Bees for development

Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

JOURNAL
No 134 March 2020

• BEEKEEPING DEFEATS
DISABILITY
• POLLINATION
MANAGEMENT
• WILD WICHI HONEY
• CARTOONS

The Journal for sustainable beekeeping

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Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

Dear friends
Propolis - the original firewall and covered 13,500 ha, turning the entire region into a
It is only now that the beekeeper looking after the temporary wasteland.
honey bee colonies situated on the roof of Notre This harsh physical environment determines the
Dame cathedral in Paris – which suffered catastrophic nesting behaviour of the Cape bee: analysis of 37 wild
fire last April – has been able to visit the bees and honey bee nests revealed that 78% occurred under
confirm that all are fine, though their wooden hives boulders or in clefts in rocks, 11% in the ground, 8%
would surely have burnt if they had been near the in tree cavities, and 3% within shrubs. Analysis of 17
flames. In the recent fires across huge areas of South of these nests following a fire within the park revealed
and East Australia, forests, mammals and bees have that the propolis walls materially protected the nests
been destroyed. This destruction of natural habitat will and retarded the fire, with all these colonies surviving.
have severe impact for Australian beekeepers who The bees responded to the smoke by imbibing honey
harvest 75% of their honey from forests. Our friends and retreating to the furthest recess of their nest cavity.
at Beechworth Honey were helping beekeepers to The bees were required to utilise this honey for about
relocate hives to safe areas, away from fire risk, and three weeks after which fire-loving plants appeared
Australia’s charity for bees, the Wheen Bee Foundation and began to flower. The bees used considerable
is now supporting beekeepers with livelihoods at risk. resources to construct the propolis walls, which ranged
You can support them too: at in thickness from 1.5 to 40.0 mm (mean 5.0 mm).
https://www.wheenbeefoundation.org.au/.
The researchers concluded that the prolific use of
The bees in Australia are Apis mellifera of European propolis insulates the bees’ nest from extremes of
origin, and fires probably did not feature much in temperature and humidity, restricts entry, camouflages
their evolutionary history. What about honey bees that the nest, and acts as an effective barrier to protect the
have evolved in areas where fire is commonplace? bees from fire.
Researchers from South Africa and Germany* provided
a wonderful insight when they published this new *Geoff Tribe, Jürgen Tautz, Karin Sternberg & Jenny Cullinan,
Firewalls in bee nests – survival value of propolis walls of wild
understanding about the Cape honey bee, Apis mellifera
Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera capensis). Sci Nat (2017) 104:
capensis, which is endemic to South Africa’s Western 29 DOI 10.1007/s00114-017-1449-5
and Eastern Cape Provinces. The Cape Fynbos
vegetation is adapted to fires which happen naturally
every 15 - 25 years, and cover vast areas – with few
nectar-producing plants surviving. For example, a Nicola Bradbear
wild fire in the Cederberg area burned for six days Director, Bees for Development

Issue 134 March 2020 Bees for Development Trust gratefully

acknowledge: Alan & Nesta Ferguson
In this issue page Charitable Trust, Artemis Charitable Trust,
Didymus Charity, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd,
Empowering beekeepers who Ethiopiaid, Hiscox Foundation, Hub Cymru
live with disability......................... 3 Africa, Millom Rotary Club, National Lottery
Pollination Management Community Fund, Neal’s Yard Remedies,
Red Rivers Food, Rowse Honey Ltd, The
A BEE-Town for a better Rotary Foundation, UK Aid Direct, Wales
tomorrow...................................... 5 for Africa,Welsh Government,Yasaeng
Beekeeping Supplies and many other
Wild honey of the Wichi people.... 8 generous organisations and individuals.
News............................................10 Copyright
Bee cartoons................................12 You are welcome to translate and/or
reproduce items appearing in Bees for
Notice Board................................13 Development Journal as part of our Information
Service. Permission is given on the
Book Shelf....................................14
Image © Bees for Development

understanding that the Journal and author(s)

Look Ahead..................................15 are acknowledged, our contact details are
provided in full, and you send us a copy of the
Bees for Development Journal item or the website address where it is used.
Produced quarterly and sent to readers in
over 130 countries
Editor: Nicola Bradbear PhD
Co-ordinator: Helen Jackson BSc Cover picture: Simon Abanyu with his mother, on their farm in Uganda.  Simon learnt beekeeping as a
Subscriptions cost £30 per year – see page 14 young boy.  Recently he brought his bee hives around their farm, and they soon noticed that their crops
for ways to pay of coffee and beans increased, as did those of their neighbours, due to effective pollination by the bees. 
Simon’s honey crop increased too!  You can watch a short, beautiful film about Simon and his mother at
Readers in developing countries may ap- the Bee Movies section of our Resource Centre on our website www.beesfordevelopment.org.
ply for a sponsored subscription.

Bees for development

See page 16 or apply online at
www.beesfordevelopment.org
Bees for Development
Works to assist beekeepers in developing 1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth NP25 3DZ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1600 714848
countries. [email protected] www.beesfordevelopment.org
 Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

Empowering beekeepers who live

with disability: How can a blind person
keep bees?
Sean Lawson, Project Manager, Bees for Development

“People would ask, how can a blind

Images © Bees for Development

person keep bees?” Since 2006, Jennifer
has been unable to see. “At first, this was
incredibly difficult to accept,” she told me
during my visit in August 2019, “however
I’m now coming to terms with it.”
As a widow with young children, Jennifer’s
independence was everything to her. However, when
she became visually impaired, she could no longer
move freely around the house, get her children
ready for school, or work to provide for the family.
These were heavy burdens for someone who had
been unexpectedly thrust into the role of head of the
household.
When I first met Jennifer, I was amazed by the progress,
courage and resolve that she has demonstrated with
her beekeeping over the last few years. Jennifer is one
of fifteen severely visually impaired people involved
in the Project that Bees for Development is running
in partnership with The Uganda National Apiculture
Development Organisation.

A mobility line set up in an apiary – the stick warns visually

impaired beekeepers that they are one metre away from
the hive.

Jennifer was sceptical at first. “When I was first

approached by Hive Uganda (one of the Project
partners), I thought to myself, how can someone
who is visually impaired be a beekeeper?” This
mindset is not uncommon among people with visual
impairments, who sometimes feel there is little that
they can contribute, or that they are a burden to their
families. 
This led me to rethink what it means to be
a beekeeper.  In the UK, we tend to purchase hives at
great expense, whereas beekeepers in Uganda often
make their own hives. Is one more of a beekeeper
than the other? Ultimately, keeping bees is about
making decisions: what is best for your bees? How can
you care for them? When should you harvest?
Being physically able to build a hive or lift it on
to its stand is not as important as we might think.
Nobody would dispute that Francois Huber, one of
Jennifer Abalo working in her apiary the 19th Century’s greatest entomologists, was a
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Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

beekeeper, despite not being able to see. Although

Jennifer works closely with her father and her bees
are on his land, she is the key decision maker when
it comes to managing the hives and ensuring that
the bees thrive. Jennifer has help, though her helper
merely assists her through her activities and physically
helps when needed - rather than instructing her.
Trustworthy helpers are important and necessary in
some areas, however it is the beekeeper who makes the
decisions. For example, the beekeeper instructs their
helper on when they should inspect their hives, how
they want their apiary set up, and where they will sell
the honey or beeswax, and for what price.
Accessing her own hives, listening to the sound
of the bees, assessing the condition of her apiary,
all these activities are possible for Jennifer since
she received training in how best to establish
an apiary to facilitate her movement. She has
been trained to arrange an apiary with well-
spaced, correctly orientated hives and, with the help of
her family, install a new mobility string line to give her
the freedom of independent movement around her hives.
Bees for Development is pioneering an inclusive
approach to working with beekeepers and reaching the
most marginalised communities. We are demonstrating
to mainstream organisations that inclusivity is possible,
necessary and important.
Okello Patrick understanding how to make a double boiler
While the physical difficulties presented by disability to melt beeswax for hive baiting
are more obvious, it is hard to quantify the mental
and social effects of living with a disability. With
visual impairment comes the social stigma of being
disregarded and overlooked in the community, and
this often takes its toll on the self-esteem and self-
worth of visually impaired people. Our Beekeeping to
Economically Empower People with Disabilities Project
(BEEPWD) aims to break down these barriers and
change perceptions in relevant and accessible ways,
consulting the visually impaired in focus groups and
asking them to develop appropriate training materials,
for example, visual learning aids for deaf beekeepers
and audio guides for the visually impaired.
It might be asked: why the focus on the deaf and
visually impaired, as opposed to say, an amputee?
Being deaf or visually impaired leaves people with
seemingly insurmountable communication barriers
that require that extra bit of help to start beekeeping:
for example to access appropriate training materials,
and even reaching training events in the first place.
Just as it is difficult to quantify the negative mental and Kibwata Francis baits a hive using beeswax
social effects of disability, so too, is it hard to measure
precisely the positive effects of feeling empowered and Jennifer welcomes visits to her apiary so that other
gaining a sense of greater respect within the family and visually impaired people realise that beekeeping
community. Jennifer feels a great sense of satisfaction is possible for them. She plans to add value to her
from being a source of advice and expertise in her beeswax products, including harvesting propolis and
field. She is sought out by others in the community for producing cosmetics from beeswax. And Jennifer wants
her knowledge, and inspires those who may perceive to expand her apiary: “I can accept who I am”, she said
their disabilities as a hindrance in ventures of this kind. with quiet confidence.

Bees for Development gratefully acknowledge funding support from the

National Lottery Community Fund UK for this Project.

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 Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

Pollination Management
A BEE-Town for a Better Tomorrow
Harish Kumar Sharma, Priyanka Thakur, Hema Prashad, Ruchi Sharma and Manju Devi

In India the cultivation of temperate fruit crops like demand and supply of the number of colonies required
apples is restricted to hilly regions of India including for pollination.
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttaranchal. Beekeepers renting colonies to the orchard farmers
Himachal Pradesh is recognised for its sub-temperate
are from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
agroclimate where farmers can grow the world’s
The majority supply Apis mellifera colonies with a
finest and choicest varieties of fruit. Apple cultivation
few renting out Apis cerana colonies.7 Apis mellifera
in the State was started by Captain R C Lee in the
19th Century in Kullu Tehsil. Apples are a cross- beekeepers practise migratory beekeeping on a
pollinated temperate crop critically dependent on commercial scale with 100–1,500 colonies while Apis
the honey bee colonies placed in the orchards for cerana beekeepers undertake stationary beekeeping
optimal pollination and fruit production. Beekeeping as a part time activity with 10–50 colonies. Apis
was introduced in 1934 to the Kullu Valley and in 1936 mellifera beekeepers with 100–500 colonies rent all
in the Kangra Valley. Indigenous Apis cerana, the Indian their colonies for pollination whereas beekeepers with
honey bee, was utilised in the State until 1961, when 500-1,500 colonies rent 50% for pollination and the
Apis mellifera was introduced from Italy to the Bee remainder are kept for honey production. It is obvious
Research Station Nagrota in Kangra. The Horticulture that demand for colonies is increasing every year. The
Department now helps the States’ beekeepers through present status of Apis cerana beekeeping indicates
several schemes and subsidies to aid economic that the number of colonies in movable frame hives
growth, improve livelihoods and generate employment is few against the great demand for colonies. Among
opportunities in rural areas. the different pollinators in the temperate regions,
bumble bees play an important role and are efficient
Situation
pollinators, especially under protected cultivation.
The Indian State of Himachal Pradesh is crowned as the
Commercial rearing of bumble bees is now being
second highest producer of apples, contributing 25%
considered as an alternative to honey bees.
of total annual production. Revenue generated from
apples supports the livelihoods of the region’s orchard
Images © Harish Kumar Sharma

farmers. However, the apple growers in Himachal

Pradesh always have ‘their fingers crossed’ because
of the uncertainty that hangs over their crops amid
climate change, pest and disease outbreaks and post-
harvest losses. The most crucial of all these ‘tensions’
is fruit set, which determines the cost-benefit ratio and
ultimate income of the season. Apples require cross
pollination - the flowers cannot set the fruits with their
own pollen and need pollinators for fertilisation of the
ovules in the flowers, initiation of seed development,
and fruit set.1,2,3,4,5
A mature standard apple tree with a heavy bloom
can have 100,000 flowers, most of which wither off if
there is no effective pollination. However if just 5% of
these flowers are successfully pollinated, this leads
to a bumper yield. To attain effective and successful
pollination farmers hire bee colonies for their orchards. 
Due to asynchronous flowering between productive
and polliniser cultivars, low proportions of pollinisers
or reduced flowering, the outcome is a low number of
seeds and misshapen fruit that are eliminated with a
series of early fruit drop.6
Managed pollination is an important part of temperate
fruit production. Honey bees are indispensable
because of their twin role of increasing crop
productivity through pollination and honey production.
About 100,000 hectares of land is under apple
cultivation, and this needs about 300,000 colonies of
bees for effective pollination. There is a gap between Beekeepers receive training on pollination
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Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

Considering all these aspects “Managed Pollination” replenishment with 2 g of dehisced pollen mixed with
was proposed under various components of a World powdered dried anther husk in a 1:1 ratio is carried out
Bank funded project HP-HDP. This component aims between 9 and 11 am on 5 sunny mornings.
to establish entrepreneurial development models
for meeting the increasing demand for honey bees The Pioneer
and bumble bees and to minimise crop failure due to Mr Suraj Chauhan is a small-scale orchard farmer
pollination deficit. The objectives are: from the Rohru region of Shimla District. He initially
started beekeeping as a marginal farmer owning
• selection of highly productive strains of Apis
0.1 acres of land. His interest in honey bees, supported
mellifera and their mass multiplication by building
by the Horticulture Department and training from
the capacity of beekeepers as bee-breeders;
Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry
• to conserve and promote the indigenous honey motivated him to become a full-time beekeeper and
bee Apis cerana as a small-scale entrepreneurial an entrepreneur in pollination services. In the last
development; and six years he has had financial support through the
• to standardise commercial bumble bee rearing and Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Department and KVIC
enterprise. and is one of the 30 trainees. Mr Suraj took up the use
of pollen dispensers as an entrepreneurial activity.
Enhancing skills He publicised his results and influenced others to use
In 2018, 30 beekeepers were selected from ten districts the technology. Every year he provides good quality
of Himachal Pradesh to take a course on selection and colonies to apple orchardists. In 2019 he rented 1,800
queen rearing. A follow up 5-day refresher course in honey bee colonies earning him up to INR800,000
2019 by the Department of Entomology, Dr YS Parmar (US$11,200; €10,340). Orchardists that rented Mr Suraj’s
University of Horticulture & Forestry, showed positive colonies and pollen dispenser in their orchards with
results in the form of small-scale bee breeding apiaries. low polliniser proportion reported good fruit set.
Two of the beekeepers Mr Suraj Chauhan, enthusiastic Mr Jayant Attreta, resident of New Seri Village, Shimla
beekeeper and emerging entrepreneur in managed recorded a 73% increase in fruit set compared to 2018.
pollination, and Mr Din Dayal, a progressive Apis cerana
beekeeper and conservator, are breaking new ground Mr Suraj is now working as a full-time bee breeder.
in beekeeping in the State.  He is the first registered bee breeder in Himachal
Pradesh. He was allocated funds of INR300,000
Revolutionary advances in pollination (US$4,200; €3,900) by the Horticulture Department. He
Pollen dispensers are placed at the entrance of the aims to produce 500 queens per year to sell to other
hive and are constructed so that outgoing foragers beekeepers. This kind of initiative by trailblazing
walk through the pollen. The dispensers are efficient beekeepers will change the beekeeping scenario in
and important for increasing fruit set in apple orchards the State and Nation and encourage youngsters to take
especially in polliniser deficient conditions. Pollen up beekeeping as an entrepreneurial activity.

Mr Deendayal’s home is surrounded by Apis cerana colonies

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 Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

Harish Kumar Sharma is Principal Scientist and

Priyanka Thakur, Hema Prashad, Ruchi Sharma and
Manju Devi are Research Fellows working under the
World Bank funded, Himachal Pradesh Horticulture
Development Project (Managed Pollination),
Department of Entomology, Dr YS Parmar University
of Horticulture & Forestry- Solan (HP), India

References
1. JANA,B.R. (2001) Effect of self and cross pollination on the
fruit set behaviour of some promising apple genotypes.
Journal of Applied Horticulture, 3(1): 51-52.
2. KENDALL,D.A. (1973) The viability and compatibility of
pollen on insects visiting apple blossom. Journal of Applied
Ecology, 10(3): 847-853.
3. KRON,P.; HUSBAND,B.C.; KEVAN,P.G.; BELAOUSSOFF,S.
(2001) Factors affecting pollen dispersal in high-density
apple orchards. HortScience, 36: 1039–1046.
4. SHARMA,H.K.; GUPTA,J.K. THAKUR,J.R. (2004) Effect of bee
pollination and polliniser proportion on apple productivity.
Acta Horticulturae, 662: 451-454.
5. SHARMA,G.; ANAND,R.; SHARMA,O.C. (2006) Floral
biology and effect of pollination in apple (Malus x
domestica). Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 75(10):
667-669.
6. SHEFFIELD,C.S. (2014) Pollination, seed set and fruit
quality in apple: studies with Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera:
Megachilidae) in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada
Journal of Pollination Ecology, 12(13): 120-128.
7. SHEFFIELD,C.S; NGO,H.T; AZZU,N. (2016) A manual on
Mr Chauhan rears queens for his own beekeeping apple pollination. Food and Agriculture Organization of the
enterprise United Nations (FAO) with implementation support from
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 44pp.
Saving the indigenous bee culture
Apis cerana are kept in movable frame hives and are

TELL US YOUR STORY

also present under natural conditions in log and wall
hives throughout Himachal Pradesh. Hives are prepared
from locally available materials and the bees settle in
the hives during swarming. Colonies generally yield We accept articles and short reports
two to five kg of honey per year. The conservation and
promotion of beekeeping with the indigenous honey on new or improved beekeeping
bee will ensure pollination services and provide techniques, information about bees
livelihood opportunities to rural, unemployed and and beekeeping in your country
landless people.
and your events. We welcome your
The Pioneer comments and responses to articles
Mr Din Dayal, a local resident of Village Karadsu chose
beekeeping as a means to generate income for his we have published. Articles should
family. Starting with a budget of INR40,000 (US$560; be 800-1,600 words in length and
€520), in 2013, Mr Din Dayal purchased indigenous Apis
cerana, owing to their robust and hardy nature in the
accompanied by images.
environment. Despite several hardships Items can be sent by post or in email text or
Mr Din Dayal increased his venture to 60 colonies in attachment in Word of pdf format.
2018. He sells bees and does not extract honey from the
We accept images as colour prints or
bees on a commercial basis, which fetches him a profit
of INR250,000-300,000 (US$3,500-4,200; €3,200- 3,900) digitally saved as jpeg files. Please send
annually. The scarcity of proper technical know-how images at the size they are taken off the
and knowledge prevented him from harnessing the camera. (Images resized for website use are
true profits. He underwent training in 2018, and today not suitable for printing). If it is not possible
he owns 200 Apis cerana colonies with 32 in log hives,
to include your submission in the Journal,
managed and well maintained on the roof area in the
vicinity of his house. His profits rose to INR700,000 we may place it in the Resource Centre on
(US$9,800; €9,000) in 2018 from the sale of bees alone. our website. All the information material
He now motivates the local people helping them realise we receive is added to our databank on
the true potential of Apis cerana and is establishing beekeeping worldwide.
himself as a brand.
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Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

Wild honey of the Wichi people

A treasure to be discovered
The indigenous Wichi community live in the

Images © Archivo Slow Food

arid area of the Chaco Salteño* in Argentina,
a region with little annual rainfall except for
heavy downpours in November.
One of the most important products for the community
is honey gathered from twatsaj (wild bees) living in
hollow trees. Two months after the start of the flowering
season in mid-August, honey starts to accumulate and
the best time for harvesting is November when the rains
begin. The men observe the bees’ activity to identify
the trees where honey can be found. During collection
some honey is left for the colonies to feed on. The honey
and wax mixture is pressed to separate out the honey,
which is then filtered three times through cloth, to
remove impurities, before being packaged for sale.
The Wichi Wild Honey Presidium was started with the
involvement of Larguero, a community of about
50 Wichi people not far from the Pilcomayo River and
the border region between Argentina, Bolivia and
Paraguay. 70% of Presidium honey harvesters are
young people and have been collecting and selling
the honey for over 10 years. Although not formally
organised they recently started promoting their
product outside the collection area and primarily
in Buenos Aires, in fair-trade shops and through
sustainable food-buying groups.
The Presidium also supports the work of women in the
community, who gather wild fruit from many different
species to make highly nutritious and flavoured flours.
Slow Food interviewed Juan Ignacio Pearson, an
agricultural engineer and Coordinator of the
Wichi Wild Honey Presidium, and Marcela Biglia,
an agricultural engineer specialising in organic
production and certification, and a Presidium
Collaborator:
What does the community aim to achieve with the
Presidium?
The Presidium supports the harvesting of Wichi wild
honey using traditional collection techniques passed
between generations for thousands of years. It aims
to raise the profile, improve local consumption and
production, and the commercial supply chain of the honey.
What does this product represent for the indigenous
community? The Wichi people collect honey from colonies of twatsaj
Wild honey is vital for the Wichi people, as it is directly (wild bees) living in hollow trees
linked to their culture, their knowledge and their bond on the land of the Community. Throughout history the
with the land. Therein lies its enormous value, in that
Wichi People have also collected honey from stingless
collection of the honey is an activity in which the value
bees (Meliponidae): Wos Chalas, Wejñat, No´tewos and
of ancestral Wichi knowledge is demonstrated and, at
Wosa (these species nest in hollow trees) and Nezla
the same time, the Community’s ownership of its lands
which nest underground.
is reaffirmed. The honey has a unique and unmistakable
taste, closely linked to the gastronomic memory of the Stingless wasps, which hang their hives from the
region and plays an important role in dietary balance. branches of trees such as the Wo´na or No´walhek,
This is due to the combination of flowers that the bees also make truly delicious honey, which is also eaten.
visit to produce the honey and that grow specifically All these honeys are eaten, however it is possible to
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 Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

sell only honey bee honey as it is produced in greater strengthen issues related to our culture. We are seeing
volumes. Wasp honey is only collected for personal great interest in our culture in other parts of the world,
consumption. which is bringing change as our community realises
How do you feel to be within the Slow Food network and that our product deserves to be defended and that it
to be part of a global network? can be taken to markets that value it.

This is the first experience of connecting with networks Why is the kind of endurance, through food, important in
outside our community, so it is all new and exciting. your community?
In 2019 two young people enrolled in the Indigenous A core part of Wichi is to continue going out to
Terra Madre in Mexico, which is something we thought campear, which means to walk across our land looking
would take us many years. We do not feel comfortable for food. There is a great deal of knowledge that is
leaving where we live, but these opportunities for passed on between generations about the countryside,
co-operation with Slow Food encourage us to explore and the links with our land, trees and the waters. This
new areas. The excitement of establishing links with link guarantees tranquillity and peace, and the result
other groups of Indigenous Communities, and people is that we have a “Good Life”. That is why supporting
who produce and consume healthy food has been honey collection reaffirms us as the Wichi people,
incredible. We have been contacted by an organisation especially in the face of the cultural homogenisation
in Switzerland interested in buying honey collected that globalisation brings. Defending honey collection is
from our lands. Selling in these conditions creates also defending our traditional culture, knowing how to
confidence and adds value to our products. recognise one’s own life and the ownership of the forest
What does selling their honey mean to the beekeepers? and oneself too, since this ownership is what gives us
our identity.
The possibility of selling our honey at a fair price
is very important. The work it represents for our
population, its collection and processing, can allow * The Chaco Salteño is part of the Great American
Chaco, the second largest tropical forest in the American
young people in our community to derive a decent continent after the Amazon. The forest extends over
and fair income. It is important that Tsatotaj continues Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and a small part of Brazil.
to grow, both for the future of the young people and to

The Wichi Wild Honey Slow Food Presidium is supported by the International Fund for Agricultural
Development, through a project that aims to enable communities to defend and promote their
gastronomic heritage. See more at www.slowfood.com
Image © Indre Anskaityte

Save bees and farmers

Slow Food has joined a Europe-wide campaign aiming to ban pesticides, transform agriculture, save bees and
conserve nature. In January, Slow Food along with partner organisations presented the European Citizens’ Initiative
(ECI) Save Bees and Farmers by collecting signatures at the Wir Haben Es Satt! (We are fed up!) demonstration in
Berlin, Germany.

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Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

NEWS

INDIA
Low-cost, natural beekeeping is
something that I am interested in,
and I thank you for sending your
informative magazine. I have
found many similarities between
India and Africa. We work with
indigenous honey bees
Apis cerana. In January we
donated bee hives to a women’s
self-help group in Goa. The group
had ventured into strawberry
farming and were facing issues for
pollination.
Our organisation, M/s Raika &
Co (a social enterprise) visited
the farm and educated everyone Suprajit Raikar (right) donating bee hives to the Goa self-help group
about the importance of bees
and pollination for local farmers. beekeeping and to educate Bees for Sustainable Development
To date we have trained over people about the importance of Programme. For more information
500 farmers, tribal groups and honey bees for our ecosystem. regarding our work visit www.
students in Goa region. Our goal Our organisation gives back 10% facebook.com/pg/raikastore
is to create awareness about of annual sales to charity under the Suprajit Raikar, M/s Raika & Co, Goa

Image © Archivo Slow Food

Throughout 2020, Slow Food will organise activities to promote the ECI and raise awareness of the alarming decline of
bees, with the biggest event taking place in April in Italy on Slow Food Day 2020. If the ECI “Save Bees and Farmers”
gathers one million signatures by September 2020, the EU Commission and Parliament must consider turning the
campaign’s demands into law. There are 90 organisations from 17 EU countries taking part in the campaign so far.
Sign the Petition at www.slowfood.com/save-bees-farmers
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 Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

NEWS

MALAWI are currently very competitive.

A route to start living sustainably
TURKEY
During our training day in March is to plant trees for bees so that I have supported some young
2019 the message was Plant a at the end of a short period people in a small village in the
Tree for Bees for a Sustainable Kurdish part Eastern Turkey who
benefits are enjoyed through bee
Living. The group worked with have set up a small beekeeping
products unlike cutting down the
secondary school students who project which has been going
trees for a living! The project was
are a vulnerable group more for a year. For it to become more
welcomed by all students. sustainable there is a need for
especially after finishing their
studies as employment and Patrick Chinkota, Nasuluma further investment which I am not
further education opportunities Penta-Na Group, Blantyre able to provide.
The project supports unemployed
Photos © Patrick Chinkota

and underprivileged young

people to set up their own
business and become self-reliant.
The Kurdish region of Dersim
experienced much turmoil
throughout the 1980-1990s.
Numerous villages were totally
evacuated leaving them desolate
for years. Supporting young
people to set up sustainable
businesses will encourage them to
return home and continue with the
historical local tradition of looking
after the environment. The area
produces 100% organic produce
and is home to some of the most
Plant a Tree for Bees! unique flora and fauna.
By supporting these small
projects, you will be empowering
young people to take control of
their futures.
I am, on behalf of the project,
looking for external funding to
help further develop this project.
I would be grateful for any support.
San Seni
If you can help, please contact San
Seni via Bees for Development

(below) Participants on the ‘Fearless

beekeeping’ course, in Uganda.
Projects and associations in
developing countries are welcome
Here the hives are made from waste plastic material to apply for a Sponsored Resource
Box – see page 16

UGANDA It is important to have reliable

Photos © Trauma

equipment including good boots,

Thanks for sending a Resource Box a protective suit and gloves, and
and enabling us to learn more. In a good smoker, knife, bucket and
January we held a training course a torch. He encouraged them that
to help some of our beekeepers they may be slow to begin with
who are reluctant to open hives at opening hives, however when
and harvest honey for fear of they become more confident and
being stung. Our Chairperson experienced, they will be able to
told participants that it is important work more quickly.
to monitor their hives so that the Khasufa Kntosi Silver, Secretary
bees become accustomed to Trauma Healing Childcare and
beekeepers being in their vicinity. Community Development, Mbale
11
Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

Cartoons by Sjesu Karunarathne

1. Establish the bee colony near the house for easy 2. An entrance to a bee colony should be positioned in
inspection a way to ensure that it is in line with the direction of the
wind, does not gather moisture during the rainy season
and that it is not directly exposed to sunlight

3. To ensure easy access for maintenance and to prevent 4. Spend time near the colony so that the bees become
damage from the hive toppling over, it should be secured familiar with your body odour (pheromones)
on a support which is strong and not too tall (0.5 m)

5. During the rainy season provide the bees with a coffee 6. Protect the colony from ants and other predators such
solution with sugar or a medicinal drink made from bell as geckos and chameleons
flowers or coriander. In the dry season a solution of
fresh fruit juice should be provided to compensate for
lack of food resources

12
 Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

NOTICE BOARD
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
The Rome 1% Fund offers grants of up to US$ 5,000
(€4,500) for small-scale beekeeping projects and is
making a call for proposals from community groups
in the Caribbean, Latin America, and south-west
Pacific. Applications can be made online at
www.one-percent-fund.net
AWARD
A professional development programme that
strengthens the research and leadership skills of
African women in agricultural science, empowering
them to contribute more effectively to poverty
alleviation and food security in sub-Saharan Africa.
See www.awardfellowships.org
HOTSPOT
7. Honey is a valuable, nutritious food and a natural Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot
herbal medicine. Therefore, remove honeycombs very Call. Small grants (maximum US$10,000 (€8,800))
carefully in Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi,
Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
and Zimbabwe - applications only accepted upon
invitation. To discuss your project idea with one of
our team members first write to
[email protected]
AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL
The oldest English language beekeeping
publication in the world. See a digital copy and
subscribe at
www.americanbeejournal.com
BEE CRAFT
UK Beekeeping Journal for beginners and seasoned
apiarists. View a digital copy and subscribe at
www.bee-craft.com
BEE CULTURE
The magazine of American beekeeping. Today’s
techniques. Tomorrow’s ideas. US$15 (€13) for a
digital subscription.
8. Refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol, using
See www.BeeCulture.com
pesticides, herbicides and the use of fireworks near to a
bee colony

Honeyland
Photos © Ljubo Stefanov

Congratulations to everyone involved in

Honeyland, a film about Hatidze Muratova, a
9. Relocation of a colony should be undertaken after 1800 wonderful beekeeper in Macedonia, who houses
hours on a wet day and after 2000 hours on a dry day her bees in skeps. The film was nominated for two
Oscar awards: best documentary feature and best
international feature.

13
Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

BOOKSHELF

Honey hunting and beekeeping in

Adamaoua, Cameroon
(Topics in Interdisciplinary African Studies 51)
Martin Gruber and Mazi Sandar
2019 108 pages Hardcover
Based on interviews and time spent with beekeepers in the Adamaoua region, this
book provides a good introduction to the history and current status of honey production
in Cameroon. The authors are positive towards local styles of beekeeping and bee
hives and discuss their efficacy and affordability for people on low incomes. Beautiful
descriptions and photographs of the hive making process are included. Unfortunately,
the book omits market and production information about beeswax, which in recent
years has become a valuable export crop for the region.
Sean Lawson.

Honey bee biology and beekeeping

Dewey Caron & Lawrence John Connor
2018 reprint 368 pages Hardcover
A reprint of this stalwart book that was first published in 1999. It has been regarded
as the premier textbook for North American universities and beekeeping training.
Many excellent photographs and diagrams accompany the 21 chapters, the first 11 of
which concentrate on honey bee biology and are then followed by ten on honey bee
management as practised in North America.

Raising honeybee queens

Gilles Fert (translation from French by Mark Pettus, edited by Leo Sharaskhin)
2020 edition 144 pages Softcover
Another classic publication recently updated. The subtitle is: local queens, easy
methods, horizontal hives, never buy bees again! This well illustrated guide has over
150 colour photographs, drawings and diagrams. The abundant practical advice is easy
to understand. Topics include keeping bees in vertical and horizontal hives, multiplying
colonies and overwintering in any climate, as well as natural and chemical-free options.
Translated into a dozen languages, this is probably the best guide to queen rearing that
is available.

Variations on a beehive
Patricia Nelson
2019 200 pages Softcover
In 1985 Professor Len Heath of the Devon Apicultural Research Group (DARG),
UK published his book A case of hives. A lot has changed since its publication for
both honey bees and beekeepers since then – loss of habitat and decline in insect
populations. The publishers Northern Bee Books commissioned DARG to produce an
updated version to recognise these changes. Over 25 hives are discussed by well-
known names in this field, including The People’s Hive, top-bar hives and skeps.

Be more bee
Alison Davies
2020 144 pages Hardcover
A beautiful looking, quirky little book with practical tips and exercises alongside fun
facts about bees as ‘fuzzy gurus’! The author explains that she became fascinated with
bees from five years old and believes bees have: “a magical marvel, are friends of the
earth and are an advocates of girl power”. This is not a book about beekeeping, it is
about using bee concepts to inspire your life. The author equates (among other things)
defying the odds, reaching for the stars and team work to the behaviour of bees.
14
 Bees for Development Journal 134 March 2020

LOOK AHEAD
GERMANY BBKA Spring Convention
beewise-behuman® 3-5 April 2020, Harper Adams University
2-3 May 2020, Bonn Further details www.bbka.org.uk
Further details www.beewise-behuman.de 89th National Honey Show
IRELAND 22-24 October 2020, Sandown Park Racecourse
SICAMM Conference Further details www.honeyshow.co.uk
4-6 September 2020, Athlone VIETNAM
Further details www.sicamm.org Asian Apicultural Association Conference
KENYA 7-10 December 2020, Hanoi
Certificate course Further details will appear here
Entrepreneurship in apiculture in East Africa If you want notice of your conference, workshop or
Baraka Agricultural College, Molo meeting to be included here and on our website, send
Further details www.sustainableagri.org details to Bees for Development.
PHILIPPINES
2nd International Meliponine Conference and BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT
AAA Symposium
25-28 February 2020, Los Banos
EVENTS
UGANDA
Further details www.aaphilippines.com/beehive Why local style beehives are best
RUSSIA 10-11 June 2020, Jinja
V International Conference: Scientific research into A Bees for Development Course in cooperation
the zoology of invertebrates with TUNADO
26-28 October 2020, Tomsk Further details see page 16
Further details [email protected] UK
APIMONDIA: 47th International Apicultural Monmouth Bee Town, Series of Bee Talks
Congress Every first Tuesday of the month, 1900 hours, in
20-25 September 2021, Ufa Shire Hall, Monmouth
Free to attend
Further details www.apimondia2021com
Sustainable Beekeeping Course
SERBIA 25-26 April and 19-20 September 2020
EurBee 9 Congress Ragman’s Lane Farm, GL17 9PA
15-17 September 2020, University of Belgrade
Monmouth Bee Festival
Further details www.coloss.org/event/eurbee-9 3 May 2020, The Nelson Gardens, Monmouth
SLOVENIA Bee Banquet
11th International Meeting of Young Beekeepers 21 May 2020, The Mansion House, London
29 June – 3 July 2020, Ivanca Gorica
Willow Skep Making Course
Further details www.icyb.cz 26 July 2020, Ross on Wye
SOUTH AFRICA
XII International Symposium on Pollination
Bees for Development
31 August – 4 September 2020, Cape Town
Further details www.icppr.com Beekeepers
TANZANIA
BSc Beekeeping Science & Technology
Safaris
University of Dar es Salaam Uganda
Further details www.coasft.udsm.ac.tz 2-13 March 2020
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES France
APIMONDIA Symposium on Sustainable 6-9 May 2020
Beekeeping in Arid Regions & ApiArab Expo For details of all these Events visit
9-11 March 2020, Abu Dhabi www.beesfordevelopment.org
Further details www.apider.org/en/2020
UK Like us on Facebook and Instagram
Welsh Beekeepers Association Convention
28 March 2020, Builth Wells
Further details www.wbka.com
Follow us @BeesForDev on Twitter

15
 SUPPORT FOR
TRAINING
BfD Training Booklets and
Training Cards are for use by
SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE beekeeper trainers in Africa
Each booklet provides one day of
This Journal is available for resource-poor beekeepers, projects,
schools and groups in developing countries training on one topic. The cards
Supported with funds raised by Bees for Development Trust provide pictures and plans
illustrating techniques discussed
Name.................................................................................................
in the booklets. These are included
What is your involvement with bees and beekeeping?
in our Resource Boxes for training
......................................................................................................... events and workshops.
......................................................................................................... Projects and associations in
Organisation ..................................................................................... developing countries are welcome to
Postal address................................................................................... apply for a Sponsored Resource Box
......................................................................................................... by filling out an application form on
......................................................................................................... our website, or request the form by
email.
Country.............................................................................................
E-mail address...................................................................................
Projects in other areas can purchase
Resource Boxes through our
Date of application.............................................................................
website store.
Additional copies of this form are available from our website
Email [email protected]
Post to BfD Trust at the address below www.beesfordevelopment.org
Bees for Development, 1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth NP25 3DZ, UK
Telephone +44 (0)1600 714848 [email protected] www.beesfordevelopment.org
© Bees for Development 2020 ISSN 1477-6588 Printed on environmentally friendly paper
and delivered in a fully compostable wrapper made from potato and corn starch