Bees for Development Journal 95
CARIBBEAN ROUND-UP
PHOTO CREDIT © BO STERK
HAITI – BEEKEEPING PROJECT Bo Sterk, St Augustine, Florida, USA
Keywords: Caribbean, income generation, log hive, poverty alleviation, top-bar hive, Varroa
Beekeeping has been part of Haitian culture longer than in any other culture in the western hemisphere. Haiti could be the repository of the first honey bees transported to the New World by early Spanish and/or French explorers. Today, log hives are used and Haitian beekeepers work with colonies using information handed down by generations. The project that I embarked on two years ago was to aid the beekeepers with additional information and simple beekeeping methods, teaching the use of top-bar hives, bee biology and the importance of bee space in a hive. The aim was sustainable income for families in this crippled nation. Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, with problems rooted deep in its history. The people have a genuine hunger for education, on which they spend what little money they have. Average wages are US$1-3 per day. Schooling costs US$10 per child each month. My last visit took me to rural south-west Haiti in the mountain village of Placince de Sud where lectures were held in the local Catholic Church the largest meeting place in the village. The group of 40 men and women were excited about the information. Beginner beekeeping manuals were printed in French and distributed to the students. One man walked for hours each way to classes for four consecutive days. We built top-bar hives out of newly purchased plywood. Each sheet cost US$80. I laid it out so we could get four hives from each sheet; it would take a month’s wages to buy the wood for just one hive. We applied screen bottoms to the hives since Varroa is present in Haiti. The bee yard I surveyed increased from 7 to 60 logs in 2+ years. The owner was concerned by having lost 10% of his colonies. Feral honey bee colonies are plentiful in Haiti and easy to catch. Africanised bees have been reported in Dominican Republic, which is on the eastern side of the island shared with Haiti. This seemed the perfect place to implement the use of top-bar hives. Simple to make and use, limited wood required, and no need for extractors. Like much of Haiti, the beekeepers need to slowly pick up the pieces of their lives with a long-term sustainable income.
Log hives used by Haitian beekeepers
End view of the log hive shows how the colony builds comb inside
The beekeepers all made it through the earthquake disaster. Most lost everything and moved to the countryside to survive. I hope to return in the near future when the conditions improve. A new school for apiculture is underway just north of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The school is on the campus of Queensland University. If any culture can survive the hardship of an earthquake, it is Haiti. These are proud people, capable of pulling themselves up. With the right guidance I believe they will recover, especially with the support of fellow beekeepers worldwide.
Please see our appeal for beekeepers in Haiti, page 2
6th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress Grenada 8-13 November 2010
Convened by the Government of Grenada and the Grenada Association of Beekeepers, in collaboration with the Association of Caribbean Beekeeping Organizations (ACBO) Take this unique opportunity to experience the beauty of Grenada while sharing the latest apicultural information, ideas and experiences throughout the Caribbean and wider region. More information
www.6cbcgrenada.gd/Home.aspx Email: info@beekeepers.gd 10
