces of Cameroon allowed me to become well acquainted with Apis mellifera adansonii, the ‘Adansonii’ bee of the High-Uplands of Cameroon. Covered originally by forest up to 3000 m, the

rich volcanic soil and good rains allows cultivation of beans, coffee, com and maize.

The grassland savannah is favourable for beekeeping with numerous trees.

CHARACTER OF THE BEE Apis mellifera adansonii is smail. Its weight is 85 mg. The cell diameters are 4.7 mm and there are 1,040 cells in dm’. The bees’ colouration is a

not uniform. Most colonies are hybrids of yellow and black although around the volcanic

BEEKEEPING

mountains of Manengouba and Bamboutos you can still find black colonies. The black variety is generally less aggressive but absconds readily.

This variety also has a better capacity for regulating the inner hive temperature when the weather is cold.

Beeswax boiled with fever-grass is the most efficient. You often see bees following a beekeeper carrying a baited catcher box: most

Often criticised for its defensiveness and small

attractive to other insects, especially ants.

honey crops, Apis mellifera adansonil is very active and quick to react, either when looking for nectar, or to stop gathering. It is fast when leaving the hive and begins work half an hour before sunrise to collect the nectar produced during the cool hours of the night.

A hive moved 5-10 m during the night is not a problem for this bee: after foraging it will come back to the original hive place, circle a few times and then join the hive in its new position.

This important ‘drift’ explains why local beekeepers always place hives 3-4 m apart.

MANAGEMENT Visiting a colony is usually easy enough if you use white, cool smoke made with either dry grass, ferns, dried leaves from palm or banana trees, or maize. Three minutes after smoking the hive entrance you can work at the hive for about five minutes. If you need longer you will have to again smoke abundantly whilst ensuring that the colony does not leave the hive and cluster on the nearest tree (this is especially important with the black variety of the bee). If the colony does leave, you will need another hive with new brood to catch it again. If the colony does not leave you will encounter one of the greatest problems of — working with these bees when most of the and outside the under colony will form groups hive (although their defensiveness will have disappeared entirely). After half an hour the colony will re-enter their home.

There are two periods that are favourable for swarming and/or absconding: the beginning of the dry season (November/December) when many trees are in blossom, and at its end (March/April) when there are bush fires and a dearth of food. During the swarming period accidents can occur. If children discover a swarm they will often throw stones at it. Before long of stings pour they are under attack, hundreds down upon them often causing their death (bees than snakes, provoke more deaths in Africa latter the very being numerous.) despite

often by the next day the box will be occupied.

A problem is that all baiting materials are very

The cleaning instinct is highly developed in

Apis mellifera adansonii. Hive floors are clean all year around. A dead bee under or in front of the hive is taken away immediately. One or two bees are continuously flying around the hive

looking for anything abnormal. Many scents like sweat, and stings left in clothes make them defensive.

During queen rearing when the queen cells are sealed, several bees start laying eggs and many will be kept after the birth of the queen. It is important to have open brood inside the hive when a queen leaves for her mating flight to prevent the colony from following her.

POOR SWIMMERS Apis mellifera adansonii is fragile; in a small queen cage many bees die after a short time making it difficult to keep a queen alive out of the hive. Although they can resist rain when flying many bees are killed by big storms when they are thrown into water puddles and drown.

Feeders used for giving them syrup must have a small liquid surface (these bees are not good

swimmers!)

Diseases and parasites are scarce. Tests we ran with Apistan and Apivar to detect Varroa proved negative. A Braula species is present but does not cause damage.

Wax moths are abundant and can cause a weak colony to abscond. In every hive you can find 10-20 of the small black beetles Aethina tumida hiding between the frames and the frame-cover.

At the opening of the hive the beetles run on the combs where the bees try to catch them to pull them out. The beetles often escape because of their flat shape and smooth chitin.

As Apis mellifera adansonii cleans the hive so well, the numerous eggs laid by the beetles are destroyed. If comb is broken and falls to the bottom of the hive the beetles slip underneath and lay thousands of eggs that develop into small larvae rushing to the honey and pollen and creating a disagreeable smell that ends in the bees absconding. a

A Bees for Development publication

In Cameroon beekeeping is an ancient activity that has changed much during the last 30 years under the influence of missionaries and NGOs. Traditionally hives were made from raffia palms with two openings to facilitate the harvest, without disturbing the brood. The top-bar hive was introduced ten years ago.

The research group in the West Province tested many existing models of hives with supers.

Finally they adopted two models: the body may be either a Langstroth or a top-bar hive, both with 10 bars of 22 mm width, each with a space of 10 mm. The two models offer a surface of 70,000 cells for queen laying (a good queen needs about 48,000). A Dadant super with nine frames tops this brood box. All the bars or frames are 47.5 cm long. The hive boxes are 50.5 cm long by 40 cm wide, as timber boards here are 3 cm thick.

These two types of hives allow three or four crops of honey a year from a good colony: that is about 30 kg. It is not true that in tropical climates flowers are numerous all year round.

Filling a super takes two or three months except in the savannah. In the West Province the human population is so high that the staple crops of maize and beans occupy all land. The principal trees giving nectar are avocado, banana, coffee and mango, but at 0900 hours, when the sun is shining they stop producing nectar. Even pollen is missing outside the flowering periods of maize and palm-trees. Instead, bees gather pollen from bamboos and grasses, or during some parts of the year they collect flours of cassava, maize and rice in the markets.

Most beekeepers use bars with small strips of wax along the whole length. The Apis mellifera adansonii bee prefers to build combs with its own wax instead of wax foundation sheets, which have the embossed pattern of 800 cells instead of 1000 as needed. Two beekeepers are now making extractors from plastic barrels with a metal frame. Embossed wax and smokers are made in Bafoussam.

Beekeeping & Development 59

SLOVENIA XXXViII APIMONDIA International Apicuttural Congress

24-29 August 2003, Ljubljana Further details from: Apimondia 2003, Mr Gorazd Cad, Cultural and Congress Centre

GERMANY First German Apitherapy Congress

Fax

18-19 August 2001, Passau

(+386) 1251 7431

www.apimondia2003.com

Further details from: Dr Stefan Stangaciu, Congress President

SOUTH AFRICA

E-mail drstangaciu@apitherapy.com

XXXVII APIMONDIA International Apicultural Congress

www.apitherapie.de

28 October ~

November 2001, Durban

1

Further details from: Apimondia 2001 Conference Planners

INDIA 6th Asian Apicultural Association Conference

Fax

(+27)

12 667 3680

January/February 2002, Bangalore Further details from:

www.apimondia2001.com

6th AAA Conference,

World Summit

c/o Century Foundation

2002, Johannesburg

Fax

(+91) 80 3348 346

Rio+ 10

www.earthsummit2002.org

E-mail cenfound@sparrl.com

UNITED KINGDOM

www.beekeeping.com/aaa

National Honey Show

ITALY

15-17 November 2001, London

World Food Summit Five Years Later

Further details from: Rev F Capener,

November 2001, FAO, Rome

Honorary General Secretary

www.fao.org

E-mail nathon@zbee.com

JAPAN

www.honeyshow.co.uk

XIV International Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (JUSSI)

STOP PRESS

28 July

Third Caribbean Beekeeping Congress

3 August 2002, Sapporo Further details from: —

®

Visit Bees for Development's stand!

This important meeting will be held in Jamaica 2002. Keep reading B&D for more information.

Professor Seigo Higashi, Hokkaido University Fax (+81) 11706 4867

in

www.coop. hokudai.ac.jp/gakkai/iussi2002/

LEARN AHEAD

HALA

Symposium on Stakeholders of the Giant Honeybees

KENYA

March 2002, Pedu Lake

Short Courses

Further

details

from:

8-15 July and 14-19 October 2001, Molo

Dr Makhdzir Mardan, BEENET ASIA

Further details from: Baraka College Beekeeping Development Unit

www. bee.upm.edu.my/gianthoneybee2002

Fax

RUSSIA

(+254) 363 21100

Intermiod 2001 2nd Exhibition

E-mail baraka@net2000ke.com

on Beekeeping

UNITED KINGDOM/TANZANIA

12-16 September 2001, Moscow Further details from: Exhibition Complex, Nakhimovsky prospect 24, 117218 Moscow

July 2002, Cardiff University and Njiro Wildlife

E-mail expostroy@expostroy.ru

Further details from Bees for Development

Beekeeping

in Rural

Development Training Course

Research Centre

!f you want notice of your conference, workshop or meeting

to be

included here send details to:

Bees for Development, Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK Fax +44 (0)16007 16167 E-mail busy@planbee.org.uk

ADVERTISING PAYS B&D offers the best chance to reach readers Notice Board items are 0.50

in over

Advertisements: quarter page, two-colour costs 65; Enclosures: 50

100 countries. Excellent value for money.

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Other ad sizes available: our rate card is available from Bees for Development at the address above.

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®

A Bees for Development publication

Beekeeping & Development 59

CLF

VIDEOS

CD ROM

Honey hunters of the blue mountains

Defence strategies of giant honeybees

Medicine from the bees

Keystone Foundation and Riverbank Studios

Gerald Kastberger

2000 Playing time 30 minutes VHS format

2000 Playing time 23 minutes PAL/VHS

Theodore Cherbuliez, Roch Domerego and many contributors

Available from Bees for Development Order code VID20 Price 28.90

NTSC format in English or German editions Available from Bees for Development Price 32.50 Order code VID19

VIDEOS *

Honey WunTERS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

This professionally made film premiered at the Apimondia Congress in Vancouver, is a detailed

documentary about the last honey hunters in the Nilgiris Mountains of South India and their

Defence strategies

Another excellent video

of Giant honeybees

from the Austrian

Researcher Dr Gerald Kastberger. This film shows research concerning the behaviour of the giant honeybee Apis dorsata. The filming Gerald Kastberger takes place in Assam, at the edge of the Himalayas. The giant he honeybee builds large, single combs, some almost 2 m wide. The colonies nest near to one another, sometimes with hundreds of colonies in one tree. These honeybees show behaviour that is very different from that of hive-nesting bees. Major enemies of the bees are predatory wasps: as they come close a ‘Mexican wave’ of bees moves across the comb. Maybe this stops the wasp from being able to focus on its prey? There is excellent filming of the abdominal movements of bees as they emit pheromone: giving the message ‘let's do it together’. Also of bees ‘balling’ an unfortunate wasp: killing it by cooking to 48°C (the honeybees are still OK at this Heueebecs acre

A by

RIVERBANK STUDIOS, NEW DELHI

&

REYSTONE FOUNDATION, NILGIRIS

relationship with the

giant honeybee

Apis dorsata. lt contains fantastic shots of Apis dorsata and the honey hunters at work. This film will interest not only bee lovers but also scientists and development planners wanting to address the issues of

indigenous people in changing environments.

Part of the proceeds from sales contributes to “The Honey Hunters’ Development Fund”

set up by The Keystone Foundation (a Bees for Development partner organisation).

Also by Keystone An 85-page spiral bound book Honey hunters and beekeepers of Tamil Nadu

Price 24.40

Order code K300

or

3

sreybee Apis

AS a9 Glan”

cut

ssta

temperature).

Empowering the rural disabled Playing time 16 minutes Available from Lawrence Jacobsen, FAO Focal Point for Disability Matters, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy The majority of the world’s disabled people live in rural, agricultural areas. This video neatly demonstrates the

importance of remembering that disabled farmers must be included in

development projects.

Examples of FAO work in

Vietnam (mushroom cultivation) and

Cambodia (a community integrated pest management project) show, by interviews with the farmers and the project organisers, how successful such projects can be.

Price 34.90

This video will fascinate beekeepers, teachers, students and indeed anyone concerned with aggression and defence behaviour.

Still available!

Gerald Kastberger’s first video about Apis dorsata, narrated by Sir David Attenborough The magic trees of Assam 51 minutes Price 45 Order code VID17

brings a vast amount of information about

apitherapy. It has been produced under the auspices of the Apimondia

Standing Commission for Apitherapy and draws upon the skills of many experts.

The CD includes information about bees, an introduction to apitherapy and its history, and examples of apitherapy in Cuba.

The major part of the CD is arranged in three major sections: the first presenting the bee products used in apitherapy and their various therapeutic properties, the second addresses the major diseases and the measures proposed by apitherapy, the third section is more technical, giving information on active

components of bee products and pharmaceutical and medical protocols.

The CD contains 350 text chapters, two short videos (an introduction by Dr Cherbuliez, and of a bee stinging), 19 Power Point presentations, over 400 excellent quality pictures, a glossary, bibliography, and much more besides.

An abundance of information material presented in an attractive and novel format.

POSTCARDS Apis cerana japonica Order code PR3

Professor Okada’s masterpieces Order code PR4

Available from Bees for Development Price 6 per set Two new sets from the Asian Apicultural Association series of photographs of Japanese honeybees. Each set contains eight superb colour picture postcards.

A Bees for Development publication

Order code VID18

This new CD

hot

“e

sheleges cf

2001 CD Rom for PC and Mac with text in English, French and Spanish Available from Bees for Development

Beekeeping & Development 59

In Pursuit of Liquid Gold

Medical Aspects of Beekeeping Harry H Riches

R B Ogden

2001 86 pages Available from Bees for Development Price 11.30 Order code R210

Medical Aspects of Beekeeping

IN PURSUIT OF

LIQUID GOLD

Hardback

Price 15

Available from Bees for Development Price 19.20

0105

This book records what

south-west England: how beekeeping arrived here, the influence of the monasteries, how from the 11th

beekeeping and is a well-known lecturer, and judge of honey and mead. During his medical

century bee boles were built to protect straw hives from wind, rain and snow. This small

career Harry Riches frequently wrote articles on medical problems associated with bee

and modest book is full of amazing facts,

stings and has at last found the time to consolidate these into this new book.

for example it has been discovered that

beeswax was used to seal stitching holes in a boat discovered from the early Bronze

The topics covered are stings, hypersensitivity to bee venom, allergy problems, honey, apitherapy and how to avoid trouble. Strictly

Age, 3000 years ago. The chapter on traditions and folklore gives fascinating

evidence-based rather than anecdote-based, this new book fills a waiting niche.

glimpses of the role of bees in English life, even in the 20" century;

The book provides in readable format the scientific background that beekeepers need

“All communication with the bees must be

their sacred status”. Full of interesting pictures and illustrations, one shows a Victorian widow

Also by Harry Riches Mead: Making, Exhibiting and Judging Price 11 Order code R205

addressing a hive of bees after their master’s death, the hive with a black bow as a sign

introduction, Part

Il

honeybees. Following the focuses on tracheal mites and

other Acarapis, Part Ill focuses on Varroa mites, and Part IV looks at other parasitic brood mites.

Information on biology, life history, introduction

and spread, and control methods is given, and in an accessible way. This book is not intended just

for scientists: it will be of value and help to

beekeepers and apiary inspectors. The editors must be kicking themselves that this book was published just before the revelation that what we all confidently but often wrongly referred to as Varroa jacobsoni is in fact more than one species.

The Red Mason Bee: Taking the Sting out of Beekeeping Chris O'Toole

of mourning for the beekeeper who has died.

An excellent text that will appeal to beekeepers

with a taste for history and folklore.

Insect Pollination in Glasshouses Marinus Sommeijer and Aad de Ruijter

Papers are grouped according to six topics: Rearing bumblebees for greenhouse pollination;

J

The diversity of suitable bumblebees; The use

2000 220 pages Available from Bees for Development Price 30.70 Order code $710

of other insects for greenhouse pollination;

Greenhouse conditions; Insect pollination for the commercial production of some greenhouse crops; and Insect pollination in relation to plant breeding.

This is a compilation of

be parasitic on

done in a gentle and kindly manner as befits

to be properly informed in this vital area.

1

W350

A comprehensive review of all the mites known to

of beekeeping in

not retired from his life-long career of

W

Order code

remains of the heritage

career. However he has

&

2001 280 pages

Bees for Development Order code

Harry Riches is now retired from his long and distinguished medical

Harry Riches

2000 104 pages Available from

Mites of the Honeybee Thomas C Webster and Keith S Delaplane (editors)

Experiences from a wide range of countries are presented and 32 colour pictures complete this information-packed and useful text.

27 papers presented

during a meeting held in The Netherlands

Also by Marinus Sommeijer et al Perspectives for Honey Production in the Tropics Price 22 Order code S700

concerning the use of bumblebees as pollinators of crops in greenhouses. The potential of other pollinator insects for confined pollination was also considered.

Wes

Bees for Development Price 5.70 Order code

0155

The red mason bee, Osmia rufa is found in Europe and the Mediterranean region.

This book explains the life cycle of the bee and how it can be encouraged to nest in gardens, as a ‘pollination pet’: for Osmia rufa is an excellent pollinator of fruit crops.

The intensive agriculture widely practiced throughout Europe has led to loss of habitat for bees and in the UK alone 25 species of wild bees are now considered endangered.

This attractive book will help to raise awareness of these little known or appreciated bees.

Also by Chris O'Toole (and Anthony Raw) Bees of the World Price 16.60 Order code 0150

whby

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The Red

2001 38 pages Available from

Ay Ban

A Bees for Development publication

Beekeeping & Development 59

BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT

BOOK ALERT! “| |

requested your book list and on looking through it found that the prices of the books when converted |

to our currency are too heavy for me to buy”.

Robert Yankey, Ghana

“We are short of books on beekeeping in our agriculture library. Please can you help?”

Bawa Ilyasu Umar, Chairman, Karshi Shukrah Farm, Nigeria Many of our readers living in developing countries need books. We are looking for donors to provide the funds for the provision of small libraries of books for active beekeeping associations and projects in

developing countries.

Levels of support you can provide are: 50 10 books; 100 — 20 books; 500 — 100 books.

Shipping costs are included.

All the libraries will receive also a two-year subscription to Beekeeping & Development included with their books.

-

.

PLEASE HELP NOW! THE NATIONAL HONEY SHOW

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15-17 November 2001

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Kensington Town Hall, London,UK The UK National Honey Show is a spectacular event

Row upon row of gleaming honey jars and beautiful beeswax candles.

Many honey classes are open to the world and there are a growing number of international winners every year.

The three day Show attracts

a wide range of trade exhibitors and beekeeping organisations and there is a full lecture programme

to take your interest.

This year the Show is celebrating its 70th birthday!

Why not join

Further details from: Rev

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Honorary General Secretary Baldric Road, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2NR UK E-mail nathon@zbee.com Web www.honeyshow.co.uk Tel/Fax +44 (0) 1303 2254579 F Capener,

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The National Honey Show takes

place in London,

UK 15-17 November

A Bees for Development publication

2001

Registered charity 233656

APIMONDIA APIMONDIA INTERNATIONAL APICULTURAL CONGRESS Durban, South Africa 28 October —

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November 2001

APIMONDIA Congress takes place every two years, at a different venue around the world. Each Congress attracts a wide range of people: hobbyist beekeepers; large-scale commercial beekeepers; representatives from the seed and fruit industries; those working in development programmes; trainers and extension workers; pollinators; packers; equipment vendors; apitherapists; research scientists; farmers and students.

The

The Beekeeping for Rural Development Standing Commission is highly active at every APIMONDIA Congress. is Beekeeping against poverty.

The theme of the Commission at the 2001 Congress

Accommodation in Durban during the Congress varies from R310 to R1465 per person per night.

Hotels are within easy walking distance of the Congress venue, and are near to the beach too.

Current exchange rate:

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US$ = R7.22

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Euro = R633

6000 people from over 60 countries attended APIMONDIA 1999 in Vancouver, Canada.

South Africa has great pleasure in inviting beekeepers and members of the bee community from around the world to share in the celebration that is APIMONDIA 2001 To attend

APIMONDIA 2001

please contact the organisers (address below) who will send you a copy to meeting you in South Africa.

of the Final Announcement containing all the details you need. We look forward

APIMONDIA 2001 CONFERENCE PLANNERS PO Box 82 (66 Queen Street), Irene 0062, South Africa Tel +27 (0) 12 667 3681

Fax +27 (0) 12 667 3680

E-mail confplan@iafrica.com

Web www.apimondia2001.com

The START Young Scientist Award Programme is calling for nominations to recognise the achievements of outstanding young scientists in developing countries.

Awards are made for a journal article preferably in English published within the last three years.

In keeping with START's mission of conducting research on regional aspects of global change, the article should focus on some aspect of global change research that has a strong regional focus.

Awards, which include an honorarium, will be made to scientists from developing countries in each of the START regions: Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania.

Applicants for the START Young Scientist Awards must be 40 years of age or less. In the case of multi-authored articles, the applicant should be the lead author of the article. Completed applications must include:

ONE journal article (multiple articles will not be reviewed) A brief biography ® Copy of letter of acceptance from the journal, if the article is not yet in print @ @

Please submit applications to: Ms Amy Freise, Programme Coordinator International START Secretariat (B&D2/2001) 2000 Florida Avenue NW, Suite 200, Washington DC 20009, USA

Fax

(+1) 202 457 5859 E-mail afreise@agu.org

Deadiine for submission of nominations is 29 June 2001

TS

se Se

° Beekeeping & Development is published quarterly by Bees for Development, Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK Telephone +44 (0) 16007 13648 Fax +44 (0) 16007 16167 E-mail busy@planbee.org.uk Web www.planbee.org.uk Printed on environmentally friendly paper.

ISSN 1369 9555

Bees for Development 2001

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