Bees for Development Journal Edition 75 - June 2005 by Bees for Development

eT T-Tmor)

Organic farming Bee communication proved correct Pesticides impair foraging Migratory beekeeping Aly relol

mati)

tiful

books

Bot ee

Bees for Development Journal

INSIDE INFORMATION

bean piesas As we go to press, we are making final plans for the Apimondia Congress taking place in Dublin in August. This is going to be an amazing event for bee enthusiasts from around the world, covering every aspect of bees, beekeeping and apicultural science. Every day there will be special events concerned with beekeeping and rural development: more details are shown below. Each Apimondia Congress represents the best chance in our field of apiculture, to meet colleagues, make new contacts and keep up to date with the new developments and research. Bees for Development will be there of course, and we hope to meet you there too!

Niwla Brvadhtav 39th APIMONDIA International Apicultural Congress Dublin, Ireland 21-26 August 2005 Standing Commission for Beekeeping for Rural Development addition to the Plenary Session on Monday 22 August during the following three days, 23-25 August, a series of 33 short practical sessions will demonstrate a diversity of apicultural skills, including In

— — —

— —

—

Candle making Hive making Processing bee products Hives for stingless bees Management tips Pollination Solar-wax extractors Top-bar hives

Soap making

is not necessary to register

separately for these workshops: participation is included in your Congress Registration Fee

Workshop: Botanical origin and quality of honey, 22 August The Standing Commission for Pollination and Bee Flora will organise this Workshop in co-operation with NECTAR (the Netherlands Expertise Centre for Tropical Apicultural Resources) and the International Honey Commission, endorsed by the FAO of the UN. An introduction to simple methods of microscopic analysis of the botanical origin of

honey and related characteristics, with the focus on pollen analysis. Intended for people from developing countries, but others are invited to take part if capacity allows. Contact

PHILIP McCABE'S BEE BEARD This is a special fund-raising opportunity marking the Apimondia Congress 2005. On 25 June Philip McCabe, Chairman of Apimondia Ireland 2005 and President of the Federation of Irish Beekeeping Associations, will attempt to wear a beard of 500,000 bees, to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, and at the same time to raise sponsorship funds in support of the aid organisation, Béthar and Bees for Development Trust. Please sponsor Philip in this record-breaking attempt! It is easy to sponsor him at www.justgiving.com/beebeard or

www.beesfordevelopment.org

m.j.sommeijer@bio.uu.nl

ApiExpo

BILL TURNBULL'S

exhibition halls there will be a area large organised by the Apimondia Standing Commission Beekeeping for Rural Development, where people from projects in developing countries can meet and display information about their work. Space is limited so contact us in advance if you want to bring a display.

LONDON MARATHON

In the

World Honey Show Classes for beeswax, candles, mead and honey confectionary. Entry forms from website.

Contact: Web: www.apimondia2005.com Email: apimondia2005@ovation.ie

April Bill Turnbull completed the London Marathon, wearing a full beekeeper's suit complete with veil, in just over four and a half hours. According to Bill: 'The beekeeping suit was terrific people cheering every step of the way - many saying "Oh Bees for Development - what's that?" Bill has raised over 3,500 in for the Bees for sponsorship Development Trust! In

Our sincere thanks to everyone that sponsored Bill. If is not too late to contribute to the fund: just go to www. justgiving.com/beekeepers.

More details of how to support the Trust are on page 15

Honey Trade Workshop

19-20 August 2005

The two days prior to the Apimondia Congress

Venue: Jurys' Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin (near to the Apimondia Congress venue) Purpose:

To assist honey producer organisations in developing countries to know requirements for honey export to

the EU.

Registration Fee: (Registration at www.apimondia2005.com) Participants from developing countries: €100 Participants from other countries: €200

Organiser: Bees for Development Participation is limited, and applicants from developing countries will be given priority

Bees for Development Journal

Practical Beekeeping

IN THIS ISSUE...

Cement hives - an environmentally-friendly alternative to wooden hive boxes

bees FOR

DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL

Joyothi Ravishankar, Karnataka, India India, hive boxes are of Indian standard size. People everywhere are concerned to reduce the destruction of forest. In order to save trees have developed a Cement Hive Box. It is my small gift to the world. In

Pesticides impalr foraging Migratory beekeeping Sees and the environment

A pollen grain of Hex aquifolium holly. A scanning eletron microscope image at magnification x 2000, reproduced from Pollen: the hidden sexuality of flowers by Rob Kesseler and Madeline Harley - see page 15 for our review.

Papadakis Publisher

The rainy season in India is from June to November. In July and August rain will be pouring heavily and during this time hives that are made of wood are damaged quickly. Mostly it is poor people who are beekeeping: people who are sound in finance will not take an interest. In order to be encouraged, people need to be able to afford to buy hive boxes. These cement boxes can be manufactured for one quarter of the price of wooden boxes and are long lasting. A major problem for bees in wooden hives is attacks from hornets. In a cement box there is an arrangement for the protection of bees from hornets. have been using my own cement hive for about five years, and am very successful. An anthropologist at Bangalore University has tested it, and has given me a certificate that the cement box is as good as a wooden hive box. |

Apimondia 2005

Practical beekeeping

Recent research

Advantages of cement

Zoom back to Jordan

hive boxes

Organic farming

Migratory beekeeping

Look and Learn Ahead

Notice Board

News around the World

Book Shelf

Bees for Development Trust

— —

Bees will readily occupy the hives The boxes are indestructible

—

There is no use of wood

—

The heavy weight of a cement box makes it safe from theft

—

Cement boxes costs one quarter of the price of wooden boxes

—

Cement boxes can be kept in rain or sunlight Bees are protected from attacks by hornets and other kinds of

—

® Joyothi Ravishankar

insects

Bees for Development Post

Troy, Monmouth

NP25 4AB, UK Phone Fax

+44 (0)16007 13648 +44 (0)16007 16167

E-mail info@beestordevelopment.org Web www.beesfordevelopment.org

Further reading Mono block clay hive for Apis cerana Bees for Development Journal 61: 6-7 The Vautier hive: appropriate hive design from West Africa Bees for Development Journal 51: 3 Beekeeping in Bas Zaire (News around the World) Bees for Development Journal 36: 7 Construction of the Mpofu Hive in Swaziland Bees for Development Journal 13: 6-7 3

A cement hive has four parts: bottom sheet, brood, super and top. The hive takes plastic frames.

RECENT RESEARCH

RECENT RESEARCH Rathanisted Research

Waggle dance controversy resolved in Nature* provides new data to resolve a long-standing scientific controversy. In the 1960s, Nobel Prize winning zoologist Karl von Frisch proposed that honeybees use dance, the ‘waggle dance’, as a coded message to guide other bees to new food sources. What was lacking was evidence of how bees translate the dance code and fly to the right place. Using harmonic radar to track the flight of bees that had attended a waggle dance, it is now proved that they fly straight to the vicinity of the feeding site, as predicted by von Frisch. The tracks allowed the scientists to determine how accurately bees translate the dance code into successful navigation, and showed that they correct for wind drift even when en route to destinations they have never visited before.

A paper published

When a honeybee worker discovers a good feeding site, it is believed that she informs her nest mates through a dance that describes the distance and direction of the feeding site. This 'dance language’ was first described by Karl von Frisch in the 1960s but his experiments also showed that bees that had attended the dance (recruits) took far longer to get to food than would be expected. This time delay caused other scientists to argue that the recruits did not read the abstract code in the dance at all, but found the food source simply by tracking down the smell that they had picked up from the dancing bee. Another suggestion was that recruits simply followed the dancer when she flew back to the food, and then other bees joined in. The controversy has persisted, because prior to the advent of harmonic radar, no one could show exactly where the recruits flew when they left their

Antenna attached to the back of a worker honeybee

vicinity of the feeding site where they then proceeded to search for its exact location, using odour and other cues. This searching behaviour accounts for the time lag that caused the original controversy.

another set of experiments, bee recruits leaving the 250 hive were taken to release sites m away. up to bees flew, not to the feeding site, but in the These direction that would have taken them to the feeding site had they not been displaced from the hive. This result adds weight to von Frisch's original theory and allows alternative hypotheses about bee behaviour to be firmly discounted. In

hives.

The scientists watched the waggle dance occurring in a glass observation hive and identified recruits. They captured these recruits as they left the hive, attached a radar transponder to them, and then tracked their flight paths using harmonic radar. Most recruited bees undertook a flight path that took them straight to the

RILEY, J R; GREGGERS, U; SMITH, A.D; REYNOLDS, D.R; MENZEL, R (2005) The flight paths of honeybees recruited by the waggle dance. Nature 435: 205-207.

Natural pesticide impairs bumblebee foraging ability quantity. But although many pesticides are known to be toxic to bees, toxicity testing is largely restricted to direct lethal effects on adult honeybees, if tested on bees at all.

Pesticide levels previously thought to be safe for pollinators may prove harmful to wild bee health, according to research published in Pest Management

Science in May 2005.

The researchers say sub-lethal effects on honeybees could be going unnoticed, and that different bee species could also be affected.

The Canadian study shows that adult bumblebees exposed to the pesticide Spinosad during larval development - at levels they could encounter in the environment - have impaired foraging ability. Bees are important pollinators of crops: approximately one third of human food is reliant on pollinating activity. Wild bees are thought to contribute significantly to this

Dr Lora Morandin and colleagues at Canada's Simon Fraser University tested the effects of different levels of Spinosad on bumblebee colony health and foraging ability. Spinosad is a natural pesticide derived from the 4

Bees for Development Journal

RECENT RESEARCH

bacteria Actinomycetes. It is used in over 30 countries including North America, Canada and the UK to combat common crop pests such as caterpillars and thrips. Bee colonies were fed the pesticide in a manner that mimicked contact in an agricultural setting. Adult bees and developing larva were exposed to Spinosad in pollen. The bees' foraging ability on an array of ‘complex’ artificial flowers made of centrifuge tubes was then evaluated. High levels of Spinosad residues (about 10 times what bees should experience in the environment) caused rapid colony death. Colonies exposed to more realistic levels of Spinosad in pollen did not show any lethal effects and only minimal immediate colony health effects. However, bees that were fed realistic levels of Spinosad during larval development were slower foragers. They took longer to access complex flowers, resulting in longer handling times and lower foraging rates. The bees also displayed ‘trembling’, which impaired their ability to land on the flowers and enter the flower tubes. This impaired foraging ability in bumblebees could result in weaker colonies and lower pollination of crop plants, according to Dr Morandin: "Adult bees that have been exposed to a pesticide during larval development may display symptoms of poisoning that are not detected with current tests required by

regulatory agencies," she says. “In order to ensure sustainable food production, agricultural pesticides need to be safe for wild pollinators." The authors conclude that testing of new pesticides should include examination of lethal and sub-lethal effects on wild bees. "Testing new pesticides on some species of wild bees will aid in developing pesticides and use recommendations that minimise impact on wild bees, leading to healthier populations of bees and potentially better crop yields," says Morandin.

SCI Press Office See Bookshelf page 14 for the review of a new field guide for bumblebees

Copyright As part of Bees for Development's Information Service you are welcome to translate and/or reproduce items appearing in our Journal. Permission is given on the understanding that BfDJ and author(s) are acknowledged, our contact details are provided in full, and you send us a copy of the item, or the website address where it is used. All items remain Bees for Development.

Do your bees

Alarm Report

make propolis?

The ALARM Project is carrying out a large-scale assessment of environmental risks across Europe. Particular attention is being given to the loss of pollinators and the pollination services they provide. Bees (and to a lesser extent other insects) provide key services in maintaining biodiversity and contribute to agricultural production. After one year of research, methods testing is complete and the aim is to publish a series of papers in 2006. The focus this year is on the risks of pollinator loss for crops and rare wildflowers.

We invite you to join the expanding network of researchers, curators and data managers who share an interest in pollinators. Examining the data available for Europe, we will be able to identify concerns of greatest priority - taxonomy and conservation - and support future initiatives with fact-based evidence.

~™

www.beevitalpropolis.com We would like to test

Contributions including data research collaborations and joint publications are always welcome. Simon Potts, ALARM Project, University of Reading, UK

it from

and possibly buy

you.

James Fearnley of BeeVital is a leading world authority on the nature of propolis & its medicina! properties, he is author of Bee Propolis-Natural Healing from the Hive retailing at 7.99 plus p&p. A major research project has been

The

Assessing LA rge-scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested M ethods (ALARM) project is an EU-funded project that began in February 2004 and is scheduled to run until January 2009. For readers interested in its progress there are

regular

updates on www.alarmproject.net

started by BeeVital and we would like your help. If you are interested in finding out whether your propolis is suitable for medicinal use and learning about sustainable ways of harvesting & using propolis please send a sample (50g) to:

BeeVital, Brereton Lodge, Goathland, Whitby, North Yorkshire

YO22 5JR, UK Tel: ++44 (0) 1947 896037

Fax: ++44 (0) 1947 896482 Email: info@beevitalpropolis.com

Bees for Development Journal

ZOOMING BACK TO JORDAN

ZOOMING BACK TO JORDAN Bees for Development Journal 23 we featured Zooming in on Jordan. Dr Nizar Haddad, Co-ordinator of the Bee Research Unit at the National Center for Agriculture Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT) in Bag'q now provides this update. In

Melliferous vegetation All of Jordan's eco-geographic regions hold rich and diverse resources of wild flora, cultivated plants, fruit trees, and forest trees. Most of these plants provide forage for bees as sources of nectar and pollen. In the Jordan Valley, bees forage mainly on Citrus, the source of light coloured honey, Christ's thorn jujube, Eucalyptus, Syrian thistle and mesquite. In the uplands, fruit trees such as stone fruit, poem fruit, and cultivated crops like legumes and crucifers are the main forage for honeybees. Wild flora, bushes, and shrub comprise the main foraging plants for honeybees in the arid and semi arid region: greenish and tan coloured honeys are produced from these plants.

JORDAN

is located at the crossroads of three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. The landscape reveals great diversity within short distances.

Jordan has an eastern Mediterranean climate, characterised by mild and moderately rainy winters and hot rainless summers.

SAUDI ARABIA

kept by beekeepers who are still following traditional ways.

There is little manufacture of beekeeping equipment and supplies, except for the wooden hive boxes and frames. Most equipment such as honey extractors, ripeners, queen excluders, wax foundation, smokers, and clothes are imported from New Zealand, China, Syria, Europe and the USA. From 1980 to 1998 honey production ranged between 50 and 200 tonnes per year. The average domestic consumption reached 379 tonnes per year. The Kingdom imports about 282 tonnes a year, which means that domestic production may meet only 20% of national consumption. Jordanians prefer local honey. They believe that local honey has more medicinal value than imported honey, because of the diversity of Jordan flora. The price of imported honey reaches US$5 per kg, while the price of local honey is US$10-15 per kg.

Apis mellifera syriaca at the entrance of a frame hive, at the left side bees are balling a tethered Vespa orientalis

Beekeeping

According to Ministry of Agricultural Statistics (2003), 65% of hives are located in the north, 25% in the central parts, and 10% in the south of Jordan. The statistics also show that in 2003 the number of beekeepers was over 1,000 with about 60,000 colonies distributed in the categories shown right. Hives, equipment and production In 1979, more than 80% of colonies were kept in traditional clay hives, hand-made cylindrical tubes of mud and straw, 66 cm long and 30 cm in diameter internally - the walls are a full 5 cm thick. Honeybees housed in this hive will build comb, rather than relying on removable frames as in frame hives. Considerable effort has been made in the past two decades to introduce frame hives into Jordan. In 2005 over 98% of bees are kept in frame hives, while 2% are

Local-style clay hives Orel -selelay

Hobby beekeeper Part-time beekeeper Full-time beekeeper

Number of colonies Less than 10

10 -25

25-100 101-1000

Professional beekeeper Large-scale professional beekeeper with shop and employees More than 1000

Bees for Development Journal

ZOOMING BACK TO JORDAN

Honeybees

Bee Research Unit

The indigenous honeybee is Apis mellifera syriaca which occurs in the eastern Mediterranean region: Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Syria and Lebanon. It is characterised by a bright yellow colour and small size. Apis mellifera syriaca is a nervous bee, and notorious for high defensiveness. For commercial beekeepers there seem to be good practical reasons for replacing Apis mellifera syriaca by less defensive strains, including Italian, Carniolan, Buckfast or Caucasian bees.

Three years ago NCARTT founded the Bee Research Unit which is responsible for conducting basic and applied research and transferring new technologies to local beekeepers.

Beekeeping development The Bee Research Unit has distributed hives and helped in the establishment of new apiaries, whose income is used to support poor families. There is also the work of developing income for women in rural areas - many workshops and training programmes for women are conducted yearly.

Honeybee diseases American foulbrood Paenibacillus larvae, European foulbrood Melissococcus pluton, Acarapis spp. In certain areas the symptoms of Nosema apis and viral diseases might be present but there has been no survey. Honeybee pests and predators Wax moth Galleria mellonella, oriental hornet Vespa orientalis, and Varroa destructor are the main pests and predators. Poisoning of bees by pesticides remains a very serious problem for beekeepers, especially in the Jordan Valley. Inner view of the clay hive

Apis mellifera syriaca As a bee of the dry-hot regions,

it is much better adapted to survive extreme summer temperatures without a small honey flow, and adjusts its brood pattern showing a depression between the spring and autumn maxima. The Syrian honeybee shows more defensive behaviour against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and is better adapted to withstand attacks from Vespa orientalis. Apis mellifera

syriaca is a good opportunity for study, since research done on the biology, behaviour, and genetics of this honeybee are very limited. Although more than half a century of foreign bee importation has taken place, it might not be too late to find pure or almost pure Apis mellifera syriaca. Therefore the Bee Research Unit (NCARTT) started intensive investigations in co-operation with the Institut fur Bienenkunde in Germany, to find Apis mellifera syriaca and establish a gene bank apiary for this local race, having in mind that the species of today might be the solution of problems tomorrow. The results were that the Jordanian samples were the closest in the Middle East to the reference samples collected in 1952 by Brother

Adam. This is the first bank for Apis mellifera syriaca in the Middle East where queens are mated in natural flights and with instrumentally inseminated mother queens in order to serve as a resource for the future.

Beekeeping Department The Ministry of Agriculture has a Beekeeping Department responsible for import and export regulations and the yearly statistics, and, in co-operation with Extension Services, for training and supporting beekeepers.

Acknowledgements Thanks to Ryiadh Al-Najada and all other Bee Research Unit staff at NCARTT. For further information please visit: www.ncartt.gov.jo or www.beekeeping.8k.com.

git ;MAE

8TH ASIAN

APICULTURAL Soca’ CONFERENCE

20-24 March 2006 Perth, Western Australia Theme

Honey for Healthy Humans — — — —

Scientific papers Technical and educational tours Pre and post conference tours

Api-Expo

Deadline for abstracts

December 2005

Further information Debrett’s Conference & Event Management E-mail honeybee@debretts.com.au Phone (+61) 8 9386 3282 Fax (+61) 8 9386 3292

Bees for Development Journal

ONE HECTARE OF LAND

ONE HECTARE OF LAND Gives 1,000,000 Indian Rupees per annum For all those who doubt these figures, a visit to Ramesh Chander Dagar's farmland is a must. It will change the

way you perceive agriculture and farming. Located in Akbarpur Barota village of Sonipat District in Haryana, India, the farmland is like the laboratory of an agricultural scientist. As a result of his research Dagar has arrived at the calculation above. "I am a simple farmer, who has studied only up to 10th standard. used to keep hearing claims by the government that small land holdings are not viable for agriculture, which set me thinking. About four years back, set aside a part of my agriculture field (1 ha) and started experimenting. Today am confident that ha land can give a minimum income of Rs 10 lakh (1,000,000 Indian Rupees) per annum," he says. |

Dagar follows integrated organic farming. "Organic farming does not mean just not using pesticides. It is a whole lot of other things, such as beekeeping, dairy management, biogas production, water harvesting and composting. When a combination of these practices is followed, organic farming is sure to be successful, both ecologically and financially," he adds. Dagar is already busy spreading the seeds of integrated organic farming in his home State.

He has garnered support of other farmers and set up at state level, Haryana Kisan Welfare Club, with branches at each District. Close to 5,000 farmers are active members of this Club and are fast spreading the word around. Learning by doing

swien

Everything

for the

Beekeeper!

Dagar started farming with only 1.6 ha land in 1971 and today owns close to 44 ha, all farmed by integrated organic methods. A clear understanding of three issues helped him succeed in life: how produce will be marketed; what natural resources are available; maintaining the quality of produce.

Marketing is the most important feature, as most organic farmers fail when they are unable to sell their produce. "Before sowing any new crop, used to first survey the market and understand the demand. It is only when was 60% sure of the returns, that used to take 40% risk,' says Dagar. And in most cases it worked for his good. |

“S

Bottlix

nty.com Seber "Denmark

th |

Fax: +45 7448 Soo1 Tel: +45 7448 6969

sales@swienty.com

44 ha, Dagar grows organically almost all seasonal vegetables, fruits, paddy, wheat, in his

mushrooms and flowers. He has also started growing exotic vegetables and fruits, like lettuce, baby corn and strawberry, for export. It is out of this 44 ha, that he has set aside one hectare for research purposes: Dagar's ‘research lab’. "Through this 1 ha, want to prove to all those who think that organic farming is not |

profitable.

Source of income

Annual income (Rs)

500,000 100,000 300,000 400,000 30,000

Vermicompost

Dairy Mushroom

Honey Fishery

Total Rs 1,330,000

Approximately €7,300 or US$9,200

Dagar's Research Lab Dagar's ha ‘research lab' is a visual extravaganza. Composting is taking place at one end, flowers growing at the other end, a farm pond with fishes, biogas plant, and solar panels. And all these processes are interlinked through various agrocycles that together create an annual income of around Rs 13 lakh. (See currency counter page 9). This income increases further if one takes into account energy saved due to use of biogas and solar power. Let us understand the agro-cycle of vermicomposting. "99.9% of Indian farmers burn the left over of paddy crop, locally known as pawal. This pawal is an excellent raw material for vermicompost (compost made using earthworms). Using it, am producing annually 300 tonnes of vermicompost, a part of which use on my fields and the rest is sold at a rate of Rs 3 per kg", says Dagar. Apart from vermicompost, Dagar also produces normal compost. Hence the total annual generation of compost is about 600 tonnes. Dagar aims to produce 1,000 tonnes by the end of 2004. All from a 'waste' resource. He claims vermicompost is the best because it helps maintain moisture in the soils and reduces water consumption by almost 25%. He is already providing 2 kg earthworms free of cost to farmers, who pledge to go in for organic farming. The most important part of integrated organic farming is beekeeping; which increases the output of crops by 10-30% because 1

—

bees are very effective in natural pollination. Also the honey

Books to Buy” from Bees for Development Reviews are published in Bees for Development Journal and can be viewed on our website Store

Send your order by e-mail, post or phone or use the secure payment system at www.beesfordevelopment.org

Books, CDs, DVDs, charts, posters, videos APIS DORSATA - THE MANAGEABLE BEE

—

Our speciality - titles not otherwise easily available DVD BEEKEEPING IN THE PHILIPPINES Horst Wendorf

Digambar B Mahindre 2004 260 pages A5 21.65

2003 80+ minutes Set of two 2 DVDs 29.70 €44.50 Code VID3 In rural areas of Negros Island, one in two families live below the poverty line. Almost all the indigenous tropical forest has been destroyed for seasonal crop cultivation - coconut, coffee, sugar and tobacco. With the forests protected and a need to restore biodiversity, while assisting households dependent on natural resources, beekeeping came high on the list.

€32.50 Code M005

Apis dorsata is a species of honeybee found in Asia. It builds large, single combs, suspended from branches of trees, cliffs or city buildings. The author has studied and worked with Apis dorsata for over 50 years, and has developed a way of harvesting high quality honey, and without harm to the bees.

BEEKEEPING IN CENTRAL AFRICA APICULTURE EN BAS CONGO

DVD DES ABEILLES ET DES HOMMES Gilles Thérieu 2004 52 minutes 32

Paul Latham

€42 Code VID30

2004 46 pages 7.20

A beautiful, serious, moving

and thoughtful film exploring the relationship between bees and humankind. Highly recommended for everyone with an interest in bees. English & French on one DVD

Code L120 an

easy-to-read

entertaining

€25.20 VID29

CD PREVENTION OF RESIDUES IN HONEY

VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS FROM BEEKEEPING

ZAMBIAN BEEKEEPING HANDBOOK

Rainer Krell €49.50 K500

Bernhard & Renate Clauss 1996 406 pages 33

1991 108 pages

€63 Code H235

20.50 €33 A valuable

C150 for

book

Plenty of ideas in this excellent book.

those

encouraging beekeeping in resource-poor areasa anywhere. Brilliant on

handling bees, full of practical

‘hands

POLLEN special book that brings the most amazing photographs of pollen grains and flowers, fruit and (just one) bee, and describes the remarkable events from pollination to fertilisation and the impact of pollen on our lives.

manual. °*

Apimondia 2004 25 €35 Code VID31 A most serious threat to beekeeping today is the spread of honeybee diseases and parasites and the over-recommended use of antibiotics and pesticides to control them. These Proceedings discuss the possibilities of how to avoid residues in bee products, especially honey, and how to measure residues.

sites.

A very

and

subjects described. Both books on CD 16.80

Excellent handbook describing how you can help to protect and re-establish populations of pollinators: included here are solitary and social bees, flies and beetles. Chapters cover threats to pollinators, actions to help pollinators including and nesting planning habitats to provide forage,

and hive siting, honey and wax harvesting and the products of beekeeping are some of the

€29.55 Code X100

Madeline Harley & Rob Kessler 2005 264 pages Hardcover

€ 10.80 L125 English

Working with top-bar hives, management tips

The Xerces Society and The Bee Works 145 pages A5 2003

POLLEN: THE HIDDEN SEXUALITY OF FLOWERS

French

Colour illustrations augment the brief text

POLLINATOR CONSERVATION HANDBOOK

19.70

“Be

MERE

4. Zamblan*

st skeeping Handbéal ce Fl

RYft

information and written in a style : that is easy to

read.

*%.;!

Good

and illustrations details of many different hives.

‘..%

[ee

yal

aye ale

Ce» a

ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF HONEYBEE

Hassan Talib Mohammed Darwish Al-Lawati

2002 148 pages Hardcover

D115 16.80

€25.20

280 beekeeping terms in both Arabic and English with Arabic-English and EnglishArabic alphabetical glossaries.

: !

MANUAL DE APICULTURA PARA CABO VERDE

;

Publications are in English unless stated otherwise >

Ole Hertz 2002 80 pages H300 9.65 €14.50 Portuguese edition

All that know.

beginner beekeeper needs to

Bees for Development, Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK E-mail store@beesfordevelopment.org www.beesfordevelopment.org LE ceed

lied

aed ty

THE HIMALAYAN CLIFF BEE THE HONEY HUNTERS

APIS LABORIOSA AND

OF KASKI Farooq Ahmad, Surendra Raj Joshi & Min Bahadur Gurung 2003 52 pages 16.80 €25.20 AI75 ICIMOD based in Kathmandu, Nepal is undertaking a project on One objective is indigenous honeybees. Jaboriosa and its understanding more about Apis exploitation.

FIELD GUIDE TO THE BUMBLEBEES OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

ame ®

Mike Edwards & Martin Jenner

2005 11.50

108 pages Pocketbook

€17.25 E010

Bumblebees play an important role

in pollinating wild and cultivated plants. In the UK there

are (or were) 22 species - one has recently been declared extinct. A problem has been the difficulty of identifying the different species, that until now required expert knowledge and the use of a microscope. This excellent book describes how to identify bumblebees using the new ‘three-step method’.

Over 200 titles at www.beesfordevelopment.org

THE LITTLE BOOK OF BEES

VIDO5

BRDC, Hanoj Bernhard Clauss

VIDO6

Dir of Forestry

VID17.

Gerald Kastberger ~—Gerald Kastberger

VID20 VID22.

Keystone Foundation Uma Partap

Hood B Saif Al-Alawi

VID24

2” Sight Productions

VID10A Claire Waring VID11A Claire Waring VID16

Horst Wendorf

VID28 Gerald Kastberger VID28A Gerald Kastberger

BEEKEEPING IN BOTSWANA (BEEKEEPING HANDBOOK)

Ministry of Agriculture 1997 76 pages 11.60 €17.40 M350 One of the best texts available for African beekeepers, giving the type of clear, practical information on handling bees which is difficult to find elsewhere. It advocates top-bar hives as the most practical hive for beekeeping in Botswana, and gives two designs. This 4th edition includes dimensions for Langstroth (frame) hives.

TOWARDS SAVING THE HONEYBEE Gunther Hauk

2002 80 pages 14.60 €20.40 HI40 The author encourages respect for bees and urges beekeepers to use approaches to keep bees satisfied and contented. Since honeybees colonies suffered such a rapid decline in numbers during the 20"Century we need to find a way to re-establish their well-being and health.

THE HONEYBEE INSIDE OUT Celia F Davies 2004 150 pages 22.50 €33.75 D300 The anatomy and physiology of honeybees in a clear and concise format. Eight chapters illustrated with colour photographs, and diagrams drawn by the author from her own dissection work providing a realistic impression of the parts being described.

Code Author Title VIDEOS PAL/VHS unless otherwise stated VIDO2

Karl Weiss 2003 106 pages Hardcover 19.20 €28.80 W360 A precise, readable text that will be appreciated by anyone wanting to learn more about the different kinds of bees, of which honeybees and bumblebees are but a tiny minority.

Year

Rafter beekeeping in Vietnam African honeybees: how to handle them in top-bar hives Namibia’s honey harvesters

1995

30 min

25.00

37.50

1995

22 min

22.90

34.40

1996

32 min

27.20

40.80

The magic trees of Assam Defence strategies of giant honeybees state version: - PAL/VHS or NTSC Honey hunters of the Blue Mountains

1999

51 min

45.00

67.50

2000

23 min

32.50

48.80

2000

30 min

28.90

43.40

2001

31 min

27.80

41.70

1996

45 min

26.70

40.00

Warning signals from the Apple Valleys The documentary: honeybees in Oman English (VIDO7) Arabic (VIDO8) An introduction to keeping bees

2002

70 min

15.90

23.80

Nepal: its bees and beekeepers Nepal: the high mountain home of the honeybee

1997

30 min

14.70

22.00

1999

30 min

14.70

22.00

Beekeeping in development Beetle versus bee: the dramatic story of a cunning parasite Beetle versus bee: the dramatic story of a cunning parasite NTSC

1999

81 min

28.80

43.20

2003

28 min

34.80

52.20

2003

28 min

43.40

65.10

2004

52 min

32.00

42.00

2003

80 min

29.70

44.50

DVDS VID30

Gilles Thérieu

VID31

Horst Wendorf

Des abeilles et des homes English and French on one DVD Beekeeping in the Philippines

CD ROMS VID18

Cherbuliez et af

Medicine from the bees text in English, French and Spanish

2001

34.90

52.40

vip20a._

Keystone Foundation Paul Latham

Honey hunters of the Blue Mountains Bee plants of Bas Congo and southern Tanzania

2001

22.80

34.20

2003

22.80

34.20

Dictionary of beekeeping terms

2003

16.80

25.20

VID29

Apimondia Paul Latham

Beekeeping in Central Africa/Apicuiture en Bas Congo

2004

16.80

25.20

VID32

Apimondia

Proceedings 1st Symposium on honey residues

2004

25.00

35.00

BfD

Promote beekeeping in rural development

A3 size

3.00

4.50

Plattner Bienenhof

Stages of development of the worker bee English (PO2) French (P03) Nine colour prints of honeybees

A2 size

9.70

14.60

30 x 21 cm

25.00

37.50

Bees, wasps and other hymenoptera

97 x 68 cm

11.20

16.80

VID25 VID27

POSTERS & PRINTS POi PR2 PO4

Plattner Bienenhof

BOOKS Over 200 titles at www.beesfordevelopment.org

BEES. BEEKEEPING & HONEY HUNTING

2002 1993 1997 2001 1997 1999 2004 1993 1999 1997 1982 1997 2001

1991 1994 1997 1997 1991

82 232 214 33 294

World cooking with honey Bee propolis: natural healing from the hive How to make beeswax candles Natural medicine from honeybees A taste of honey Health and the honeybee Honey identification (Hardcover) First aid for bee and wasp stings Super Formulas: 360 useful products that contain bee products

1988 2001 1977 1991 1989 1995 1988 1995 1993

143 172 14 93 160 92

Aston & Bucknall Uma Partap David Roubik Sommeijer& de Ruijter

Plants and honeybees: their relationships Pollination management of mountain crops through beekeeping Pollination of cultivated plants in the tropics Insect pollination in greenhouses

2004 1999 1995 2000

15 117 19

Morse & Flottum Cynthia Scott-Dupree Wolfgang Ritter

ed (Hardcover) Honey bee pests, predators and diseases ed $200 French edition S205 Honeybee diseases and pests Enfermedades de las abejas Spanish edition

1997 1996 2001

K305 K350 M010 M555 M200

Ni50

NWRC

N250 P300 $700

Ntenga & Mugongo R WK Punchihewa Sommeijer et al Hayo Velthuis Mark Winston

B470 c010 C060 C250 C315 c500 C320 D120

vo50 W500 BEE PRODUCTS A450

Fi10 F600 K100 G150 M700 $100 ‘$500 W404

Apimondia James Fearnley Clara Furness

Jacob Kaal

Gonnet&

Vache Charles Mraz

Rex Sawyer Michaly Simics Elaine White

PLANTS AND POLLINATION A455 P160 R510 $710

PATHOLOGY M600

R220

€

Year

A scanning electron microscopy atlas of the Africanized “killer” honey bee The First West African Bee Research Seminar Abejas sin aguijon: su biologia y la organizacién de la colmena Spanish Africanized honeybees in the Americas Beekeeping: a beginner’s guide Proceedings of the first Caribbean Beekeeping Congress Queen rearing simplified Apicultura practica en America Latina Spanish edition The world history of beekeeping and honey hunting (Hardcover) Practical beekeeping (Hardcover) Honeybees in Oman English (D250) and Arabic (D255) editions Breeding queens English (F200) French (F215) Spanish (F205) editions Honey hunters and beekeepers of Tamil Nadu Beekeeping in Malaysia: pollen atlas 3rd AAA Conference on bee research and development Asian bees and beekeeping The bees of the world (Hardcover) Low productivity in East African beekeeping Honey hunters and beekeepers: beekeeping in Babati District, Tanzania Beekeeping for honey production in Sri Lanka Perspectives for honey production in the tropics The biology of stingless bees The biology of the honeybee

Abramson & Aquino Bees for Development Koos Biesmeijer Dewey Caron Tom Carroll Collins & Solomon Vince Cook Luis G Cornejo Eva Crane Clive de Bruyn Roderic Dutton Gilles Fert Keystone Foundation Ruth Kiew& M Muid Matsuka, Tam et al Matsuka, Verma et al Charles Michener

A000 B320

1991 2001

2000 2001 1997

86 77 25 37 230 63 167 720 288 38 104 13

186

228 264 91 80

28.80 43.20 10.00 15.00 20.90 31.40 10.00 15.00 15.70 23.60 15.20 22.80 10.95 16.40 15.50 23.30 90.00 135.00 29.10 44.10 13.10 19.70 19.60 29.40 14.65 22.00 16.00 22.40 21.70 32.60 21.70 32.60 116.40 174.60 19.90 29.20 13.90 20.90 25.30 38.00 22.00 33.00 13.80 20.70 22.00 33.00

6.00 11.00 5.00 15.70 6.80 7.00 23.00 5.10 20.25

9.00 16.50 7.50 23.50 10.20 11.10 34.50 7.70 30.40

220

19.00 12.10 24.10 30.70

28.50 18.20 36.20 46.00

718 26 146

30.20 7,30 19.30

45.30 11.00 29.00

32 12

PLEASE SEND PAYMENT WITH YOUR ORDER and complete details overleaf L] I enclose

a cheque for

|] Ihave transferred

including the equivalent of 9 €13 to cover international exchange charges to L] uk sterling account number 10167967 L] Euro account number 59532688 Bank code 20-00-85 at Barclays Bank plc, PO Box 29, Monmouth, NP25 3YG, UK

U Charge

my Electron/JCB/Maestro/Mastercard/Solo/Visa account for

Name on card

cord umber Valid from date

Signature

IOI L] L|

DUO GUO OOO

a L|

Expiry date

LI |

L LJ

Issue number (if given)

Address of card holder if different from delivery address

Return this form to Bees for Development

Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK Phone +44 (0) 16007 13648 E-mail store@beesfordevelopment.org Over 200 titles at www.beesfordevelopment.org

L] LJ

Bees for Development, Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK E-mail store@beesfordevelopment.org www.beesfordevelopment.org

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

Bees for Development Journal

Our award winning, quarterly Journal providing the best views of beekeeping

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD Snippets of news from every corner of the globe

Annual subscription (four editions) 20, €28 or US$34

Oar

Innovative and interesting ideas for sustainable beekeeping

ZOOMING IN...

Ten subscriptions to one address

100

Unique country profiles Plus

€150 or US$150

Past editions

€6 or US$8

Up-to-the-minute information New books Courses and conferences Letters page Notice board for readers’ use

each

Prices include airmail delivery worldwide

STRENGTHENING LIVELIHOODS: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF BEEKEEPING IN DEVELOPMENT

ee ae baci the Role of Beekeeping In Development ing

POSTER BEES, WASPS AND OTHER HYMENOPTERA 97 x 68 cm 11.20 16.80

Nicola Bradbear, Eleanor Fisher & Helen Jackson 2002 122 pages 22 €33 B480 A look at apiculture as an important occupation and part of rural life worldwide. Small-scale beekeeping

\ eE. mS ae

PO4

colour poster that is both & entertaining and decorative. Drawings a The and descriptions of 33 species. Latin, English, French, German and Spanish names are listed along with notes on where the insects are found and their behavioural tendencies.

contributes significantly to livelihood security, yet the practice of beekeeping is underplayed in official policy and planning.

full

dns

BEES RURAL LIVELIHOODS

2004 16 pages A4

€7.5 B485

Income from the sale of

LAS ABEJAS Y LA SUBSISTENCIA RURAL €7.5 B485S

publications supports our Information Service for beekeepers in developing countries

Spanish edition translated by Rafael Thimann

E O MEIO DE VIDA RURAL pages A4 5 €7.5 B485P Portuguese edition translated by

AS ABELHAS 2004 16 Breno Freitas

Explains why beekeeping is such a great activity. Beekeepers and projects in developing countries are welcome to request copies free of charge

ORDER FORM Name

Address for delivery

E-mail address

Title

How many

Code

Total price

Unit price or€

Sub total Delivery to UK address Please add 10% for deliveries to Europe outside UK or 25% for deliveries outside Europe Subscription(s) to Bees for Development Journal for one year

€28

Sponsored subscription(s) to Bees for Development Journal for one year

€28

Ten to One subscription(s) to Bees for Development Journal for one year

Donation INSURANCE Orders

|! 10

€15 [)

€40

[| 50

€150- €750 add 15 €22 €150 add 10 €15, 100-500 We are not responsible for loss in transit unless insurance cover is paid on order Over 500 ask for quote Payment by bank transfer please add the equivalent of 9 €13 to cover international exchange charges

TOTAL

up to 100

€75

100

€150

ao.a

BEES AND RURAL LIVELIHOODS Nicola Bradbear 2003 16 pages A5

100

€150

Other

Free

MIGRATORY BEEKEEPING IN SOUTH INDIA

produced has great demand on the national and international market. As part of the experiment, Dagar has about 150 hives of bees, with each

colony generating 35-40 kg honey. The total annual income from honey is Rs 4 lakh. "Beekeeping is a very profitable business, which even a landless farmer can do. And one farmer can benefit an area of 2-3 km, which is the normal range of bees," says Dagar. Future challenges

With success comes new challenges. And Dagar has his own. Firstly, it is the cost of organic food, which is priced higher than food grown using

Bees for Development Journal

chemicals. Dagar has tried to address this issue by making use of a high premium on organic food. He has also tied up with voluntary organisations, which promote the marketing of organic food.

companies registered under it, out of which only one is an Indian firm. A one day visit by company official costs close to Rs 15,000. Which Indian farmer has so much money to

Whereas the issue of cost has been addressed to a large extent, the problem of certification remains. India lacks a streamlined procedure for the certification of organic foods. Also one kind of certificate is not valid for all countries. "Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority is the nodal agency which addresses the issue of certification. It has about 10

Thanks to D M Nair, of Down to Earth, India, for permission to reprint this article by Nidhi Jamwal published in Alternative Technology Vol 31 (3)

spend?"

Currency counter 1

lakh Indian Rupees = Rs100,000

lakh Indian Rupees

100 indian Rupees = Indian Rupee;

€=

€ €

1,830 = $2,300 1.83 = $2.30

Euro;

= US dollar

Migratory beekeeping in South India Thomas K K Kavumkal, Golden Bee Farm, Kerala

2005, we migrated our colonies back to Kerala for the rubber honey flow. February-April is the peak honey flow season in rubber plantations. From rubber trees extra floral secretion of honey is obtained. About 8,000 tonnes of honey are produced from Kerala rubber plantations. A plus point of rubber honey is that there is no chance of pesticides or other harmful contents present. So for ayurvedic medicine, there is a very good demand for rubber honey (Ayurveda is Kerala's favourite medical wing). This year we are also expecting a very good honey collection. Production news will be sent with the next letter. KK Thomas

1am a beekeeper from Kerala and have 500 Apis mellifera colonies. started beekeeping as a profession in 1985 with Apis cerana indica. In 1990, following a serious attack of Thai sac brood virus disease, my colonies were finished. As an experiment, in 1992 introduced two Apis mellifera colonies to my farm. With proper management the colonies developed speedily and could be divided into eight. Year by year our colony numbers multiplied. We started beekeeping training programmes, colony supply, bee box and other bee equipment manufacturing, and were satisfied by our own beekeeping development activities. The Governments of Kerala and Karnataka recognised our institution, and in the year 2000 we received the 'Madhumithra 2000' award from the Kerala Government for the best beekeeper. Today my wife and | are fully involved in beekeeping activities. Our main activities are training farmers,

supplying bee colonies with accessories, collecting honey from farmers and supplying all over India. Every year about 300 tonnes of honey are collected. This year we migrated our bee colonies to Karnataka State (about 650 km) to sunflower cultivations. From there we got a very good yield of about 30 kg per colony. Their main forage sources are cotton, sunflower, Eucalyptus and neem. The Karnataka farmers welcomed us very warmly. With the presence of our bees their crop production increased to a high level. From June to December, parts of Karnataka are a paradise for bees. In January

Kerala and Tamil Nadu so many farmers were seriously affected by the Tsunami. Here in coastal areas we are not rearing bees so the bee colony loss is less, but some beekeeping families became the victims of Tsunami. Our government and non-government organisations are trying their best to rehabilitate those unlucky people. In

Apis mellifera honeybee colonies working in Karnataka State 9

Bees for Development Journal

LOOK AHEAD AUSTRALIA 8th Asian Apicultural Association (AAA) Conference 20-24 March 2006, Perth Further details page 7

APIMONDIA 40th International Apicultural Congress 9-13 September 2007, Melbourne Further details apimondia2007.com.au BRAZIL XVI Congresso Brasileiro de Apicultura XVI Brazilian Beekeeping Congress May 2006, CBA, Sergipe Further details www.se.sebrae.com.br

COLOMBIA li Congresso Internacional de Propolis II

International Congress on Propolis

31 August - 2 September

2005,

LOOK AHEAD / LEARN AHEAD / NOTICE BOARD

URUGUAY 1° Congreso de Apicultura del Mercosur 1st Beekeeping Congress of Mercosur

24-26 June 2005, Punta del Este Further details

www.sociedadapicola.org.uy USA 50th Anniversary of the Eastern Apicultural Society 1-5 August 2005, Kent State University, Ohio Further details www.easternapiculture.org

LEARN AHEAD ARGENTINA Curso Latinoamericano de Control de Calidad de Miel, Cera y Propdleos Quality Control of Honey, Wax and Propolis

Santafe de Bogota Further details telephone (+57) 8266 9162

9-13 May 2005, Santiago del Estero Further details cedia@unse.edu.ar

INDIA

Irish Beekeepers' Summer Course

International Beekeeping Congress 13-18 November, 2005, Bangalore Further details www.centound.org/IBC-

Further details eosbee@indigo.ie

2005/Indexpage.html IRELAND Philip McCabe's Bee Beard 25 June 2005, Dublin Further details page 2 Bees for Development Honey Trade Workshop 19-20 August 2005, Dublin Further details page 2

APIMONDIA Standing Commission for Bee Pathology Symposium: Diagnosis of bee diseases 19-20 August 2005, Dublin Further details wolfgang. riter@cvuaftr.bwl.de

APIMONDIA 39th International Apicultural Congress 21-26 August 2005, Dublin Further details page 2 and 16 RUSSIA Third European Congress on Social Insects 22-27 August 2005, St Petersburg Further details www.bio.pu.ru/win/entomol/Kipyatkov/iussi /2005/firstann.htm

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Ath Caribbean Beekeeping Congress 14-18 November 2005, Port of Spain, Trinidad Further details page 16

UK National Honey Show 20-22 October 2005, RAF Hendon, near London Further details www.honeyshow.co.uk

IRELAND

25-30 July 2005, Gormanston

XV International Congress of the IUSSI 30 July - 5 August 2006, Washington Further details

www.iussi.org/IUSSI2006. html VENEZUELA 1° Congresso Internacional de Apicultura 1st International Beekeeping Congress 26-29 July 2005, San Cristébal Further details

http://investigacion.unet.edu.ve/apicultura

2005/

KENYA Making equipment 28 August - 3 September 2005, Molo Further details www.sustainableag.org UK Advanced Bee Husbandry Course 18-23 July 2005, York Further details ken@basterfield.com Bees for Development arranges beekeeping study fours and visits world-wide. Tailor-made to suit

requirement and fit any budget. Contact us for details. If you want notice of your conference, workshop or meeting to be included here send details to Bees for Development, Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK. E-mail info@beesfordevelopment.org

NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD eo

ifs

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FROM IFS

IFS and UNU-IAS, Japan, are pleased to announce two new Grant/Fellowship competitions. Both are in the form of an ordinary IFS Research Grant plus an additional Fellowship component, sponsored by UNU-IAS. To apply, you must fill in the IFS 1st Grant Application Form, or renewal Application Form, if you have completed an IFS Grant, as well as an additional form for the specific Fellowship. Current IFS Grantees are not eligible. @F

Agriculture for Peace Fellowship (APF) Competition is open to young researchers from subSaharan African countries that fulfil al! other IFS eligibility criteria. Science and Technology Fellowship (STF) Competition is open to all researchers who fulfil IFS eligibility criteria. Support is available for research projects, not for development or technology transfer projects. All applications to APF and STF Programmes must be received by IFS no later than 30 June

2005

in order to be considered for support. For complete details consult: www.ifs.se

TANZANIA SAFARI Reserve your place NOW! See page 16 for details PROJECT SUPPORT

FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, supports beekeeping projects in developing countries. Beekeepers’ groups and associations may apply for small project funding {less than US$10,000) from the TeleFood Special Fund. Request documents should include a brief description of the project's objectives, the proposed food production or income-generating activities, the work plan, the number of participants, a detailed list of inputs with cost estimates and the reporting arrangements. Submit your request to the office of FAO or UNDP in your country. Applications for projects with budgets over US$10,000 must be submitted through a Government Ministry. See www.fao.org Remember to tell B/D the outcome of your application BEE CRAFT A full colour monthly magazine for beginners and experts alike covering all aspects of beekeeping in the UK and Ireland. FREE SAMPLE COPY on request, 20 for 12 issues. Credit cards accepted. Contact secretary@bee-craft.com BEE BOOKS NEW AND OLD The Weaven, Little Dewchurch, Hereford HR2 6PP UK, for your new and second-hand books. Telephone +44 (0)1432 840529 or www.honeyshop.co.uk

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Bees for Development Journal

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD BENIN received the issues of Bees for Development Journal thank you, and will be sharing them with the beekeepers. The Journals will be filed in the Peace Corps Information Resource Centre here for other volunteers interested in apiculture. Currently am involved in training beekeepers and their communities against deforestation and starting tree nurseries of melliferous species at each site. Apparently there has been a great drop in honey production since the installation of the hives around year 2000 - drastic deforestation of the region has been a major contribution. |

network of more than 600 grassroots organisations. It will help Brazil towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals of reducing extreme poverty and promoting environmental sustainability.

Source: UNDP Newsfront

CAMEROON

Jenny Hislop, PCV - Environmental Action, Athieme

BRAZIL

Caatinga Forest Initiative A US$27 million initiative was launched in 2004 by President Lula, to conserve the unique Caatinga Forest in drought-prone northeast Brazil. The project will help improve livelihoods in this poor region of the country with a population of 18.5 million. "Precious ecosystems, such as the Caatinga, have been weakened by unsustainable pressure. Wood still provides nearly one-third of the region's energy", said President Lula.

Caatinga means white forest in the local tupi-guarani language, so named because many trees are without leaves for much of the year, sporting only silvery bark. It is home fo many animals and up to 20,000 plant species. The forest covers 10% of the country's land area, and its wood provides fuel for local steel, brick and tile industries. Excessive tree cutting is causing soil erosion that degrades lands and reduces water quality, diminishes economic productivity, and threatens plant and animal life.

Bonakanda-Bova Beefarmers' Group (BOBEEFAG)'s goal is to improve the quantity and quality of honey and bee products in Mount Cameroon Region. We are currently awaiting the outcome of a proposal on procurement of beekeeping equipment submitted to the FAO Project Support Scheme, see Notice Board page 10, through the Hon Minister of Environment & Forestry, Yaoundé. In response to our request to Netherlands Senior Experts, honeybee scientist Professor Jacob Peter Van Praagh, visited us in November 2004 to see about the technical development of commercial beekeeping in our area. Professor Van Praagh was one of the facilitators at a two-day training workshop we organised. Twenty BOBEEFAG members, 17 group representatives and 13 forest honey hunters from villages in the area participated. We collectively recommended the establishment and implementation of an organisational network, protection of honeybees, sustainable techniques in bee farming, preservation of bio-diversity and conservation of the environment.

Many thanks to Mother Nature for the availability of natural resources in our tropical region. Appreciation also to

Bees for Development Trust for support to

beekeeping development. Samuel Lyonga, Delegate, BOBEEFAG

CANADA Beeswax candles burn pure and actually change the charges on ions in the air, similar to what happens when you stand next to a waterfall or take a shower. People report this cleaner air helps with their allergies and sinus conditions. Burning a paraffin candle in your home is like

burning an old tyre:

it is

not safe!

Honey Gardens Newsletter, December 2004

CUBA Increasing export of ecological honey is part of a strategy aimed at meeting the growing demand for that product on the international market. Experts said that production of ecological honey increased last year, and new areas were certified to produce that kind of honey.

At present, a score of municipalities in eastern Cuba have been certified to produce ecological honey, since they meet international quality standards. Ecological honey is in high demand in Europe and prices are high on the international markef. That is why Cuban agricultural authorities have decided to increase production. In order to achieve that goal, Cuban apiculturists are gradually increasing continues on page 12

The project, administered by UNDP will develop a framework to guide conservation and sustainable use of forest resources for 160 communities. It will work with industries and communities to improve wood-fuelled ovens so they burn more efficiently. The initiative will help communities to integrate management of forest areas where wood is harvested and to harvest fruits, medicinal plants, oils and honey.

The Global Environment Facility is providing US$4 million for the project. Co-financing worth US$23 million will come from the Government of Brazil, regional and national institutions, and other organisations, including FAO and the North-East Bank. The project is a broad public-private partnership that includes a

Kenya: Award for Adventure opportunity for Emwatsi Primary School, see page 12

Bees for Development Journal

the value of production, since the price of one tonne of ecological honey is US$300 higher than that of regular honey on the international market. The highlydemanding European market, where there is G growing tendency to consume ecological products, is the main target for Cuban exports of ecological honey.

Cuba is ready to launch the brandy Titén, a high-quality liqueur that will be sold both in Cuba and abroad. Trademark owner Jesus Colina pointed out that the new brandy will be produced in central Villa Clara province and will be made from honey. The brandy, registered in Cuba, contains 40% alcoho! and is made following a traditional recipe, in addition to being bottled in a special ceramic bottle. Western Matanzas Province produced more than 1,100 tonnes of honey in 2004. Local experts said that last year's output was 100 tonnes higher than production in 2003. In addition, it is the largest production of honey over the past 12 years, based on an average yield of 60 kg per hive. In addition to honey, Matanzas produced 15 tonnes of beeswax and 500 kg of propolis. In the case of the latter, the output was 200 kg higher than in 2003. Apiculturists from Matanzas also achieved high reproduction of queen bees, making changes in 60% of the hives. These good results were achieved despite the adverse effects of a severe drought that has affected most of the Caribbean Island.

Source: FAO non-wood News NWFP.Digest-L No. 4/05

Ful

Honey attracts farmers

north have now ventured into other areas of farming after the decline in the sugar industry", he said. While he noted that beekeeping would never take the place of the sugar industry, Mr Lutu said it would always be a very good money earner. The workshop is being co-ordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture at the request of the Department of Co-operatives. Source: Fiji Times, 17 March 2005 (FAO non-wood News NWFP-Digest-L No. 4/05)

KENYA Award for Adventure Emwatsi Primary School in Vihiga District has been selected as a 2005 international finalist for the Volvo Adventure Award for their project ‘Biodiversity Conservation through Beekeeping', which is focusing on conservation of natural vegetation, planting of bee forage trees and enterprise diversification. Emwatsi Primary School is an active member of the Lake Victoria Schools Agroforestry & Environmental Education Network, which is jointly facilitated by the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and the World Agroforestry Centre.

Volvo Adventure was set up to recognise and reward practical environmental action being taken by young people in their local communily. It is open to young people around the world aged between 10 and 16 years, working with schools and youth and community groups. May, two teachers and five pupils from the School visited the Volvo Adventure Conference in Sweden and presented their beekeeping project and practical environmental action to a jury of international experts. Fifteen projects from all over the world have been selected out of many hundreds of applications. Only two projects from Africa were selected and for the first time in the history of this Award a Kenyan project has been selected as an international finalist. In

Source: Tom Vandenbosch

MEKO

Beekeeping Co-operative Officer Tomasi Lutu said his Department expected 30 participants but had received interest from 70 people instead for their one-week beekeeping workshop in Labasa. "The response has shown that people in the

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

mereetg

MEKO News Kenya Enterprise Microfund Organization (MEKO) knows that beekeeping is suited to lands where other modes of agriculture are risky. The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that beekeeping could be carried out in over 80% of our country. Achego Women's Group in Ndhiwa Division joined MEKO in February. The Group has ten members and paid Kshs5,000 (US$65) deposit for ten hives. MEKO convey their sincere gratitude to Bees for Development for training materials provided for our one-day workshop held in March in Ndhiwa Division. The materials were useful in making the farmers realise that beekeeping can be a viable commercial enterprise. (Thanks also to Mr Peter Howes who facilitated the express delivery of the materials) Tobias Ofenio, Chairman of MEKO, Nairobi

MEKO received a Resource Box, sponsored by Bees for Development Trust. Help is available for projects in developing countries with copies of BfD Journal and other publications for use at training courses and workshops. We must receive your request three months ahead of the meeting date with an indication of the number of

participants.

Organisations with some funding resources available can order a Workshop Box: 50 for 25 participants (includes surface mail delivery). See ways to pay on page 15 or visit our website store.

MADAGASCAR FENAPI (Fédération Nationale de l'Apiculture) held a Workshop, sale and show of honey and beekeeping materials in December 2004. The Workshop objective was to provide better information on the beekeeping national plan, land tenure, aspects of reafforestation, the impact of honey composition on public health, and plans for testing pesticide residue in honeys for export.

Mahefa Razafinimanana, President of FENAPI, Antananarivo

“Ai

Achego Women’s Group

Kushedi Beekeeping & Development Centre was established in December 2000. It started as a family-owned enterprise but grew and spread amongst the neighbouring villages within the District. Initially we had ten hives, now we have 25 hives and are producing more honey than ever. We make many sales in our area. Establishment of the Centre acted a source of income as well as a focal point where people can meet and exchange views.

Kenya: new beekeepers 12

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Bees for Development Journal

Kushedi Centre has also helped to protect the Mua-Livulezi Forest Reserve which was on the verge of collapse. People were cutting down trees for timber and wood carving, and burning charcoal and bamboo. Now people have changed absolutely from their bad behaviour of deforestation to a better life: because they are kept busy by apicultural practices. They are able to make money from the honey in their hives. There are less acts of deforestation since people are attached to beekeeping so much, and are happily earning their living.

wrote to FAO asking for more knowledge and that is how got to know about Bees for Development. Girls are now beekeeping in Mishara-Para, a village in Borno State. Because said, "If Kantana {the son of a very poor farmer) can become a graduate by means of honey, then anyone can". These have always been my motivational words. |am currently in Katsina State, and have about 60 participants. My aim is to see the number increase with beekeeping in every local government area in the State. Bees are something more than gold: how we wish every one was a beekeeper! |

My appeal is to all well wishers, organisations and individuals that if could be sponsored to attend a training course, it would be an incentive for the enlargement of my knowledge at the Centre.

Please contact me, J Z Banda (Founder of Kashedi Centre), via Bees for Development

NEPAL successfully organised a six day training programme on Beekeeping Skills Development (27 March - 1 April 2005) at Kaski District. There were 27 participants including seven women, 20 participants were already keeping bee colonies. Before the training programme, they had problems and were unaware how to manage bee colonies, especially how to control swarms, to make strong colonies, to separate colonies, to inspect the bee colonies, queen rearing techniques, to identify bee diseases and how to treat them, process honey and marketing etc. The main objective of the training programme was to upgrade the technical beekeeping skills of existing local beekeepers in Lekhanath Municipality. hope to continue receiving your Journal and look forward to your co-operation. |

Asimya Enoch Samuel, Director, BDI

PAKISTAN Thank you very much for sending me Bees for Development Journal. am busy developing beekeeping facilities for research, teaching and training purpose at the Punjab University Campus. Issues of the Journal are a useful addition in our newly set up Beekeeping Project Library. We are running a campaign through our training programmes to generate awareness about the role of bees in sustainable livelihoods and as a positive component of the agriculture sector. Rural communities especially those associated with honey hunting of Apis dorsata near Lahore, are being focused for developing small beekeeping enterprises for sale of their honey and beeswax, and making beekeeping implements. |.

Jitendra Lohani, Industrial Enterprise Development Institute, Kathmandu

NIGERIA

Dr Nasreen Muzaffar, Honeybee Research Centre, Punjab University, Lahore

Something more than gold have known beekeeping since was a teenager and used to follow my grandfather to harvest honey, usually at did not know the value of midnight. was a famine in the land. there until honey It was caused by drought and the only sources of income in the village - maize, beans and groundnuts were all affected. It became impossible to continue paying tuition fees for our schooling. A guy named Kantana Abram sold his bicycle and bought some honey with the money. He took it to the city and sold it with interest, and so he continued until he graduated from the University of Maiduguri. did not know what was happening. He explained everything to me and was challenged. | started mobilising people about beekeeping as an alternative source of income, although did not have

UGANDA

much knowledge of beekeeping then.

advised many students to start so as to keep their studies going, but some neglected it because beekeeping is assumed to be the work of idle old men. It was not easy for me until the few that had the urge started improving their standard of living. Then many began to come and ask me to supervise their hives, especially when they had gone to school.

ji The people of Kangai sub county,

Lira District, northern Uganda, have a long tradition of honey production which depends on local materials for hives. Honey ts used to supplement food and income because of its longevity when stored properly. Due to the degradation of local trees, the source of local hives has dwindled over time, resulting in an absence of honey. Local farmers now find it very difficult to carry on beekeeping and the crops that depend on insect pollination are severely affected.

Kangai Integrated Community Development Initiative (KICDI) is an NGO that began in year 2000 and is based in Lira District. We are a member organisation of the Uganda National Farmers' Federation - an umbrella organisation of all farmers groups and agro-related industries in Uganda. We need 300 modern hives made locally at the Uganda Beekeepers’ Association in Nakasongola, but we do not have money to purchase them for the farmers of Kangai: it is in this regard that KICDI request help. Once supported, the Kangai farmers will supply honey to meet the current world market demand for tropical organic honey, thus reducing poverty at household levels. The project will be implemented with

guidance from the District Entomologist. Richard Obote-Alele, Chairperson, KICDI

ZAMBIA Kasempa Beekeepers Every effort is being used to ensure that our project succeeds. Twenty groups have been trained and 10 top-bar hives given to each group as initial seed capital. Sixteen further groups need training and hives. The Committee has been soliciting assistance from the ILO support programme and we are assured of help for these groups. Training requires materials and therefore am asking Bees for Development Trust to assist. |

Moses Mulenga

fy Gaim

stonA

ane Beekeepers undergoing training at Kabele-Nsuki Apiary, Kasempa 13

}

Bees for Development Journal

BOOKSHELF - Available from BfD NOW at www.beesfordevelopment.org

‘Providing Habitat for Native Pollinat

Pollinator Conservation Handbook The Xerces Society and The Bee Works 2003 145 pages A5 soft over 19.70 (€29.55) Code X100 Most flowering plants are pollinated by insects. If pollinator populations are depleted, then many of these plants will produce few seeds, or no seeds. The consequence is that plant populations decline and maybe disappear, and the pollinators decline and disappear too.

This excellent handbook describes how you can help to protect and re-establish populations of pollinators: included here are solitary and social bees, flies and beetles. Chapters cover threats to pollinators, actions to help pollinators, planning habitats, providing forage, nesting and over-wintering sites. Annexes include more ideas for educators and parents, resources and plant lists. Although written primarily for North America, this book will be helpful for farmers, gardeners and environmentalists everywhere. With beautiful colour pictures throughout, this is an extremely useful text.

Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner 2005 108 pages Pocketbook soft cover 11.50

ONSERVATION® 4

HANDBOOK The Xerces Society In Association with The Bee Works.

Field Guide to the

BUMBILEBFES Britain of Great

(€17.25) Code E010

& Ireland

Bumblebees at risk Bombus distinguendus - extinct from England, in excess of 70% decline between 1900

and 1990 Bombus Bombus Bombus Bombus Bombus Bombus Bombus

humilis - in excess of 40% decline between 1900 and 1990 monticolae - in excess of 30% decline between 1900 and 1990 muscorum in excess of 50% decline between 1900 and 1990 ruderarius - in excess of 55% decline between 1900 and 1990 ruderatus - in excess of 75% decline between 1900 and 1990 soroeensis - in excess of 20% decline between 1900 and 1990 sylvarum - in excess of 75% decline between 1900 and 1990

(Data from Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society)

Teel

This is how the method works: Step one is to look for the presence and number of yellow bands on the bee's thorax. Step two is to cross check with the pattern on the abdomen: using the colour chart allows quick identification of most species. Step three is to confirm identification with the photographs and species accounts given in the text. The new guide has been developed by entomologist Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner who developed the book's strong visuals, that make the three-step identification simple to use. The guide contains over 90 colour photographs of both sexes of all 22 known species. It is hoped that by making bumblebee identification easier, better data will be available to ensure their future protection. The decline of bumblebees in the UK has been measured only for a few, very rare species but it is clear from surveys that even the currently most abundant species have suffered declines of similar proportions. Since the 1970s some species have declined by over 60%.

Benton

Bumblebees are social bees with an important role in pollinating wild and cultivated plants. In the UK there are (or were) 22 species - one has recently been declared extinct. A problem has been the difficulty of identifying the different species, that until now required expert knowledge and the use of a microscope. This excellent new book describes how to identify bumblebees using the new three-step method. This will assist the UK's army of amateur naturalists and professional field workers who have been monitoring decades of decline in Britain's native bumblebees.

BOOKSHELF - Available from BfD NOW at www.beesfordevelopment.org

Pollen: the hidden sexuality of flowers Madeline Harley and Rob Kesseler (Papadakis Publisher) 2005 264 pages in full colour Hardcover 42 (€63) Code H235

Bees for Development Journal

Bees for Development

Journal

Editor Nicola Bradbear PhD Co-ordinator Helen Jackson BSc Bees for Development Journal is published quarterly by Bees for Development with readers in more than 130 countries.

Subscription

One year (four issues) UKE20 (€28, US$34). Discounts available for multiple subscriptions of ten or more.

—

Subscribe at our website store or send payment as shown below left. At our website you have the choice to receive BfDJ by post or to download in PDF format. Readers in developing countries can pay subscriptions by Beeswax Barter or Candle Currency. See BIDS 67, p16.

Subscriptions include airmail delivery to anywhere in the world

A very special book, one of the most visually magnificent to be reviewed on these pages. The authors are Madeline Harley, Head of the Palynology Unit at the UK's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Rob Kessler who is an artist working with Kew. Their collaboration

concerns the perfect design of pollen grains. These are too small to be seen without a microscope, and this book brings the most amazing photographs of pollen grains and flowers, fruit and (just one) bee, and describes the remarkable events from pollination fo fertilisation, and the impact of pollen on our lives. While it is the images that make the book so unique, the text is also useful. Chapters include: The art and science of pollen; No pollen no flowers; No flowers no pollen; Picturing the invisible, and Pixillated pollen. This is a large and heavy hardback book that will surely become a classic.

BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT TRUST Many individuals, beekeeping associations, groups and companies support our work and we are grateful to all our donors. Your subscription ensures that we continue with our work of providing information and support to beekeepers in developing countries worldwide. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to help.

Donations

at www.jusigiving.com/bees ~ at our secure website

www.beesfordevelopment.org —

ORDERING —

—

Use the secure order and payment system at www.beesfordevelopment.org Send an e-mail, fax or post us a note of what you want, with payment details Use the form printed in our mail order catalogue

We are happy fo provide advice on the most appropriate titles for your requirements Delivery — Free delivery to UK addresses

Outside the UK orders are dispatched by airmail service. Please add: 10% for delivery to Europe; 25% for delivery outside Europe We are not responsible for loss or damage in transit unless insurance is paid with the order. Optional insurance cover: orders up to 100 add 10; up to 500 add 15. Orders over 500: request our quote for post and insurance costs

Ways to Pay We request payment with order: payments to Bees for Development 1.

3. 4.

by cheque or CAF cheque

An Important Note - if you pay tax in the UK, all donations you make to Bees for Development Trust are eligible for Gift Aid. This means that the Trust can recover a further 28p for every 1 donated. We can send you a form, or please download one at www. beesfordevelopment.org/trust Bees for Development Trust UK Charity Number 1078803

Bank details Bees for Development Trust Bees for Development Trust Account

00085299 CafCash Ltd Bank Code 40-52-40 Number

Bank

Use the secure payment system on our website store www.beesfordevelopment.org Credit card Electron/Maestro/Mastercard/JCB/Solo/Visa. We need your card number, name on card, valid from and expiry dates, and the issue number {if given) Cheque or bank draft Bank transfer: Barclays Bank pic, PO Box 29, Monmouth, NP25 3YG, UK

Bees for Development

Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK

Web www. beesfordevelopment.org

Account name: Bees for Development Bank sort code: 20-00-85

E-mail

UKE Sterling Account number: 10167967 Euro Account number: 59532688 Payment methods 3-4: Non-UK address banks charge transfer and/or exchange fees that you do not see: please add the equivalent of UKE9 to your order to cover these.

store@beestordevelopment.org Phone +44 (0)16007 13648 Fax +44 (0)16007 16167

Beekeeping Congress

ax ts

weit

ADDING VALUE TO

Hosted by The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources in collaboration with the Beekeeping Community of Trinidad and Tobago

CARIBBEAN BEEKEEPING Call for papers and poster displays Value added products Pests and diseases Globalisation and trade Stingless bees Indigenous bees

Under the auspices of the Apimondia Standing

eh Commission

for Beekeeping for Rural Development

Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Port of

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Spain, Trinidad,

Further information:

Development issues Africanised honeybees Caribbean country reports

Congress Secretariat

Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources County St, George West Harris Street, Curepe Trinidad, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Events include: Lectures, workshops, honey show and judging, api-exhibition, trade stands and apiary and sightseeing tours.

Phone +(868) 662 5127/1886 Fax +(868) 662 3898 or (868) 645 9963 E-mail bees@agriculture.gov.tt

14-13 november 2005

Deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2005 Deadline for submission of final papers: 15 August 2005

stgeorgewest@tstt.net.tt

BEEKEEPER'S SAFARI TANZANIA *

7-21 September 2005

Village beekeepers * Ngorongoro Crater «

African honeybees

Stingless bees *

Lake Manyara West Kilimanjaro

Local style

beekeeping

ROL

Markets

Top-bar hive apiaries

- National

‘

Lecture Sessions & Scientific Symposia Workshops & Practical Classes « Poster Displays & Competitions " The World Honey Show * ApiExpo 2005 - more than 100 exhibitors * The international Apimondia Village Craft Fair « Technical & Scenic Tours *

* _

=~"

Five Milleania of Beekeep:ng on your Ooorsten

Parks

African birds, elephants, zebras and leopards Organised by Bees for Development in partnership

with Njiro Wildlife Research Centre

Contact safari@beesfordevelopment.org or see www.beesfordevelopment.org

August 21st

26th 2005

www.apimondia2005.com OVation Group.

3 1 290204) Fax:

Clerinda Park North, 1 363

Dunlaoghaire, Co Dublin, inland

20S temyiirite 2605408 Email: apinndieOL

ISSN 1477-6588

Telephone +44 (0) 16007 13648

Bees for Development

Printed on environmentally friendly paper

E-mail info@beesfordevelopment.org

Troy, Monmouth

Web www.beesfordevelopment.org

NP25 4AB, UK

Bees for Development 2005

Bees for Development Journal Edition 75 - June 2005

Articles inside

Bookshelf

News

Notice board

What's on

Migratory beekeeping in South India

Books to Buy from Bees for Development

One hectare of land gives 1,000,000 Indian rupees per annum

Zooming back to Jordan

Alarm Report

Natural pesticide impairs bumblebee foraging ability

Recent research - Waggle dance controversy resolved

In Issue 75