Bees/o; Development Journal 77
PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING Eco-friendly harvesting of rock bees G N Paliwal, Sunita Paliwal and D
B Tembhare,
Centre for Bee Development, Wardha, India
Distribution The rock bee, Apis dorsata is an astonishing bee species. It amazes humans due to its unique nesting pattern, migration, ferociousness and huge deposits of honey. It is an indigenous species of south-east Asian countries. In India, noticeable rock bee wealth occurs in many states
including Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttaranchal and West Bengal.
Enforced relocation The ample nectar and pollen of wild plants during March to June lure thousands of colonies to nest on inaccessible trees and steep cliffs near the lakes, streams and rivers in forest and hilly areas. The same phenomenon is observed in the plains in the cropping season of October to December. During these periods, rock bees take care of their brood and store honey from the abundance of blooming vegetation in their areas. Due to scant rains and unwarranted human interventions in the last decade, our native forests and plains no longer offer safe homes for rock bees. For better shelter the victimised colonies relocate from
their original grounds to new places. Here they may occupy religiouslyprotected trees like Ficus religiosa and Ficus bengalensis or man-made
structures including water-tanks, bridges, buildings or factories in villages and other populated localities.
A simple kit consisting of three sets of bee suits (Figure 1), (denim jeans), gloves, knives, buckets, re-chargeable torch, a 36 m tape-rope, a 25 m rope ladder, string, sieve, tub and containers (Figure 2) has
Honey and wax from rock bees For many years tribal people have been harvesting rock bees using destructive methods. Squeezed honey is sold in jocal markets. The income gives each harvester a
Seasonal livelihood of
US$30-40 per year. This honey is known as ‘forest honey’ and is a major contributor to the
Indian honey market
(Atwal, 2000). To harness the natural potential of rock bee wealth ina
scientific manner, we felt
a
need to harmonise the
production system by analysing conventional and earlier
scientific efforts (Mahindre, 1983; Ghatge, 1988). We conducted the necessary research and field trials in central India between 1994 and 1996. We named the system Sewagram Nisarg Technique of Rock bee Management ot SNTRM. It has proved simple, appropriate, easy to adopt, feasible, low-cost and eco-
Figure 1. Bee suits are part of the simple kit that is provided for the honey artisans
friendly. Adopting it, the artisans gather plenty of good quality honey and gain a sustainable livelinood
(Paliwal, 2003).
New system
been designed for handling rock bees. One set is provided to each group of 4-5 honey artisans. Darkness makes rock bees less active and reduces the nuisance of stinging. Therefore, our teams reach rock bee
sites during the evening with the necessary kit. First, a thick rope is secured on the target tree bearing the rock bees. The nesting positions of all the accessible colonies are pinpointed carefully using the torch. The artisans wear the bee suits and climb up the tree with the help of a rope. In the case of cliffs, water tanks and buildings, a portable rope ladder is used. The socks, gloves and helmet are put on and the honey hunter moves nearer the nest. A bucket containing the sharp knife is pulled up on the rope and kept close at hand. In rock bee nests, most of the honey is accumulated in a honey area, followed by the crescent-shaped pollen area and a widely-extended lower brood area. On closer study of both active and deserted rock bee nests we identified a unique feature. This is that the ripened honey ‘in bulk' (70-80% of the honey stock of each nest) lies in the sealed,
elevated cells (5-11 cm in depth}, mostly at the corner sections, and in a few cases in the middle of the comb, extending for 20-28 cm. Unsealed flat cells, 2.5-5 cm in depth, containing unripe honey occur in the remaining part of the honey area length of
38-50 cm.
Here lies the real secret of our new concept. After climbing to the target place, the operation on the rock bee nest begins with a gentle clearance of the bees' curtain from the elevated area of honeycomb.
Further interest
Honey hunters and beekeepers of Tamil Nadu (Keystone Foundation) (€22) Code K305
14.65
Honey hunters of the Blue Mountains (Keystone Foundation). Video 28.90 (€43.40) Code VID20 or CD 22.80 €34.20 (Code VID20A. How to order? See page 15
