Forest Flowers Most people now know that bees do not produce honey all year round. In speaking with customers, they seem mostly to believe that there is little or no production in the dry season since everything is so dry and desolate as opposed to the lush conditions of the rainy season. This is indeed counterintuitive. If we pause for a moment and consider that in an hour a bee visits some 3,000 flowers, and that there are approximately 40,000 bees in a bee colony, we get some idea of the number of flowers which have to be present for a honey flow to take place. Look to the forested areas during the dry season and you will observe the forest trees in full bloom. Incidentally, a honey flow occurs when nectar sources are in bloom and the weather is favourable for the bees to fly and collect nectar in abundance. In Trinidad, the flow begins at the end of the rainy season (usually in December) when the vines flower, soap vine and cujoe vine for example. Then comes the great trees of the tropical forest. In January, we begin to see the white flowers of the Cypre moving slowly along the northern range from west to east followed by the two species of Immortelle. Also flowering at this time is the Cashew from January to March and in March comes Rubber, Coffee and Pink Poui followed by Yellow Poui. March to April brings the huge Olivier trees into bloom along with Olivier tree in bloom Jiggerwood, which occurs mostly in the Central Range. These are followed by Hog Plum, Citrus, Caimet, Serette, Balata, Bloodwood, Savonette and the best of them all Mora. Beekeepers wait in hope for Mora to flower since she is quite temperamental but produces a beautiful nectar from which the bees produce an outstanding honey. It is also the last opportunity for a honey flow before the dearth which occurs during the rainy season. … Gordon Deane
Bee Fact!
What our beekeeper has been up to
Bees have X-ray vision Did you know that bees don’t see the world like you and me? Bees can see some solid colours, and differentiate between light and dark colours but they also see colours in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. Hence, some plant species have evolved UV markings on their petals which serve as bullseyes or act like the landing strips on airport runways, leading bees to their nectaries.
… Dr. Jo-Anne Sewlal
Newly built nucleus boxes specially built to create new colonies as part of our rebuilding exercise!
News from the Apiary! — Gordon Deane In our last issue we mentioned that our apiaries had been damaged by an act of vandalism. As the days passed, it became evident that the damage was much more severe than was originally envisaged. The results of our investigation pointed clearly towards a disgruntled worker whose services were no longer required. It was then necessary to decide whether to focus on prosecution or rebuilding. After witnessing the steady decline and eventual collapse of many colonies, in spite of our best efforts to save them, and prompted by The Holy Spirit, we decided on forgiveness. First, we removed all failed colonies from the apiaries. All equipment then had to be cleaned, sanitized and preserved. Around this time, a beekeeping colleague arrived with 16 of his own colonies which were placed in one of our apiaries. These will go a long way towards securing the continued honey supply to our customers and will act as the nucleus to rebuild our colonies. Big thanks to Ricardo, Emmanuel and the crew. Our first new starter colony was set up from one of our highproducing surviving colonies. Much more of this will have to be done as we nurture our apiaries back to full strength. Some new colonies will be purchased from other beekeepers to diversify the gene pool Rebuilding colonies: creating a nucleus hive and some may even be collected from the wild. from an established colony Many lessons have been learned from this experience and I am sure that there are many more to come. Your honey supply will not be interrupted and we will keep you posted on our progress.
From the apiary, a Very Happy and Holy Easter.
Testimonials “I have long been aware of the great health value of pure honey. When I came across Elsie’s Finest, I found it to be of a high standard with a rich wholesome taste. Only later did I realize that the beekeeper was someone I had known for years and never associated him with this activity. Elsie’s Finest is truly another Trinidad and Tobago product of world class quality.” … Hon Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry
Elsie’s Finest Honey, $180 for a 750 ml bottle & $65 for a 200 ml bottle.
To place an order email us at:
elsiesfinest@gmail.com
In This Issue
Health Tips! Honey helps keep your heart healthy! According to cardiologist Dr Stephen Sinatra, honey contains antioxidants which help reduce inflammation. The doctor explains, “By keeping inflammation to a minimum, you’re putting the brakes on dangerous plaque build-up in your arteries and helping to protect yourself against a heart attack or stroke.” … Breanne Mc Ivor
Managing Editor Dr Jo-Anne N. Sewlal BSc., MPhil., Ph.D., FLS., CBiol., CSci., MRSB., FRES., FRGS., FBNA., R. Anim. Sci., MIEnvSc. Content Editor: Breanne Mc Ivor MA (Cantab), MSc (Edin) Layout Design: Dr. Jo-Anne N. Sewlal
Contributors: Hon Minister Paula GopeeScoon, Gordon Deane, Breanne Mc Ivor and Dr. Jo-Anne N. Sewlal