Bees for Development Journal Edition 93 - December 2009

ISSUE NO 93, DECEMBER 2009

SPECIAL EDITION PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING HIVES HIVES HIVES HEAD PROTECTOR FOR BEEKEEPERS RED LIGHT WHITE LIGHT BEE TREE WWW.BEESFORDEVELOPMENT.ORG

COVER PHOTO © FRANC SIVIC

Beesfor Development Journal 93

APITHERAPY HEALTH CARE

Hitomi Enomoto, AAA, Honeybee Science Research Center, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8610, Japan Keywords: Asian Apicultural Association, bee venom therapy, Thailand

The International Conference on Apitherapy Health Care was in November 2009 at Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand and was attended by over 100 participants from eight countries. The Conference was organised by Professor Siriwat Wongsiri of the University School of Science and hosted by the Asian Apicultural Association (AAA), the International Apitherapy and Bee Products Society, the National Innovation Agency, the Thai Research Fund, and the Commission on Higher Education.

Papers on the use of beeswax, bee venom, honey, mead, pollen, propolis and royal jelly were presented by Thai and international delegates. Displays by local companies of value-added bee products including bee pollen crackers, cosmetics with honey, fruits in honey, honey vinegar and soaps attracted many university students.

Our cover features Franc Sivic’s Gold Medalwinning picture. At the Apimondia Congress in Montpellier, France in September, Franc Sivic swept the board with this special picture combining bees and the landscape of his home country of Slovenia. For news of Bf D’s photography competition see page 20.

ISSUE No 93 December 2009 In this issue

The Mae Fah Luang University Hospital has been built recently on campus. The Conference Workshop on Bee Sting Therapy - Api-acupuncture was held in the hospital. It was the first time bee sting therapy had been demonstrated in Thailand. Patients suffering from back pain, rheumatism and skin diseases were treated by therapists from China.

AAA was established in 1992 to encourage friendly exchange of information between beekeepers and bee scientists in Asia. Details of how to join AAA are on the Bf D website.

The 10th AAA Conference will be held in Pusan, Korea in November 2010. See www.bee.or.kr

page

BBees and red light............................3 Head protectors for beekeepers ..........4 Notice Board ......................................5 Bee hives for honey production ..........6 Letter – materials for top-bar hives.....9 Making a top-bar hive ......................10 The bee tree of Sahyadri...................13 Pak Teh and Bill Jones......................13 News around the World ....................15 Bookshelf.........................................16 Look Ahead/Learn Ahead ..................18 Cover competition............................20

BfDJ is proud to be the official Newsletter of AAA

BfD Journal

Published quarterly by Bees for Development and distributed to readers in over 130 countries Editor Nicola Bradbear PhD Co-ordinator Helen Jackson BSc Bf D Trust Membership includes BfD Journal at no extra cost.

Readers in developing countries can apply for a sponsored subscription. See page 19

Beesfor Development Post

PO Box 105 Monmouth NP25 9AA, UK Phone +44 (0)16007 13648 info@beesfordevelopment.org www.beesfordevelopment.org

Patients at Mae Fah Luang University Hospital received bee venom therapy during the Conference Workshop on ‘Api-acupuncture’

SUPPORT: Bees for Development Trust acknowledge: Anglo American Group Foundation, British Wax Refining Co Ltd, John Lewis Council, Manuka Life Ltd, Panta Rhea Foundation, Rowse Family Trust, Simply Manuka, Synchronicity Foundation, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd, VITA (Europe) Ltd, Wales for Africa Fund of the Welsh Assembly Government, The Waterloo Foundation. And the many beekeeping groups and individuals who support our work. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to help.

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PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

BEES AND RED LIGHT

Beesfor Development Journal 93

Kwame S Aidoo, Department of Entomology & Wildlife, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana Results

Keywords: Apis mellifera adansonii, Ghana, honey collection, honey bee management, West Africa:

Table 1 shows the number of worker bees of Apis mellifera adansonii attracted to white and red lights within a period of five minutes when their colony was disturbed at night. Analysis of the results indicates high significant difference between the two treatments. Honey bee workers were attracted to white light more than red light when disturbed in darkness.

Introduction

In most parts of the tropics and especially Africa, beekeeping activities that involve opening a bee hive are carried out at night. High temperatures during the day make the bees active and sometimes difficult to handle. Worker bees become less active during the cooler times of the day, because like all other insects bees are cold-blooded.

Most beekeepers therefore attend to their colonies early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures are cooler and the bees are relatively calm, less defensive and easier to manipulate. Torch light plays an important part during colony inspection and honey harvesting.

Table 1 Trial

1 2 3 4 5 Mean

One drawback in the use of torches is that bees (and most insects) are attracted to lights at night. When torch light is used, worker bees are observed moving in high numbers to sections of the hive where the light is shown. There is always conflict between the use of torch light and use of the smoker. A beekeeper applies smoke to move bees away but the bees keep coming back to the illuminated area. In some cases angry bees will sting the gloves of the person carrying the torch light.

No of bees attracted to white light

Field trial

A possible solution to this problem is based on the fact that bees do not see red light. The use of red light during night-time colony management could be the answer.

36 36 40 35 37 36

No of bees attracted to red light

5 7 10 8 12 8

A hunter’s torch light was bought and modified as described above to produce red light. This was used during honey harvesting in the night.

The result was that the bees were relatively calm, moved away from the beekeeper’s smoke and did not attack the face of the beekeeper wearing the modified hunter’s light on his forehead. The colony was not so defensive because it was disturbed less and consequently harvesting went smoothly.

Materials and method

Two identical torches were obtained. The first produced ordinary white light, the second was modified to emit red light by cutting out a round piece of red polyethylene sheet and fixing it on the glass of the torch.

Two sheets of black cloth measuring 50 cm2 were obtained. A strong colony of the West African honey bee Apis mellifera adansonii was selected for the test. At 1900 hours when it was dark the colony was disturbed by tapping the side of the hive close to the entrance. One of the pieces of cloth was hung about 20 cm from the entrance and the white light was shone upon it. The number of bees attracted to the spotlight in the cloth in a five minute period was counted and recorded.

The experiment was repeated on the same colony using red light from the modified torch. This experiment was replicated five times.

Recommendation

Beekeepers in different regions of the tropics should first test the reaction of their bees to red light. If results are similar to this experiment they can adopt the use of red torch light during colony management at night.

PHOTO © KWAME AIDOO

Kwame Aidoo is Bf D’s Correspondent in Ghana and works as a lecturer and teacher.

Torches modified to emit red light facilitate night-time colony management 3

Beesfor Development Journal 93

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

HEAD PROTECTION FOR BEEKEEPERS Isiaka A Salawu, Federal Government Girls’ College, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

9. Sew a flap of white cotton cloth round the two ends of the sack: the upper end carries the twine for tying the sack around the helmet at the junction between the tray and the bowl as shown above. The lower end stops the net from splitting and guarantees long lasting use.

10. Slide the upper end of the sack over and above the tray.

11. Squeeze the upper end around the junction between the tray and the bowl.

12. Tighten using the twine.

Keywords: honey bee management, Nigeria, West Africa

Making your own protective head gear saves the cost of buying pre-fabricated ones and any repairs are easy because most of the materials are locally sourced. Head protectors can be mass-produced and sold to other interested beekeepers.

Materials

Head-sized plastic bowl or calabash gourd Flat, circular plastic tray (40 cm in diameter) Marker pen 2.5 cm thick foam sheet White cotton or nylon net White cotton cloth Awl or nail and hammer or soldering iron or drill (for making holes in the plastic bowl and tray) 0.2 cm thick twine

Method

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Place the bowl at the centre of the circular tray.

Using the marker, mark out the edge of the bowl on the tray.

Remove the bowl from the tray.

Leave an allowance of 1-2 cm inward (away from the mark on the tray) and cut out the inner circle. This will enable the head to pass through.

Replace the bowl and carefully perforate the rim and the point of contact with the tray.

Stitch the bowl and the tray together.

Line the inner side of the bowl with the foam sheet.

Make an open-ended sack at least 60 cm long with the net. The diameter must be wider than that of the tray to give comfort at the shoulder region.

Note

PHOTOS & DIAGRAMS © ISIAKA A SALAWU

• Spray the front part of the net with black paint to enhance visibility.

• It is better to use white materials as the bees are calmer and less defensive than with other colours.

• A calabash gourd can be carved to shape and used in place of the plastic bowl and tray.

The inner side of the bowl is stitched to the cut tray and lined with foam

External shape of the helmet ready to be tucked into the open-ended sack. Note that the helmet has been repainted white from the original blue.

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Beesfor Development Journal 93

How to wear the head protector

1. Slide the head in through the lower open end of the sack.

2. Position the helmet so that the front black part of the net is directly in front of your face.

3. Tuck the loose lower end of the sack into the collar of your protective suit.

4. Close/Button up the neck region firmly on the net sack to prevent bees from entering.

5. Pull out some portion of the sack to make a loose fold around the neck and shoulders. This guarantees some safe distance to keep away the bees.

The front part of the net used for the veil is sprayed with black paint to enhance visibility

Isiaka Salawu and his protective head gear for beekeepers

NOTICE BOARD

FREE BOOKS Gratis Books Scheme provides ecology and conservation books to those outside Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North America and Western Europe who would otherwise be unable to obtain them. The aim of this scheme is to spread ecological knowledge as widely as possible. Books made available are free to eligible applicants. Details www.nhbs.com/Conservation/gratis-books.php PROJECT FUNDING FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, supports beekeeping projects in developing countries.

TeleFood Special Fund: Beekeepers’ groups and associations may apply for small project funding of up to US$10,000. Request documents should include a brief description of project objectives, proposed food production or income-generating activities, work plan, number of participants, detailed list of inputs with cost estimates and reporting arrangements. Submit your request to the FAO or UNDP office in your country.

See www.fao.org and inform BfD of the outcome of your application.

1% for Development Fund: Small grants to enable community based beekeeping projects in developing countries to get off the ground. Applicants must clearly define objectives and how they are to be attained. See One-Per-Cent-Fund@FAO.org BEST SHOT Sony World Photography Awards are looking for the best natural history photographer of 2010. See www.worldphotographyawards.org BEE CRAFT Full colour monthly magazine for beginners and experts covering all aspects of beekeeping in the UK and Ireland. £22 for 12 issues (one year).

Credit cards accepted. For free sample copy and overseas rates contact secretary@bee-craft.com ULUDAG BEE JOURNAL News, practical information and research articles Published quarterly in Turkish with English summaries. See www.uludagaricilik.org IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE Bf D Journal offers a great opportunity to reach thousands of readers. Prices start from GBP35 (€53, US$70), various size ads available.

Copyright: You are welcome to translate and/or reproduce items appearing in BfDJ as part of our Information Service. Permission is given on the understanding that BfDJ and author(s) are acknowledged, Bf D contact details are provided in full, and you send us a copy of the item or the website address where it is used.

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Beesfor Development Journal 93

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

BEE HIVES FOR HONEY PRODUCTION Keywords: Africa, Apis mellifera litorea, Apis mellifera scutellata, basket hive, frame hive, honey production, local-style hive, top-bar hive, Zimbabwe

Wherever honey bees occur, the honey that they store in their honeycombs has been taken from them by people who enjoy eating honey. This practice is called honey hunting and it often results in the destruction of the bee colony. Long ago people started putting out various containers (bee hives) into which the bees were enticed. Bee hives vary in size and shape; some provide better homes for the bees than others and some make it easier for people to get at the honey while other hives did not help much. Beekeepers who want to manage their bees and encourage them to store more honey than the bees need for their own use also want to open the hives and see what is going on inside. Some beekeepers want to take out a comb, examine it, and then replace it undamaged. What the beekeeper sees can tell her/him what management steps to follow next.

Figure 3. Greek basket hive with movable combs

Frame hives with movable combs

Hollow log – fixed comb hive (vertical)

The search for a hive that suited the bees as well as the beekeepers continued for many years in many countries. In the mid-1800s, the Reverend Langstroth in the USA constructed rectangular frames of thin, narrow planks and fixed pieces of comb into the frames. The top-bars of the frames projected beyond the side bars and rested on rebates in the edges of the wooden box, which made the hive. The only places where the bees attached the frames to the hive body were the narrow projections of the frames. It was thus quite easy to break the ‘bee glue’ and lift the frames with their undamaged combs from the hives and to return them to the hives after the inspection. Frames with combs full of honey could easily be harvested, or cropped.

In Europe beekeepers used to cut sections of hollow trees, place them on end, put a roof on the hive and wait for bees to take up residence.

The bees built comb hanging down from the roofs and attached the combs to the sides of the hollow logs (Figure 1).

Hollow log or bark – fixed comb hives (horizontal)

In Africa, hollow logs or cylinders of bark were and are still used as hives by many beekeepers. The hives are suspended horizontally in trees for safety against honey badgers and grass fires. The bees may build the combs lengthways down the hive, or they may follow the rudimentary guidelines made by the beekeeper and build round combs across the hive – this makes it easier for the beekeeper when the full honeycombs are to be removed. Again, these hives are acceptable to the bees, but the combs cannot be removed unless they are cut or broken out, and they cannot then be returned to the hive (Figure 1).

The top or cover of the hive was placed so that there was a passage way or ‘bee space’ above the frames and the bees did not then glue the lid to the frames although they did glue it to the top of the hive body.

The lid could be prised loose without too much disturbance to the bees. The frames were spaced evenly apart in the hive body so that the combs within them were separated from each other with, again, a passage way for the bees to pass in and to work on their combs. Today we use thin sheets of beeswax, called foundation, carefully fixed in the centre of each frame to guide the bees to construct their combs straight on the wax foundation so that an even space is left between each pair of combs. The bottom bars of the frames are held a bee space or more above the floors of the hives so that the bees are not so likely to stick them to the floor boards. Frame hives can be constructed so that they hold as many frames as the beekeeper wants, all on one level in a long hive body. The most common arrangement today, however, is to have an open ended hive body, holding perhaps ten frames, and to place a second or more hive bodies on top of the first when the bees need more room to live and work. Of course, a bee space is left between the top bars of the frames in the lower boxes and the bottom bars of the upper boxes. Frames can be made to any size and shape and the hive bodies must be constructed to match the frames and to leave the correct bee space where required. Incorrect construction can lead to all the frames being stuck firmly; for instance to the inside of the hive bodies, and the frames, therefore, become virtually immovable.

Expensive machinery is needed if hive parts are to be made accurately.

Frame hives are today used in many countries and have proved to be highly adaptable. Frame hives are probably the best to use for largescale enterprises but only when beekeepers can undergo lengthy training in theoretical and practical hive management. Small-scale beekeepers can also use frame hives.

Figure 1. Vertical and horizontal log hives with fixed combs

Skeps – fixed comb hives

In Europe, hives fashioned out of coils of grass or straw were woven into the shape of upside-down, round baskets called skeps (Figure 2). The bees attached the combs to the roof and the sides of the hives.

Greek basket hives with movable combs

or top-bars as they are now called, could each be lifted out with an undamaged comb attached, and could be replaced after examination. A grass roof was used to keep out the rain. These movable comb hives were, unfortunately, not recognised as particularly useful and were not brought into wider use although the Greeks used them for hundreds of years.

DIAGRAMS © MIKE SCHMOLKE

Mike Schmolke, PO Box BW 153, Borrowdale, Harare, Zimbabwe

Figure 2. Skep hive with fixed combs

The Greeks were perhaps the first people to use movable comb hives.

The hive bodies were round, open topped baskets, which were plastered with a mixture of cow dung and mud and were covered with narrow planks under which the bees built their combs (Figure 3). The planks, 6

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

Beesfor Development Journal 93

ALL PHOTOS © MIKE SCHMOLKE

Top-bar hives with movable combs

This hive is gaining in popularity in a number of different countries but it is not expected that it will replace the versatile frame hive, particularly when the hives have to be moved either for the bees to collect nectar for honey production from a different source, or for the bees to pollinate the flowers of different crops. The top-bar hive can be seen as an extension of the Greek basket top-bar hive but it is much easier for the beekeeper to use than the basket hive and it is just as acceptable to the bees. The combs are built by the bees to fit the shape of the hive body and they are seldom firmly attached to the sloping sides of the hive, even when heavy with honey. The bees will use a number of adjacent combs for brood rearing. These combs will have a small crown of honey above the brood with some cells containing stored pollen between the brood and the honey crown. With a little bit of manipulation of top-bars with combs attached, it is quite easy to induce the bees to fill some combs completely with honey only – this makes cropping the honey easy – and to have the bees use other combs mostly for brood rearing. The dimensions of the top-bar hive can be varied to suit circumstances; for example, they can be made longer to accommodate more top-bars and combs where big crops of honey are expected. Experience of beekeeping in a particular area will indicate if hives are of a suitable size for the local bees and conditions. None of the dimensions of the hive body are critical although a reasonable slope to the sides will minimise comb attachment. The top-bars need only to be thick enough so that they do not bend with the weight of honey on them. They must however be the correct width to meet the requirements of the bees that are to occupy the hives.

Removing comb from a log hive

Width of top-bars

The honey bee Apis mellifera scutellata that is commonly found in Zimbabwe builds combs in natural nests with the centres of the combs 32 mm apart. This leaves enough space between the combs, when they have been fully built out, for the bees to move between the combs. We use top-bars 32-33 mm wide to satisfy the bees and have them build one comb only on each top-bar. A different race of honey bees Apis mellifera litorea is found along the eastern coastal areas of Africa and these bees are smaller than Apis mellifera scutellata bees. The distance between the centres of their adjacent combs are thus less than the distance between the centres of combs built by Apis mellifera scutellata.

Apis mellifera litorea bees therefore need narrower top-bars, 30-31 mm wide, if they are to build combs straight on each top-bar. (Bees tend to build straight combs when left to their own devices but they do not invariably do so – beekeepers must be prepared to correct any deviations from the straight and narrow!)

Plastering a basket hive with cowdung and mud mix

Guidelines on top-bars

Using beeswax down the centre of each top-bar to ‘encourage’ the bees to build a straight comb on each top-bar is an important step as straight combs are easy to lift out of the hive while it is not possible to lift out crooked combs that are built across the bars or built from one bar to the next.

Which hive to use

When people decide that they want to keep bees, they must decide what hive to use. The decisions they make will be influenced by what they see established beekeepers in their areas using. They might know about the many hollow log hives used by beekeepers in their areas. Many tons of honeycombs are cropped annually in Zimbabwe from such hives and potential beekeepers may be impressed by the amount of honey brought in. They may not know that it could be easier and more productive for them to use other types of hives. Alternatively, potential beekeepers may be persuaded by agents from aid agencies who, for various reasons, introduce frame hives without delivering the necessary but costly and lengthy training that should follow the delivery of frame hives.

Inspecting brood frame 7

Beesfor Development Journal 93

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

Advantages and disadvantages of different hive types Hive type

Advantages

Disadvantages

Hollow log – fixed comb hives (vertical)

• Cheap to acquire in forest area • Can give fair to good amounts of broken honeycombs

Hollow log or bark – fixed comb hives (horizontal)

• Well known to beekeepers in Africa • Many hives can be set up for little or no monetary cost • Much honey can be collected • Not much technical knowledge is required • Can be placed up in trees away from fires and honey badgers

Miscellaneous fixed comb hives

In many cases impoverished rural people do not have cash resources to purchase even cheap hives or the materials to construct them. They have no option but to use log or bark hives. It must be realised that the total amount of honey produced in log and bark hives in Africa is considerable. Producers can be taught to grade honeycombs properly so that they realise the best prices for their produce. While honeycombs (complete with the wax used by the bees to construct the combs) can be sold to a central processing unit where the honey is separated from the wax. A lot more beeswax could be recovered fairly easily if beekeepers themselves can be taught to process old or empty combs. Traditional beekeepers are proud of their skills, handed down to them by their forefathers, and they should not be condemned for following familiar methods of beekeeping. They will gain much if taught to grade honeycombs properly and so obtain better prices.

Greek basket hives with movable combs

Frame hives with movable combs

• Basket making is a common practice in many rural areas and the hives can easily be acquired cheaply • Baskets can be made using split bamboo or reeds, or thin, flexible plant stems • Combs can be inspected and many good management practices are possible • Disease and pest control measures can be implemented, and old brood combs can be replaced • Top-bars of the correct width are the only parts of the hives which need to be cut accurately • The bees readily build new combs to replace those removed by the beekeeper who can recover the beeswax from the honeycombs and from old combs

• These hives are used universally because they can be managed to produce the maximum crop of honey. (A good knowledge of hive management practices is necessary, which takes a long time to acquire.)

• Knowledge of the local conditions and the changes which occur with the seasons, which affect the development and decline of colonies is necessary • Honey can be extracted from the combs which can be returned to the bees for reuse • Hives can be increased in size to accommodate large colonies of bees for maximum production • Hives are compact enough to allow easy transport to different areas • Many publications covering the use and management of these hives are available • Advantages are many, but listing all of them would entail describing various management practices and this is not the place to consider all of them 8

• Difficult to control the bees while cropping • Combs difficult to remove and honey and brood are on same combs • Hives cannot easily be moved to different areas • Beekeeper cannot provide more space for bees

•Trees which are sources of pollen and nectar for the bees may be cut down, or ring barked (the trees die) • Difficult to control the bees and it is sometimes dangerous to climb up the trees to reach them • Care is needed to produce good quality, clean honeycombs and it is impossible to inspect combs for diseases • Women are excluded from becoming beekeepers although they may handle the honey crop.

• Top-bars vary in length and the combs built on them will also vary in size; therefore they cannot be swapped around easily • Some larger combs will contain honey in the top half and brood in the bottom half making cropping the honey difficult • Larger honeycombs will be heavy and difficult to handle without breakages occurring • Basket hives can be suspended in trees but this can be difficult • Baskets cannot be extended in size to accommodate all the bees of strong colonies • Hives are costly to acquire because expensive good quality timber is used in their construction • Hive parts must all be accurately machined to ‘respect’ the ‘bee space’.

• Foundation wax sheets for fixing in the frames are costly and not always available • Special wire for the frames, and queen excluders, also need to be sourced • Honey extractors (centrifuges) are necessary but costly and difficult to obtain • Not feasible for village carpenters to make all frame hive parts properly and to exact specifications • After a basic hive (floor, brood box, queen excluder, honey box, inner cover and roof) has been acquired, a beekeeper will still have to purchase extra supers • Beekeepers can take years to learn how to use frame hives properly. Badly managed frame hives can be considerably less productive than a well managed Greek basket hive or top-bar hive

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING Hive type

Top-bar hives with movable combs

Advantages

• These hives can easily be constructed even by village carpenters without woodworking machines • Only one measurement of importance ie the width of the top-bars • Comb size is uniform and manipulations involving the movement of combs from one place in the hive to another are easy • Combs and top-bars can be moved from one place to another in the hive so that only some combs are used for brood rearing, while other combs are used solely for honey storage • Examinations to check the health and wellbeing of the bees are quick and easy

Beesfor Development Journal 93

Disadvantages

• If NONE is entered here no-one will believe it, and that would expose the writer's liking for these hives!

So some disadvantages have to be written: • Top-bar hives cannot be increased in size by adding extra hive bodies to accommodate extra large colonies • Cannot easily be transported safely when fully occupied because the combs hang freely and are not supported by wire or frames

Apiary with top-bar hives

Combs with honey above and brood below

LETTER

Mike Schmolke started beekeeping in 1965 with Langstroth frame hives, which were the only ones he knew about. Later he had a few Greek basket top-bar hives and in 1975 started keeping bees with top-bar hives. Mike was Government Apiculturist for nearly 20 years up to 1991 and has taught many beekeepers. He has organised beekeeping Mike Schmolke conferences, field days and meetings and has visited beekeepers in Botswana, Canada, Germany, Romania, South Africa and the UK. He has been involved with beekeeping development projects for rural beekeepers in Zimbabwe with assistance from USAID, NZAID and worked as a consultant on projects in Botswana, Malawi and Mozambique. Mike hires out 600 hives for crop pollination, harvests honey from 300 hives, purchases honeycombs from rural beekeepers who mostly use log or bark hives (up to 50 tonnes per annum ). He has taught village carpenters to construct top-bar hives, tinsmiths to make bellows smokers and rural women to sew simple bee veils.

Materials for top-bar hives

I read in BfD Journal 67 about the Gorongosa hive in Mozambique.

This reminded me of the top-bar hives I made from four heavy sticks (two long, two short) that formed a rectangle. I wove split willows to form a half cylinder under the sticks. I left a hole at one end and coated the inside with straw soaked in wet clay slip. I put top-bars across the top and bees in the hives. I thought the clay soaked straw might move up with the combs which would mean mud in the honey.

The bees however propolised the mud giving it the feeling of a hard surface, almost like ceramic and this prevented the straw coming up with the combs. The materials for these hives cost me nothing, the bees did well in them and, to my knowledge, are doing so still.

I have also made top-bar hives from stone adobe (soil moistened with water, with chopped straw or other fibres added for strength, then allowed to dry to the desired shape. The best adobe soil contains 15-30% clay to bind the materials together, with the rest being sand or larger aggregate).

Plastic 55 gallon (250 litre) used barrels can be cut in half long ways to make two half cylinder hives from one barrel. I obtained the barrels from a local dairy. I was unsure if the bees would do well in these hives yet they have been occupying them for ten years!

This article continues the Modern Hives or Modern Ideas? debate from BfD Journals 90 and 91 – These, and an extended edition of this article are available on the Information Portal of the Bf D website.

Mike Schmolke’s article first published in the Southern African Regional Honey Council Newsletter, September 2009

Important Check what has been stored in any barrels you obtain. If they have contained insecticides do not use them.

Leslie Crowder, USA

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Beesfor Development Journal 93

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

MAKING A TOP-BAR HIVE Janet Lowore, Monica Barlow and Mark Loveday, Bees for Development

Assembly

Keywords: hive design, movable comb, top-bar

To make it easier to assemble the sloping sides of the hive it is advisable to make a follower board first and then build the hive sides and ends around this. Cut a piece of timber using the dimensions shown in Picture 1 and screw it on to a top-bar. If you make sure the mid-line is perfectly central and vertical you can use the measurements to achieve the correct angle of slope. Cut out the shape and attach it to one top-bar.

Top-bar hives are easier and cheaper to make than frame hives, yet have some advantages of movable comb technology. Compared to fixed comb hives they allow the beekeeper to remove and replace comb after inspection. Importantly they allow bees to make their own comb, and no queen excluder is used. The bees are able to live a natural life and it is believed that this can contribute to their health and vigour. A top-bar hive comprises a hive body, top-bars and roof. It is often recommended that the hive body has sloping sides, reflecting the shape of naturally made comb so that the bees are less likely to attach comb to the sides of the hive. In the design described here, sloping sides are shown with an angle of 10o, this is the angle of the slope to the perpendicular.

Making the hive body

The hive sides should be 955 mm by 270 mm. The length of 955 mm is to allow for 27 top-bars of 35 mm width, plus 10 mm for expansion.

To obtain the correct width you can use narrow planks, joined together using battens. One batten at each end of the sides also helps in the construction: the end pieces can be nailed or screwed to the battens.

An additional batten in the middle of the long side adds strength. Old floor boards with tongue and groove can be used for the long sides.

The ends can be made rectangular in shape 540 mm by 330 mm. Make the hive upside down as shown in Picture 2. Place the follower board upside down so that it is resting on the top-bar, also upside down. Hold the two sides against the follower board – get your helper to hold the long sides while you nail or screw the ends to the battens. Picture 3 shows the assembled hive ready to have the floor put on.

Top-bars

The width of the top-bar is the most important measurement for the whole hive and depends on the size of the honey bee in your local area.

For temperate zone races of Apis mellifera the top-bar width should be 35 mm. With tropical African races of Apis mellifera, the width should be 32 mm. The length of the whole hive should be multiples of the width of the top-bar. It is advisable to make an allowance of an extra 10 mm at the end of the hive to allow for the top-bars to expand and for propolis. Typical numbers of top-bars in a hive are 25-28.

With temperate zone races of Apis mellifera therefore the total length (inside measurement) of the hive body for a 27 top-bar hive should be:

Floor

Where Apis mellifera are infested with theVarroa mite, it is advisable to use a mesh floor. Stainless steel mesh can be bought by the metre but is expensive. Plastic netting is cheaper, although less durable. Mesh apertures must be wide enough to allow the Varroa destructor mites to fall through. A Varroa destructor mite is 1.0-1.8 mm wide and 1.5-2.0 mm long. Mesh is measured in wires per inch (that is 10 mesh has

27 x 35 mm = 945 mm + 10 mm expansion allowance = 955 mm With African races of Apis mellifera the total length should be:

27 x 32 mm = 864 mm + 10 mm expansion allowance = 874 mm

In this design we are using top-bars 460 mm long and 18 mm deep.

ALL PHOTOS © BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT

Picture 1. The follower board can be made first and used as a template to assemble the sloping sides.

SLOPE: THIS ANGLE IS 10° GREATER THAN A RIGHT ANGLE

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sharp corner uppermost and a top-bar with a small saw-cut will sit neatly over this edge and stay in position. Picture 7 shows the hive with top-bars in place.

Choice of materials

Use wood that you have available. Plywood is usually too thin and not robust enough to withstand very wet weather. If the wood is not naturally weather resistant, paint the hive with a mixture of warmed wax and linseed oil, or environmentally-friendly paint.

BATTEN: ATTACH ONE TO EACH END OF EACH LONG SIDE, WITH THE OPTION OF ANOTHER IN THE MIDDLE

Follower board

The follower board is used as a template, and it is also used as a dummy board. You can insert the dummy board inside the hive to reduce the internal space for the bees, and move it as the colony grows. This is helpful in colder climates as it reduces the space which the bees must keep warm. Tip: make two follower boards when you begin. Keep one as a template (do not fasten it to a top-bar) to use if you need to make a feeder, or want to make another hive the same size.

Picture 2. Assembling the hive body, upside down, using the follower board as a template.

Stand or legs

10 wires per inch, which gives an aperture of 1.98 mm; 6 mesh has 6 wires per inch which gives an aperture of 2.98 mm).

The hive should stand at about waist height and can be supported by legs attached to the hive, or a separate stand can be made. In tropical countries where the threat from honey badgers is high, hives are often hung between trees using wire. Smearing the wires with grease can deter ants.

In tropical countries ants are a serious threat to bees and therefore we recommend a solid hive floor.

Roof

SUMMARY

The roof must protect the hive from rain and sun. It can be flat or sloping and made with any suitable materials. Pictures 4 and 5 show examples of completed roofs.

Hive part

Entrance

Entrance holes for the bees can be made in one of the end pieces of the hive, or in the long side as shown in Picture 5. In temperate countries a landing board can be added - this allows the bees to land and then walk into the hive (see Picture 6). In tropical countries, predators such as lizards can sit on the landing board and eat bees as they land, therefore landing boards should be avoided.

Dimensions

Top-bar for temperate zone races of Apis mellifera

460 mm x 35 mm

Long sides

955 mm x 270 mm (27 bars of 35 mm, plus 10 mm for expansion)

Top-bar for tropical zone races 460 mm x 32 mm of Apis mellifera Battens Ends

Finishing the top-bars

Follower board

The dimensions of top-bars have been discussed above. A groove should be cut along the length of the bar and this can be filled with molten beeswax. Once hard this helps as a starter guide, encouraging the bees to build their comb. It is useful to find some way to keep the top-bars in place at the sides of the hive. One way to do this is to make a narrow rebate on each end or a small saw cut. If the hive’s long sides are straight sided planks placed in a sloping position they will present a

Floor Roof

270 mm x 34 mm x 34 mm 540 mm x 330 mm

260 mm high, top 400 mm wide, bottom 300 mm wide Make to fit

Make to fit (the roof should have an overlapping lip for maximum protection)

Picture 4. This roof is made from a piece of plywood with a timber rim or lip. It is covered with roofing felt for waterproofing.

Picture 3. Ellen Michaelis (left) and Monica Barlow prepare the hive body (still upside down) for the floor to be fastened on 11

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Picture 5. Ridged roof. This alternative top-bar design was conceived by Phil Chandler. See further reading.

Picture 6. Hive entrance with adequate holes and landing board.

• Screws or nails

BfD Journal 68. Better beekeeping in top-bar hives: hives and hive making.

BfD Journal 69. Better beekeeping in top-bar hives: entrances and roofs.

Beekeeping with top-bar hives www.beesfordevelopment.org/portal How to build a top-bar hive by Phil Chandler www.lulu.com/content/815182 Instructions for building a top-bar hive topbarbees.wordpress.com/about/construction/ Making a feeder for a top-bar hive www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php

Tools and materials required

Further reading

• Wood glue

• Roofing felt or polythene (to weather proof the roof)

• Hand saw

• Drill (small drill bit for pilot holes or screws if used in hive construction, 10 mm screw bit for making entrance holes)

• Screw driver • Ruler

The pictures used in this article were taken at a recent Bf D weekend course on Sustainable Beekeeping, held at Ragman’s Permaculture Farm, Forest of Dean, UK. Similar courses will be held in 2010: watch www.beesfordevelopment.org for details.

• Square

• Bench or table

• Sander or plane (if wood is rough)

Picture 7. Top-bars in place. One top-bar is turned over to show the groove and the end saw-cut which helps keep the bars in place. The mesh floor can be seen.

12

THE BEE TREE OF SAHYADRI

Beesfor Development Journal 93

S Basavarajappa, Department of Zoology, University of Mysore, India Keywords: Apis dorsata, Asia, Ceiba pentandra, Eucalyptus sp, India

In the Nilgiris, Eucalyptus sp is grown on a large-scale, and felled by Paper Mills Ltd, to use as raw material for the manufacture of pulp and paper. Eucalyptus trees are one of the forage plants of the giant honey bee, and the rapid loss of these trees might have caused havoc for Apis dorsata.

The giant Asian honey bee Apis dorsata builds remarkable, large, vertically hanging combs. During our research in the semi-arid region of Bhadra Reservoir amazing Apis dorsata colony aggregates were observed.

Such dearth periods were extended for several years and were exacerbated by drought in 2001-2002. As a result, many Apis dorsata colonies became victims and disappeared from the Bee Tree. This unscrupulous loss of the giant honey bee population was unfortunate.

Sadly not a single colony has reappeared on Ceiba pentandra since 2001 to date. Despite the abundance of other tree flora, colonies have not been seen on any tree species within 5 km2 of this area.

Bhadra Reservoir Project, at an altitude of 680-720 m, is considered a favourable habitat for honey bees. The region is locally called Sahyadri and lies at the foot hills of the southern tracts of the Western Ghats in Karnataka State, India. There are deciduous forests and a few crops including areca nut, coconut, and mango gardens in the vicinity of Nilgiri plantation owned by Mysore Paper Mills Ltd. Besides the natural vegetation, the plantation provides large quantities of floral resources for honey bees.

Whether successful reappearance of Apis dorsata nests on Ceiba pentandra will occur only with reforestation of Eucalyptus sp from the same area is still being debated. If this trend continues unchecked, it may also affect the reproductive success of innumerable numbers of both cultivated and wild plant species. In addition the people who live in the forests and nearby villages who have the best opportunity to make use of honey and beeswax will be deprived of these resources.

Apis dorsata nest in trees and on cliffs and in this area select the white silk cotton tree Ceiba pentandra, a dense, deciduous tree with many branches, growing up to 18 m. A large number of colony aggregates were on the defoliated Ceiba pentandra and we recorded 79 combs. The combs were fixed to the rough sub-surface of the tree branches, orientated east-west, north-east and south-west at different elevations.

It was the first record made in this part of Karnataka, and the tree is now called The Bee Tree of Sahyadri.

Many cases of this type go without notice by the scientific community, and before we fully understand these species and their role within the ecosystem.

The 70 inhabited and nine abandoned combs were unevenly distributed within 15 colony aggregates. Each aggregate consisted of five to eight combs. These aggregates would remain undisturbed for a 12-14 month period during the study years 1999-2001. Later all these nests were abandoned within one week.

REMEMBERING

PHOTO © S BASAVARAJAPPA

Pak Teh Lebah

I am sad indeed to let you know that Pak Teh the honey hunter died on 16 November 2009 aged 84 years. Pak Teh passed on to me very valuable knowledge, wisdom and experience about the giant honey bees and honey hunting in the rainforest of Malaysia. I owe him a great deal for many of my insights about the forest, the bees and the wildlife. I feel lucky to have made the documentary with Discovery channel about Pak Teh conveying the cultural baton of honey hunting to his grandsons, Nizam and Shukor.

Professor Makhdzir Mardan, Universiti Putra, Malaysia Pak Teh’s honey hunting skills featured in BfD Journals 35 and 83, and in Diana Cohn’s book The Bee Tree

W W Jones

Bill Jones died at the end of summer. Bill gave unstinting support to Bees for Development for many years, gathering a group of fellow Trustees and ensuring that Bf D Trust became established as a registered charity. Bill was the right man for the job in developing a water-tight constitution and formulating workable rules for the new Charity. He supported us in all ventures, always offering sound advice. Despite tremendous mobility problems, Bill would until recently travel from Milton Keynes to Monmouth for meetings, and when that became too difficult, stayed in touch by e-mail. Bill supported several charities, especially Tools for Self Reliance, and there will be many other people missing him as we do.

In 2001, 79 Apis dorsata combs in 15 colony aggregates were recorded on the defoliated Ceiba pentandra 13

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NEWS AROUND THE WORLD BERMUDA

Neupane is President of the Sworgadwari Multipurpose Beekeeping Co-operative and earns Rs 3,000 (US$40; €30) per hive annually from the honey that he harvests.

Neupane's journey began nine years ago, when people in his village formed a micro entrepreneurs' farmers group. Three years later, they formed a beekeeping co-operative.

Secretary of the Co-operative, Tej Bahadur, says there are 70 families involved in beekeeping and each family owns 260 hives.

Initially Neupane bought 18 hives after undergoing 10 days of beekeeping training conducted by Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP), but all efforts went in vain because the trainees did not know how to implement the knowledge. "But I went through another round of training, and I was then able to use the knowledge effectively," said Neupane. According to him, the beekeeping trade started to grow after that second round of training and when the members of the group shared their knowledge. With support from MEDP the farmers took out loans of Rs 8,000 (US$40; €72) from the Agricultural Development Bank. Now their honey is sold in Butwal, Nepalgunj, Kathmandu and international markets.

Durga Lal K C, www.kantipuronline.com

In the week that the Island’s Parliamentary Throne Speech (6 November) announced a new queen rearing project, Varroa was discovered in Bermuda. BfDJ reader and beekeeper of 37 years Randolph Furbert commented that there would have to be a different approach to keeping bees: "There has been an expanding bee industry in Bermuda and tourists and locals alike take our honey home”. Stuart Hayward, Chairman of the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce said: "It is good to acknowledge the importance of bees in food production.

However, while the land on which food can be produced continues to be converted to commercial and residential use it will not matter how many bees, queen or otherwise, we rear. We need a concerted and comprehensive approach to food security on the Island, of which bees are a vital component".

Source Amanda Dale, The Royal Gazette

INDIA

Beekeeping is popular in Dhanchaur and Dhikura village development committees. The farmers have taken up beekeeping for it requires little investment and provides high returns and in total earn about Rs 5 million (US$108,000; €71,950) each year selling honey. Village Chief Pitamber Bhusal says honey is exported to Dang, Butwal, Kathmandu and Sindhikharka in Nepal. Honey production has doubled recently and local farmer Suprakash Ghimire said that he earns Rs 100,000 (US$2,125; €1,440) from his 20 colonies. The harvested honey is sold at Rs 300 (US$6.5; €4.3) per kg.

Sumitra Magar, a resident of Dhanchaur, earns Rs 80,000 (US$1,700; €1,150) per annum from beekeeping and her standard of living has increased. On average, each house in Dhanchaur has two or three hives of Apis cerana honey bees. The District Agriculture Development Office has provided technical assistance, training and 150 hives to the farmers in order to increase output.

There are 17 beekeeping groups in the district.

TANZANIA

Onana Beekeeping Research and Extension Centre was established in 1988 with the intention of conserving indigenous bees of the Mount Kilimanjaro locality Apis mellifera monticola, and stingless bees whose honey is known locally to be of medicinal value.

Conservation of indigenous bees means conservation of indigenous flora whose pollination depends on bees. So, conserving

UGANDA

Risk governance of pollination services

The International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) is concerned that insufficient attention is given to the risks associated with the loss of pollination.

Although it is well acknowledged within the scientific community, IRGC considers that pollination appears to be neglected by policy makers, industry (particularly the agricultural sector) and the general public. As a result IRGC believes that threats to pollination services and related risks are not adequately taken into account in policies that may affect pollinators and their habitats. Their Concept Note provides a brief summary of the most relevant and urgent issues and a preliminary identification of risk governance deficits.

Download a copy at www.irgc.org

Muruda NGO recently held a five day workshop to learn more and improve their beekeeping.

Source www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews

PHOTO © ODIPO ENUKA

NEPAL

Lila Ram Neupane of Shantinagar VDC, Dang, used to be a farmer. In Neupane's village, there are many more like him. "When I was a farmer, I used to work around the clock, tilling the land and taking care of my animals. But the returns were dismal. Beekeeping has been great for me. I have already built 150 hives."

bees means sustainable environmental conservation and enrichment of biodiversity.

The Centre studies the behaviour of both types of bees and designs appropriate techniques to keep them: hives, stocking methods, day to day management for maximum production and their sustainability.

All the findings from the studies are disseminated to the public for practice and development of the beekeeping industry and we have attracted a great number of visitors both domestic and foreign. The Centre has been receiving a sponsored subscription to BfD Journal for five years. Thanks to the sponsors who made this possible.

Alloysius Joe, Onona Beekeeping Research and Extension Centre

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AVAILABLE FROM Bf D NOW AT WWW.BEESFORDEVELOPMENT.ORG

BOOK SHELF

MANAGEMENT OF NATIVE BEES TRIGONA SPP APIS CERANA, APIS DORSATA

Cleofas R Cervancia, Raymundo M Lucero, Analinda C Manila-Fajardo, Alejandro C Fajardo Jr 2009 73 pages Price to be announced

For over 20 years a team of scientists from University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) (the authors of this book) have researched the indigenous honey bee species of the country, Apis cerana and Apis dorsata, and stingless bees Trigona spp. The team have concentrated on evaluating the bees as sources of livelihoods, their potential in pollination and in developing technologies to ensure their conservation. This handbook looks in detail at the mass production of Trigona spp, transferring wild colonies of Apis cerana to frame hives, and the harvesting and processing of honey from Apis dorsata. Colour pictures, line drawings and concise text make this an easy to read textbook for all interested readers.

BUCKETS OF HONEY FROM BOXES OF BEES

Ken Pickles 2009 101 pages £13 (€19.50) Code P900

The author wrote this book with the welfare of bees in mind. He has made it appropriate for all: those who are thinking of taking up beekeeping, novices and experienced practitioners. He recognises that to fully understand bees takes a beekeeper a long time, and requires much observational study. In the UK where the beekeeping season is short and most beekeepers keep only one or two colonies, the understanding of bees must therefore be gleaned from visiting apiaries, talking with others, and learning from their triumphs (and perhaps disasters). To assist in this process, Ken Pickles has written about his long-term involvement with bees: his experience of small- and large-scale beekeeping, and relating anecdotes from visiting beekeepers local to his home in Wharfedale in the north of the UK and far away while visiting a bee farm in Canada. Not a textbook or particularly scientific, but an enjoyable read.

MEAD – MAKING, EXHIBITING AND JUDGING

Harry H R Riches 2009 reprint 80 pages £11 (€16.50) Code R205

Harry Riches has drawn on more than 25 years experience of making, exhibiting and judging mead to write this useful guide. Dr Riches is happy to admit having made every possible mistake, and therefore claims understanding of all the problems mead makers encounter. He has received countless awards for his own mead, and therefore this is the book to read if you are looking for a master class.

HOW TO KEEP BEES WITHOUT FINDING THE QUEEN

Paul Mann 2008 71 pages £6 (€9) Code M900

Many beekeeping books emphasise that finding the queen in a honey bee colony to be of paramount importance in good beekeeping practice. Paul Mann suggests that many beekeepers have trouble finding the queen, it can be a time consuming practice, and not looking for the queen in a colony means you will enjoy beekeeping more. If a technique goes wrong he attempts to do two things: firstly to put it right, and secondly to investigate what can be changed to prevent the problem reoccurring. Subjects discussed include colony production, keeping bees inside, queen rearing, swarming, and there is even a chapter on “Actually finding the queen”.

INSECT POLLINATION OF CROPS

The International Pollinators Initiative, FAO, and Barbara Herren have arranged for the 1993 edition of this invaluable encyclopaedia by Professor John Free to be available online Go to www.internationalpollinatorsinitiative.org/ Click on Pollination Information Management System (PIMS) (upper right of the screen) Click 2nd bullet point What is the current understanding of managing the pollination of a particular crop?

This information compiled by John Free over 15 years ago, remains amazingly thorough and useful.

Peter Kevan, International Commission on Plant-Bee Relations 16

BOOKSHELF

Beesfor Development Journal 93

DVD THE HONEYBEE

Gill Sentilla 2009 PAL (UK) widescreen. Duration 43 minutes £12 (€17) Code VID45 This high quality film follows a colony of European Apis mellifera through a year within a frame hive in the UK. Close-up footage of the life of the queen, workers and drones begins with young adults emerging weak and hungry to be pushed and trampled by others in the colony before they are washed and fed by nurse bees.

Communication within the nest, foraging for food, water and propolis, defence against wasps, the ravages caused

by Varroa, wax production, swarming, and how the colony interact to survive the cold in winter are all documented. Gill Sentilla’s 2005 film Dancing with bees has proved to be one of the most popular purchases on the Bf D webstore. This new film is equally appealing and fascinating to view.

THE WILD GARDEN AND THE HONEY BEE

Michael Duncan 2009 58 pages £11 (€16.50) Code D900 Printed hand written notes interspersed with quaint line drawings keep the reader’s attention through this attractive book. Michael Duncan realised early in his beekeeping career that the honey bee is like a ‘sensitive litmus paper to environmental change’. In preparing the wild garden you will be providing a haven for honey bees and he advocates that saving our bees can save our sanity. The book gently offers an introduction to frame hive beekeeping with European honey bees including getting started, equipment required, management throughout the year, and honey harvesting.

APIDOLOGIE SPECIAL ISSUE - BEE CONSERVATION

R J Paxton, MJ F Brown, T E Murray May/June 2009 40 (3) This special edition of the highly respected Journal of bee science Apidologie is devoted to bee conservation.

The editors have persuaded world experts to contribute reviews that, published here in one volume, provide an excellent collation of current knowledge concerning the status of bees and their conservation. The different factors that influence bee abundance and diversity are considered: conservation policy at global, regional and national levels, conservation ecology and bee genetics. The special edition covers the expanse of geography with papers concerning Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and the Neotropics, as well as the breadth of taxonomy, with papers discussing bees from those that are native species, to those that are invasive alien species. Together these papers provide a useful, current review of this science, and are especially timely when the conservation of bees has become an issue of global awareness. Online edition available at www.apidologie.org

BUYING BOOKS AND OTHER MEDIA FROM BfD

Order through our web store Secure Payment System Or send us an e-mail, or post us a note of what you want, or we can send you an order form. Payment required with order DELIVERY UK addresses: FREE delivery on orders up to 1 kg Outside UK: Orders dispatched by airmail post. Add 10% for delivery to Europe; 25% for outside Europe Orders over £500 please request our quote) HOW TO ORDER • Secure order and payment at www.beesfordevelopment.org • to store@beesfordevelopment.org C r e d i t / D e b i t c ard Amex/Maestro/Mastercard/Visa. We need card number, name on card, valid from and expiry dates, card • issue number (if given), security number on back of card.

• Cheque/bank draft in GBP or Euros payable to Bees for Development

Bf D Beekeepers Safaris 2010 destinations

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

25 January – 4 February

TURKEY

24 July – 5 August

NEW! RODRIGUES AND MAURITIUS

PHOTO © TEMA FOUNDATION

24 November – 4 December

Details at the website or contact us (address page 20) 17

Beesfor Development Journal 93

LOOK AHEAD

ARGENTINA APIMONDIA 42nd International Apicultural Congress September 2011, Buenos Aires Further details apimondia2011@mci-group.com BRAZIL Congresso Brasileiro: XVIII Apicultura & IV Meliponicultura 9-22 May 2010, Cuiabá Further details www.brasilapicola.com.br BULGARIA Apiculture - Pleven 2010 12-14 February 2010, Pleven Further details www.partners-expo.com

APIMONDIA: Organic beekeeping conference 27-29 September 2010, Black Sea Coast Further details www.bee-hexagon.net/en/organic.htm COLOMBIA 1st Simposio Iberolatinoamericano de Apiterapia 2-5 June 2010, Tolima Further details apiterapiacolombiana@gmail.com

GREECE (CRETE) APIMONDIA: 2nd Honeydew Symposium of the IHC 7-9 April 2010 Further details www.honeydew-symposium.gr GRENADA 6th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress 7-13 November 2010 Further details will appear here

MALAYSIA Pacific Congress Beekeeping for Sustainable Development 8-9 December 2009, Sarawak Further details www.cenfoundindia.org.in MEXICO ICPBR Pollination Symposium 27 June – 1 July 2010, Cholula (Puebla) Further details www.uoguelph.ca/icpbr

SLOVENIA APIMONDIA: Apimedica & Apiquality Forum 28 September - 2 October 2010, Ljubljana Further details www.apimedica.org SOUTH KOREA 10th Asian Apicultural Association Congress 2010 5-8 November 2010, Pusan Further details www.bee.or.kr

UK BBKA Spring Convention 16-18 April 2010, Stoneleigh Park near Coventry Further details www.britishbee.org.uk

UKRAINE APIMONDIA 43rd International Apicultural Congress September 2013, Kiev Further details www.apimondia2013.org.ua

LEARN AHEAD IRELAND Irish Beekeepers Summer Course 26-31 July 2010, Gormanston Further details ryansfancy@gmail.com KENYA Baraka College Courses Further details www.sustainableag.org

UK Strengthening livelihoods in developing countries 12 March 2010, Monmouth Further details www.beesfordevelopment.org

If you want notice of your conference, workshop or meeting to be included here and on our website send details to Bees for Development, address on page 20

18

Beesfor Development Journal 93

BECOME A MEMBER OF Bees for Development Trust Category

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Sponsored subscriptions to Bees for Development Journal are available for resource-poor beekeepers, projects, schools and groups in developing countries.

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Beesfor Development Journal 93

Cover Competition

Bees for Development Journal facilitates the sharing of information about bees and beekeeping around the world. The first edition was published in 1981 as the Newsletter for Tropical Apiculture. Today BfDJ has a readership of over 4,000 and is distributed to more than 130 countries. To celebrate the publication of Issue 100, we are running a competition to collate images representing the close relationship people have with bees. We hope to use the images in a publication which will highlight the diversity of beekeeping practices around the world and the importance of bees and bee products to different cultures.

Entrants may submit up to four images, either as prints or in electronic format*. Entries should be accompanied with your name, postal address and email address. A brief description (up to 150 words) should be provided for each image to include the following: • who took the image • where it was taken • what the image shows • how this relates to Bees and People

Entries will be judged by considering a number of factors including originality, composition and interpretation of the theme. The overall winner will be selected and her/his photograph will appear on the cover picture of BfDJ 100. The overall winner and three finalists will all receive a prize and a year’s complimentary subscription to the Journal. Entrants will retain copyright of the images submitted, but in entering the competition grant Bf D the right to publish their photos in BfDJ, on the website and in other relevant literature. All photographers will be credited.

Entries are welcome throughout 2010 to allow for the varying beekeeping calendars around the world, but must arrive by 31 December 2010.

Sent your entry to

Bees and People Competition, Bees for Development, PO Box 105, Monmouth, NP25 9AA, UK or email to info@beesfordevelopment.org.

*Digital images, saved as individual .jpg, .jpeg or .tif files should be sent low resolution (less than 0.5 MB). We will ask you to send at higher resolution if required.

ISSN 1477-6588

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