Bees/or Development Journal 77 PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING · Bees/or Development Journal 77 PRACTICAL...
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Bees/or Development Journal 77 PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING Eco-friendly harvesting of rock bees G N Paliwal, Sun/fa Paliwal and D B Tembhare, Centre for Bee Development, Wardha, India Distribution The rock bee, Apis dorsata is an astonishing bee species. It amazes humans due to its unique nesting pattern, migration, ferociousness and huge deposits of honey. It is an indigenous species of south-east Asian countries. In India, noticeable rock bee wealth occurs in many states including Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttaranchal and West Bengal. Enforced relocation The ample nectar and pollen of wild plants during March to June lure thousands of colonies to nest on inaccessible trees and steep cliffs near thfilakes, streams and rivers in forest and hilly areas. The same lomenon is observed in the plains in the cropping season of October to December. During these periods, rock bees take care of their brood and store honey from the abundance of blooming vegetation in their areas. Due to scant rains and unwarranted human interventions in the last decade, our native forests and plains no longer offer safe homes for rock bees. For better shelter the victimised colonies relocate from their original grounds to new places. Here they may occupy religiously- protected trees like Ficus religiosaand Ficus bengalensis or man-made structures including water-tanks, bridges, buildings or factories in villages and other populated localities. Honey and wax from rock bees For many years tribal people have been harvesting rock bees using destructive methods. Squeezed honey is sold in local markets. The income gives each harvester a seasonal livelihood of US$30-40 per year. This honey is known as 'forest honey1 and is a major contributor to the Indian honey market (Atwal, 2000). To harness the natural potential of rock bee wealth in a scientific manner, we felt a need to harmonise the production system by analysing conventional and earlier scientific efforts (Mahindre, 1983;Ghatge, 1988). We conducted the necessary research and field trials in central India between 1994 and 1996. We named the system Sewagram Nisarg Technique of Rock bee Management or SNTRM. It has proved simple, appropriate, easy to adopt, feasible, low-cost and eco- friendly. Adopting it, the artisans gather plenty of good quality honey and gain a sustainable livelihood (Paliwal, 2003). Figure 2. Equipment for eco-friendly handling of rock bees New system A simple kit consisting of three sets of bee suits (Figure 1), (denim jeans), gloves, knives, buckets, re-chargeable torch, a 36 m tape-rope, a 25 m rope ladder, string, sieve, tub and containers (Figure 2) has been designed for handling rock bees. One set is provided to each group of 4-5 honey artisans. Darkness makes rock bees less active and reduces the nuisance of stinging. Therefore, our teams reach rock bee sites during the evening with the necessary kit. First, a thick rope is secured on the target tree bearing the rock bees. The nesting positions of all the accessible colonies are pinpointed carefully using the torch. The artisans wear the bee suits and climb up the tree with the help of a rope. In the case of cliffs, water tanks and buildings, a portable rope ladder is used. The socks, gloves and helmet are put on and the honey hunter moves nearer the nest. A bucket containing the sharp knife is pulled up on the rope and kept close at hand. In rock bee nests, most of the honey is accumulated in a honey area, followed by the crescent-shaped pollen area and a widely-extended lower brood area. On closer study of both active and deserted rock bee nests we identified a unique feature. This is that the ripened honey 'in bulk' (70-80% of the honey stock of each nest) lies in the sealed, elevated cells (5-11 cm in depth), mostly at the corner sections, and in a few cases in the middle of the comb, extending for 20-28 cm. Unsealed flat cells, 2.5-5 cm in depth, containing unripe honey occur in the remaining part of the honey area length of 38-50 cm. Here lies the real secret of our new concept. After climbing to the target place, the operation on the rock bee nest begins with a gentle clearance of the bees' curtain from the elevated area of honeycomb. Figure 1. Bee suits are part of the simple kit that is provided for the honey artisans Further interest Honey hunters and beekeepers of Tamil Nadu (Keystone Foundation) £14.65 (€22) Code K305 Honey hunters of the Blue Mountains (Keystone Foundation). Video £28.90 (€43.40) Code VID20 or CD £22.80 €34.20 (Code VID20A. How to order? See page 15
Transcript of Bees/or Development Journal 77 PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING · Bees/or Development Journal 77 PRACTICAL...
Bees/or Development Journal 77
PRACTICAL BEEKEEPINGEco-friendly harvesting of rock beesG N Paliwal, Sun/fa Paliwal and D B Tembhare, Centre for Bee Development, Wardha, India
DistributionThe rock bee, Apis dorsata is an astonishing bee species. It amazeshumans due to its unique nesting pattern, migration, ferociousness andhuge deposits of honey. It is an indigenous species of south-east Asiancountries. In India, noticeable rock bee wealth occurs in many statesincluding Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh Jharkhand,Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttaranchal and West Bengal.
Enforced relocationThe ample nectar and pollen of wild plants during March to June lurethousands of colonies to nest on inaccessible trees and steep cliffs nearthfilakes, streams and rivers in forest and hilly areas. The same
lomenon is observed in the plains in the cropping season ofOctober to December. During these periods, rock bees take care of theirbrood and store honey from the abundance of blooming vegetation intheir areas. Due to scant rains and unwarranted human interventions inthe last decade, our native forests and plains no longer offer safe homesfor rock bees. For better shelter the victimised colonies relocate fromtheir original grounds to new places. Here they may occupy religiously-protected trees like Ficus religiosaand Ficus bengalensis or man-madestructures including water-tanks, bridges, buildings or factories invillages and other populated localities.
Honey and wax from rock beesFor many years tribal people have been harvesting rock bees usingdestructive methods. Squeezed honey is sold in local markets. The
income gives each harvester aseasonal livelihood ofUS$30-40 per year. This honeyis known as 'forest honey1 andis a major contributor to theIndian honey market(Atwal, 2000).
To harness the natural potentialof rock bee wealth in ascientific manner, we felt aneed to harmonise theproduction system by analysingconventional and earlierscientific efforts (Mahindre,1983;Ghatge, 1988). Weconducted the necessaryresearch and field trials incentral India between 1994 and1996. We named the systemSewagram Nisarg Technique ofRock bee Management orSNTRM. It has proved simple,appropriate, easy to adopt,feasible, low-cost and eco-friendly. Adopting it, theartisans gather plenty of goodquality honey and gain asustainable livelihood(Paliwal, 2003).
Figure 2. Equipment for eco-friendly handling of rock bees
New systemA simple kit consisting of three sets of bee suits (Figure 1), (denimjeans), gloves, knives, buckets, re-chargeable torch, a 36 m tape-rope,a 25 m rope ladder, string, sieve, tub and containers (Figure 2) hasbeen designed for handling rock bees. One set is provided to eachgroup of 4-5 honey artisans. Darkness makes rock bees less active andreduces the nuisance of stinging. Therefore, our teams reach rock beesites during the evening with the necessary kit. First, a thick rope issecured on the target tree bearing the rock bees. The nesting positionsof all the accessible colonies are pinpointed carefully using the torch.The artisans wear the bee suits and climb up the tree with the help of arope. In the case of cliffs, water tanks and buildings, a portable ropeladder is used. The socks, gloves and helmet are put on and the honeyhunter moves nearer the nest. A bucket containing the sharp knife ispulled up on the rope and kept close at hand.In rock bee nests, most of the honey is accumulated in a honey area,followed by the crescent-shaped pollen area and a widely-extendedlower brood area. On closer study of both active and deserted rock beenests we identified a unique feature. This is that the ripened honey 'inbulk' (70-80% of the honey stock of each nest) lies in the sealed,elevated cells (5-11 cm in depth), mostly at the corner sections, and ina few cases in the middle of the comb, extending for 20-28 cm.Unsealed flat cells, 2.5-5 cm in depth, containing unripe honey occurin the remaining part of the honey area length of 38-50 cm.Here lies the real secret of our new concept. After climbing to the targetplace, the operation on the rock bee nest begins with a gentle clearanceof the bees' curtain from the elevated area of honeycomb.
Figure 1. Bee suits are part of the simplekit that is provided for the honey artisans
Further interestHoney hunters and beekeepers of Tamil Nadu (Keystone Foundation)£14.65 (€22) Code K305Honey hunters of the Blue Mountains (Keystone Foundation).Video £28.90 (€43.40) Code VID20 or CD £22.80 €34.20(Code VID20A. How to order? See page 15
Bees/or Development Journal 77 PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING
Figure 3. Cutting the elevated honeycomb with a sharp knife: no water orsmoke is necessary to evacuate the bees
The evacuated bees fly around and settle temporarily on the nearbyleaves.
The evacuated portion is then smoothly cut (Figure 3), detached,collected in a bucket and lowered. The whole process of bee evacuationand 'honeycomb1 separation requires only two minutes. In the samemanner, other accessible colonies are similarly 'operated' in the nextone or two hours and window-like holes are formed due to the removalof the elevated area of honeycomb (Figures 4 and 5).
Figure 4
These nests do not fall, as both the ends of their attachment remainintact with the substratum and all the evacuated bees settle back ontheirnests by the next morning. 'Operated1 portions are rebuilt andrefilled with honey in the next 25-30 days which enables subsequentharvests. In the second harvest 6-7 kg of honey is obtained per nestwhich is more than the first harvest of 2-3 kg. In each blooming season,two or three harvests may be arranged. Rock bee colonies nesting onterrestrial surfaces are harvested by the same procedure.
The teams return with the isolated 'honeycombs' packed in containers(Figure 6). Harvested honeycombs are chopped into pieces along themid-rib and are kept on a big sieve, allowing the honey to trickle to alower pot. The de-honeyed combs on the sieve are melted, filtered andcondensed in water to separate crude beeswax. The harvested honeyand wax are marketed to local NGOs in order to protect the interests ofthe producers.
By adopting our SNTRM technique, rock bee nests are not destroyed inthe middle of their development period. The parent colonies multiplysafely to add new daughter colonies, which ultimately helps to enrichthe forest eco-system.
Figure 5. A rock bee nest after removal of the elevated area of honeycomb
Dissemination of knowledgeEfforts are being made to transfer this knowledge amongst theconventional groups of honey hunters in central India. The necessarvtraining camps are arranged through local NGOs in each potentialpocket. The low-cost facilities of proper storage of honey, processing;bottling, packaging and quality control are provided. To date, about 450trained honey artisans are practising our method. They are collectivelyharvesting more than 55 tonnes of honey and wax and earning aboutUS$58,000 (US$127 per artisan) per annum; 3-4 times more than theywould obtain by using conventional methods.
Figure 6. Isolated elevated areas of honeycombs
References
ATWAL, A S (2000) Essentials ot beekeeping and pollination. Kalyani Publishers,Ludhiyana, India.
GHATGE. A I (1988) Technology for scientific harvesting of the biggest honey source ofIndia. Science for Villages (Feb-Mar) pp 5-7.
MAHINDRE. D B (1983) Handling rock bee colonies. Indian Bee Journal 45: 72-73.
PALIWAL, G N (2003) Socio-economic development of tribal bee-hunters through safehandling of rock bees in Wardha District of Central India. In: International Workshop onConservation and Management of Bees for Sustainable Development, Bangalore:pp 99-100.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Oxfam UK (India Trust), CAPART (New Delhi), MPCoST (MP), DRDA(Wardha, MS), KVIC-UNDP for financial support: Mr Mukund Uikey, a master trainer;Professor Sanjeev Gandhewar for going through the manuscript and Mr Sanjay Mashankar(Anjali Arts) for the illustrations.
