The "Sun Hive", designed by German sculptor Guenther Muncke is a combination of skep weaving and circular inner wooden frame. The inspiration for the hive design came from observing a wild bee's nest in a forest near his home, with it's combs covered in a protective layer of propolis and wax. Below is a drawing he made of this bee's nest.
The photo below of a wild bee's nest is a possible inspiration for the shape of the Sun Hive.
Based on years of bee colony observation the unique hive is designed to fit the natural comb building tendencies of the honey bee. Similar to the Warre Hive the Sun Hive allows for unconstrained downward vertical comb building (Natural Hive Comparisons). It is built in two segments which allow for expansion where the two meet. The segments are constructed of woven straw similar to a traditional skep with a wooden dividing board and platform in the middle (D below). The entrance is at the funnel shape bottom of the hive (N below). The hive is designed to be installed at a height of 2.5 meters (8 ft).
The wooden arches of the upper segment act like top bars from which the comb is built.
Here is a video showing how to make a Sun Hive. It takes about 14 hours.
How to cover a scep hive with cow dung.
Below is a video showing the comb building progress of a swarm after four weeks in the "Sun Hive". The inner cover over the wooden frames is cloth coated in bees wax and the outer cover is coated in natural, organic cow dung. The hive was made at a therapeutic institution for autistic children in Germany and was made of biodynamically grown rye straw.
"The Sun Hive/Haengekorb outlines the outer, invisible "skin" of the "Bien", the wholeness and single entity of the bee. It reveals the innate round shape of the "Bien". It's true nature becomes palpable, through the gestalt and it's position in space. The Haengekorb shows, how everything within the colony is round. The shape of it speaks with a pre-verbal-language. And the shape can share the living processes within. All together a "flower garden" for the eye and the heart."
To maintain your Sun Hive you must build a shelter to give it protection from the wind and rain, treat your exterior wooden parts with an organic paint or varnish, give your straw skep a haircut, decide whether to cloam or not with cow dung and replace your covering cloth. This is explained in detail here.
As a beekeeper I find the Sun Hive design to be both beautiful and natural to a degree (in the comb building sense). However, most European wild hives are built in enclosures like hollow trees (provides protection from the elements) without the freedom of comb construction like Guenther's drawing above. Open, wild bee's nests rarely survive weather or predation. I believe the maintenance of the hive would be labour intensive and require previous beekeeping experience and knowledge (not for the novice). The Sun Hive has a focus on the health and welfare of the bees not maximum honey production. I think one or two would be a beautiful addition if one has the time, knowledge and space.
A book in English about the Sun Hive is now available which includes detailed plans on how to make your own Sun Hive. To open a preview of the book click here. The book and Sun Hive components may be purchased from the Natural Beekeeping Trust in England. In North America the book is available through Gaia Bees.
For more information on natural beekeeping check out the Natural Beekeeping section of our Beekeepers' Library.
"The Travelling Beehive" is an amazing book for children of all ages. I highly recommend it for every beekeeper, their children and grandchildren. This book is wonderfully written by Elena Garcia and Manuel Angel Rosado and beautifully illustrated by Juan Hernaz. It is published by Apolo which is an organization dedicated to the preservation of pollinators and their habitat. You can follow Polli the honey bee and her friend Dipter the hover fly as they face the challenges of a disappearing green space. They are joined in their struggle by Bazumba the wild bee, Missus Bombus the bumblebee, Lepi the butterfly, her majesty the queen, Dorian the farmer and Ramon the beekeeper. Sit back and enjoy the The Travelling Beehive .
"Hi, I'm the illustrator of this book, and I would like to invite all of you to download "The Travelling Beehive" also in epub format for tablets, ipads and some e-book readers. You can download also pdf format and on-line book, also available for free on the website of Apolo and in my own web (http://www.juanhernaz.com/en/picture-books/ or http://juanhernaz.blogspot.ca/ ) Thank you very much for spreading this publication and enjoy it!" For more children's bee books go to the Children's Book section of our Beekeepers' Library.
Before I became a beekeeper I went out in search of knowledge pertaining to beekeeping. While some knowledge was readily available I found it difficult to research particular topics. Since becoming a beekeeper I am constantly being asked by people who want to start beekeeping where is a good source of reading material to learn the basics. Regularly beekeeping friends ask me questions like "do you know where I can get some good plans to build a screened bottom board?" or "are there studies on the benefits of small cell foundation?". It's for these reasons I created The Beekeepers' Library . It is in no way the definitive source for beekeeping knowledge but merely a free resource site where readers can preview and download information on a wide variety of topics. The main categories of the library are "Basic Beekeeping", "Beehive Construction", "Honeybee Diseases and Parasites", "Feeding", "Native Pollinators", "Advanced Beekeeping", "Planting for Pollinators", "Natural Beekeeping", "Recipes", "Children's Beekeeping", "Beekeeping Books" and instructional "Webinars". I have been and will continue to add regularly to the library. Enjoy!
*Update - The Beekeepers' Library became to big to open and edit on one page so while the old page still exists an updated version is available from the menu at the top of the page. In the new version the library is separated into several pages. Enjoy!
He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.
Hunt's Bumble Bee (Bombus Huntii) in a Cranesbill Geranium
It's a beautiful, sunny 15 degree celsius (60 fahrenheit) day in the garden. This time of year in Vancouver is particularly special because so many plants are in bloom. Since I became a beekeeper I have found myself much more observant of blossoms and their attraction to both native and honey bees. Above is a photo of what is a Hunt's Bumble Bee (Bombus Huntii) whose orange backside makes for easy identification. If you look closely you can see the pollen being scattered beneath the native bee.
All of the bees are particularly attracted to the Cranesbill geranium which in our area is an easy to grow ground cover. I have also noticed that bees have a fondness for members of the onion family which includes garlic, onions, leeks and chives. Below is a picture of one of our girls enjoying some chive flowers.
The Bluet is a friendly invasive (controllable) plant and another favourite of all species of bees. I've heard this plant called a variety of names but I've not found it in any plant books.
* I found the Bluet in the plant files of the website Dave's Garden. It goes by the common names Mountain Bluet, Mountain Cornflower and Perrenial Cornflower "Gold Bullion". The latin name is Centaurea Montana. Below is the Dave's Garden plant file search engine. It is also in the side bar.
I apologize for the obvious amateur nature of the photography but the photographer (me) insists on blaming the camera. Below are a few photos of the girls enjoying the absolute favourite fast food (along with plum blossoms) in our neighbourhood this time of year which is flowering Kale.
After a slow start (cold wet spring) our girls are actively collecting pollen and producing brood. We'll check the hives in a few weeks and possibly do a split or two depending on their progress. Meanwhile, here I sit watching my bees listening to Taj and Etta sing "Queen Bee".
For a more complete list of plants bees love check out the "Bee Plants" section of this site.
The concept of drifting is that with a number of hives in a row, on a windy day the bees are more apt to return to the first hive from the direction of the main pollen flow. Consequently the first hive will be much stronger than the last hive. Dave Cushman suggests the opposite "end of the line" effect (Dave Cushman on Drifting Behavior in Honey Bees). Dave goes on to describe the drifting effects of featureless water.
In any case the disoriented, drifting bees will have an unfamiliar smell to the guard bees but will usually be allowed entrance if carrying pollen and displaying submissive behavior. Ted Hooper in his book "Guide to Bees and Honey" states:
“a drifting bee entering the colony by mistake, perhaps because it has been blown down to the hive by a cross wind, or misled by a similarity of the approach picture, will be challenged. In this case the guard will press the challenge because the smell of this bee is not the right one. The drifter, because its instinct says it is in the right place, will not try to fight the guard but will submit. If the drifter is facing the guard it will offer food, which the guard will usually ignore. If the guard is attacking from the side [...] the drifter will tuck its tail in and stand quiet, with its head tucked down, or it may rear on to its two back pairs of legs, extending its tongue and strop this with its front legs. These patterns of behavior denote submission and the guard [...] will do no real harm and certainly not attempt to sting. As with all bees, the guard’s concentration period is short, and in a few seconds it gets tired of the whole affair and lets the drifter proceed”
This study found the percentage of drifting bees to be as high as 60% within unmarked row apiaries (Drifting of Honey Bee Foragers within and between apiaries pollinating blueberry) and up to 4.5% in apiaries 600 mts away. In the study below (Drifting of Honey Bees) they found that there was no preference in honey bee strain when drifting nor decrease in life span. They did find an increased drift from center (22%) to edge (39%).
Hive setup that could lead to drifting
The study below suggests that the optimal distance is 9 meters between hives and 18 meters between rows but this is often not possible. They list ways to reduce drifting by different apiary layout (circles, squares, U, V, Sigmoid), different entrance orientation and different colors. The idea is that different colored hives will assist the bees in identifying their own hive.
The idea is that different colored hives will assist the bees in identifying their own hive. Bees see colors
differently than we do and studies show they prefer purple, violet and blue in
that order. Bees can see ultraviolet light patterns invisible to us (Honey Bees ability to identify color).
Why does drifting matter? Because unless you live in an isolated area there is a good chance your hives contain bees from neighboring hives along with their pests and diseases (Honey Bee Drifting and the spread of AFB). Drifting can also occur with Queens returning from mating flights (4% Honey Bee Queen Drifting).
It's like if you are drunk and walking back to your house and all the homes are of the exact color and architectural style. This is human drifting. I have personally experienced this phenomena. This can be very embarrassing.
Recently Monsanto was voted the most evil corporation of the year in a survey taken by NaturalNews. They won by a huge margin over the second place Federal Reserve which serves the massively corrupt global banking cartel. Monsanto is the pioneer of agricultural biotechnology and produces genetically engineered seeds that tolerate their herbicide "Roudup". In the past Monsanto has been responsible for producing Saccharin (causes cancer), Polystyrene (generates the most total hazardous waste), Atom bomb and nuclear weapons (plutonium purification and production), Petroleum-Based Fertilizer (kill beneficial soil micro-organisms, sterilizing the soil and creating a dependence, like an addiction, to the synthetic replacements), Roundup (Studies in rats have shown consistently negative health impacts ranging from tumors, altered organ function, and infertility, to cancer and premature death), Aspartame (NutraSweet / Equal) (94 health issues caused by aspartame), Bovine Growth Hormone (causes cancer in humans), "Agent Orange" (a herbicide defoliant used in Vietnam from 1961-1971 responsible for an estimated 400,000 people killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth defects), PCBs (a now banned organic pollutant found to cause cancer and other side effects in all animals including humans), Dioxins (produced in the creation of artificial plant growth hormones and known to cause cancer and birth defects) and DDT (a pesticide banned worldwide in 1972 for health effects like cancer and birth defects on wildlife and humans), Genetically Modified Crops / GMOs and Terminator Seeds (forces farmers to buy new seeds from Monsanto year after year).
Monsanto is the producer of the Roundup (glyphosate) brand of herbicides and is the leading producer of genetically engineered seed (Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Sorghum, Soybeans, Sugarbeets and Wheat). Among their seeds is the genetically modified corn seed created to kill all insects that eat it. The seed contains Bacill Thuringiensis which has been proven to weaken the immune system of bees (Beekeepers' Library). Monsanto has acquired patents to coat their seeds with neonicotinoid pesticides (Planting Pesticides) known to be fatal to bees and banned in many countries (Insecticides and Bees). Due to cross pollination it may now be impossible to eliminate Monsanto's genetically engineered, toxic franken-crops. Genetically modified foods have been banned in many European countries. The health repercussions of genetically modified foods to humans, bees and all wildlife is potentially scary. The largest producer of genetically engineered seed is Monsanto. 75% to 80% of the processed food you consume every day has GMOs inside, and residues of Monsanto’s RoundUp herbicide outside. In addition fresh fruit and vegetables like genetically engineered sweet corn is already being sold in your grocery store.
The worldwide production of seeds is now monopolized by a few agrochemical corporations. Monsanto, Bayer and Syngenta now control over half the worldwide distribution of seeds. Monsanto has established cross-licensing agreements for its transgenic patents with every single other company in the mix, while Dow has agreements with all except for Bayer. And Syngenta has agreements with Dow, Monsanto, and DuPont, while BASF has agreements with Dow and Monsanto. Monsanto has purchased over 50 seed companies since l996 (Monsanto Seed Companies). Some misconceptions of genetic modification and agrochemical use are that they are necessary to feed the world's growing population. In a recent U.S.D.A report (U.S.D.A. Report) researchers stated "Over the first 15 years of commercial use, GMO seeds have not been shown to definitively increase yield potentials, and "in fact, the yields of herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistant seeds may be occasionally lower than the yields of conventional varieties." GM seeds do however increase the profits of Monsanto as the higher priced seeds are patented and can not be saved and are resistant to the herbicide Roundup (produced by Monsanto) which has led to a substantial increase in the use of Roundup.
This video describes the process of genetic modification
"There's nothing they are leaving untouched: the mustard, the okra, the bringe oil, the rice, the cauliflower. Once they have established the norm: that seed can be owned as their property, royalties can be collected. We will depend on them for every seed we grow of every crop we grow. If they control seed, they control food, they know it -- it's strategic. It's more powerful than bombs. It's more powerful than guns. This is the best way to control the populations of the world. The story starts in the White House, where Monsanto often got its way by exerting disproportionate influence over policymakers via the "revolving door". One example is Michael Taylor, who worked for Monsanto as an attorney before being appointed as deputy commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991. While at the FDA, the authority that deals with all US food approvals, Taylor made crucial decisions that led to the approval of GE foods and crops. Then he returned to Monsanto, becoming the company's vice president for public policy. Thanks to these intimate links between Monsanto and government agencies, the US adopted GE foods and crops without proper testing, without consumer labeling and in spite of serious questions hanging over their safety. Not coincidentally, Monsanto supplies 90 percent of the GE seeds used by the US market. Monsanto's long arm stretched so far that, in the early nineties, the US Food and Drugs Agency even ignored warnings of their own scientists, who were cautioning that GE crops could cause negative health effects. Other tactics the company uses to stifle concerns about their products include misleading advertising, bribery and concealing scientific evidence."
Former Monsanto employees currently hold positions in US government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Supreme Court. These include:
Michael A. Friedman, MD, was Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Medical and Public Policy for Pharmacia, and later served as an FDA deputy commissioner.[222][223]
Linda J. Fisher was an assistant administrator at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before she was a vice president at Monsanto from 1995 to 2000. In 2001, Fisher became the deputy administrator of the EPA.[114]
Michael R. Taylor was an assistant to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner before he left to work for a law firm, one client of which was Monsanto. Taylor then became deputy commissioner of the FDA from 1991 to 1994, during which time the FDA approved rBST.[114] Anti-GM activists accused him of conflict of interest but a Federal investigation cleared him. Taylor was later re-appointed to the FDA in August 2009 by President Barack Obama.[224][225]
United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas worked as an attorney for Monsanto in the 1970s. Thomas wrote the majority opinion in the 2001 Supreme Court decision J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.[226] which found that "newly developed plant breeds are patentable under the general utility patent laws of the United States."[114][226][227]
Public officials with indirect connections or who worked for Monsanto after leaving public office include:
Mickey Kantor served on Monsanto's board after serving in government as a trade representative.[114]
William D. Ruckelshaus served as the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, was subsequently acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and then Deputy Attorney General of the United States. From 1983 to 1985, he returned as EPA administrator. After leaving government he joined the Board of Directors of Monsanto; he is currently retired from that board.[228]
Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was chairman and chief executive officer of G. D. Searle & Company, which Monsanto purchased in 1985. Rumsfeld's stock and options in Searle were $12 million USD at the time of the transaction.
Here is a video that describes how Monsanto silences scientific dissent through the positioning of former employees in influential occupations. "In this case that a former Monsanto scientist finds himself in charge of a
specially-created post at the very journal that published two landmark
studies questioning the safety of that company's products should
surprise no one who is aware of the Monsanto revolving door. This door
is responsible for literally dozens of Monsanto officials, lobbyists and
consultants finding themselves in positions of authority in the
government bodies that are supposedly there to regulate the company and
its actions."
The people of Hawaii are fighting Monsanto in a case "Genetic Engineering Chemical Warfare".
Monsanto has long been trying to establish control over the seeds of the plants that produce food for the world. They have patented a number of genetically altered food crops, which can only be grown with proper license, and the seeds for which must be purchased anew each year. Alas, genetically engineered (GE) crops cannot be contained. And rather than being found guilty of contaminating farmers' property, Monsanto has successfully sued hundreds of unsuspecting farmers for patent infringement when unlicensed GE crops were found growing in their fields. Many farmers have subsequently, quite literally, lost their farms. Percy Schmeiser of Saskatchewan, Canada, is but one of Monsanto's victims, but contrary to so many others, he refused to quietly tolerate the injustice. In a classic case of David versus Goliath, Schmeiser fought back against one of the most powerful corporations in the world.
This 2011 article from Counterpunch a political newsletter describes how Monsanto (along with the other agro-chemical giants) through economic and political influence have persuaded the "organic elite" along with the major food distributors to accept genetically engineered crops despite the potential contamination to organic farms and ranches. Monsanto and others involved in the production of genetically modified food have spent $35 million towards defeating California Proposition 37 which would mandate the disclosure or labelling of all genetically modified foods. “The No on 37 Campaign knows that basic facts do not support their argument for denying consumers the right to know what’s in our food , so they are resorting to a $35 million campaign of misrepresentations, misleading statements, and outright lies,” said Stacy Malkan, California Right to Know spokesperson. “Prop. 37 comes down to a question of who is more credible, the leading health and consumer advocates, faith based groups, working families and millions of everyday Californians -- or the same small group of financially motivated special interests and political operatives who told us Agent Orange, DDT and cigarettes were safe?”
The truth about Prop 37
Just a simple label—like in 61 other countries, indicating if our food has been genetically engineered
Put on the ballot by a million Californians just like you
Enables us to make an informed choice about what foods are right for our families
Supported by consumers, farmers, nurses, doctors and a broad Coalition
It is very simple. We have the right to know what is in our food and how it was created. Monsanto and others involved in the production of our food say we do not have that right. In Europe labelling of GMO (genetically modified organisms) products has been mandatory since 1997 and any GMO food products exported to Europe must be labelled disclosing that they are genetically modified.
Vote Yes on Proposition 37. Go to The Right to Know to find out more about proposition 37 and how important it is to you and your children.
In an attempt to combat it's negative environmental image Monsanto recently bought the company Beeologics which produces biological pest and disease controls for bees. I wonder, is it possible? Genetically Modified Bees?
Monsanto Franken-Bee
Postscript: The $35 million dollars Monsanto spent on advertisement to defeat Proposition 37 was well spent as they achieved a narrow victory enabling them to continue hiding the true nature of the food they produce. Ultimately the joke is on them. By monopolizing the food market worldwide and selling dangerous genetically modified foods they will eventually kill all of their customers. The Devil has just finished building a new wing in Hell called Monsantoland for former employees.
Bee on a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea Asteraceae) which blooms for us in late summer.
Zachery Huang, a biologist who has been studying bees for over two decades is an amazing photographer whose stunning photos can be seen at beetography.com. These are a few of his photos. I think bees are not only biologically amazing but beautiful as well, particularly when photographed on a colourful flower blossom.
Borage (Borago officinalis) also known as starflower is a slightly invasive herb (volunteer) which in our garden can bloom from spring to fall and is a bee favourite.
Goldenrod (Solidago), considered invasive is a favourite of bees and blooms in late summer and fall. I have discovered that bees love invasive plants like goldenrod, mint, blackberry, fennel, lemon balm and black locust.
Zachery has made available some of his best photos for your desktop wall paper at beetography.com/Honey-Bees/Wall-Papers-Free/746084_m2dRrQ#266110048_NXto8. Some other good bee photography sites are thehoneygatherers.com/html/index and beedreams.com. This year I bought my first cheap digital camera and began taking photos of our bees. I have found that photography and in particular macro insect and flower photography forces you to slow down and look more closely at your environment. This is a good thing when you live in the hustle and bustle of a big city. My photos pale in comparison but Zachery's photos give me a goal to aspire to. Here are a few of my photos of bees and plants bees love.
The common asian aster which blooms in a mass of small flowers for us from August through October is a bee favourite.
Pink phlox, (native to North America) possibly Phlox paniculata David.
Japanese anemone blooms from late summer through the fall. In most areas food for bees is readily available in spring and summer so it is important to provide a food source for the bees in the early spring and autumn when there is less available food sources.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), native to the americas and a bee favourite.
One of my girls enjoying a sunflower
One of our bees and a stranger to the left enjoying a rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) which is native to North America.
Western bumble bee (Bombos occidentalis) harvesting pollen from a Japanese Anemone.
Obviously when shooting bees macro settings for those close-up shots are a must. Here are some macro photography tips from professional photographer Layne Kennedy of Ultimate Photo Guide (ultimatephotoguide.com). Ultimate Photo Guide is a good site for learning about all aspects of photography.
High magnification macro photography by Thomas Shahan.
Insect Macro Photography
For more examples of bee and plant photography go to the Bee Plant pages of this website.
Three men were arrested in Jacksonville,
Florida on smuggling charges this week.
Chin Chou from Taiwan, Qiao Chu from China and Wei-Tang Lo from
California successfully imported over 900 containers of Chinese Honey over the
past two years which they fraudulently labeled rice fructose. Once the honey passed customs as rice
fructose it was shipped to warehouses where it was relabeled amber honey and
sold to U.S. honey companies. U.S.
Customs did seize 123 containers (over 5,000,000 lbs/ 2.27 million kgs.) of falsely labeled Chinese honey at 11
different ports of entry. The smugglers
saved millions on anti-dumping duty ($2.63 per kilo) which was levied against
Chinese honey in 2001 to counter heavily subsidized Chinese honey. American beekeepers unable to compete were
being forced out of business. Chinese
honey is ultra filtered to remove pollen which is the only way to trace the
origin. Honey from China can contain banned antibiotics (health
hazard) and heavy metals. Sweeteners are
added to the contaminated honey to mask the acrid taste and smell ( http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/11/chinese-laundered-honey.html).
In 2010 Canada exported $70 million of honey
and imported $15 million of honey mostly from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. I wonder if any of that honey came to this
continent as rice fructose.
John Stark, an
amazing British artist has created a body of art entitled
"Apiculture" (beekeeping). The theme of
anonymous beekeepers engaged in ritual beekeeping is timeless, set somewhere in
the past or distant future. Like most
good artwork it is an ambiguous metaphor
who's interpretation is subjective to the observer and evolving over time. John describes his artwork as “a really nice
open metaphor, that can be read in so many different ways. All through the
history of literature and art, the beehive has been cited as an example of
utopian society, of a selfless existence. Do these hives represent the world?
An idealised world? Art, even? Are the keepers the artists, producing the art,
or the collectors harvesting the art?”
The beehives and
beekeepers form the narrative instrument to delve into the spiritual
existential meaning of life. "I
see painting as a way of being, it is at least a mystical path and I believe in
its power as a pursuit for truth where notions of the self are reflected upon.
The result is then allegorical for the viewer who projects on to these open
narratives traits from their own perception of their reality. The intention is
that the works operate as a gateway for us to pass through together (in the
metaphysical sense) while simultaneously tapping into the collective
unconscious.
I
can’t name a direct inspiration for this, although I have been listening to a
lot of Buddhist teachings recently and looking at the symbolism from the school
of The Fourth Way which refers to a concept used by G.I. Gurdjieff to describe
an approach to self-development that helps to realize ones potential by
transcending the body and achieving a higher state of consciousness. It is
thought that we are living in a waking sleep and there are various ways to
focus our attention and energy so that a range of inner abilities become
possible. So it’s something inherent and built into the work and these current
paintings refer back to ideas explored in my earlier works which attempt to
tackle issues of the self, individuation and ‘the spiritual’ by replacing old
mythologies and placing myself in the cannon of an art historical
context."
I will never look at beekeeping the same way again. Check out John Stark's art at his gallery.
In the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal men harvest Himalayan Cliff Bee (Apis Laboriosa) honey as they have for generations. The Himalayan honey bee, the biggest in the world at up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) is specifically adapted to the harsh climate of the Himalayas.
It nests at altitudes between 2500 and 3000 meters (8200-9800 ft) and forages at altitudes up to 4100 meters (13500 ft). They have a flight range of 5-14 kilometers (3-9 miles). This bee builds nests under overhangs on the southwestern faces of vertical cliffs. They are found in Bhutan, India, China and Nepal.
Himalayan Cliff Bee
The Himalayan Cliff bee migrates for seasonal blossoms and produces three different types of honey: Spring high altitude or red honey; Spring mid to low altitude honey; and Autumn honey. The Red honey is the most praised because of it's intoxicating or relaxing effects. It is not consumed locally but exported at five times the price of other honeys to Japan and China for traditional medicinal use. In Korea some healers are using it to treat drug addiction. The intoxicating effects come from grayanotoxin present in the nectar of white rhododendrons.
The ownership and control of honey harvesting has always been in the control of local villages but in many areas because of increased foreign demand control has been turned over to non-traditional harvesters and exporters. This, along with loss of habitat and the introduction of the European honey bee has caused a tremendous decrease in the Himalayan Cliff bee population. To view a study on the status of Apis Laboriosa (Himalayan Cliff Bee) go to "The status of Apis Laboriosa in Western Nepal". The European honey bee has also brought with it a bacteria which causes European Foulbrood (bee disease) to which the Himalayan bee has little resistance. There are four types of honey bees native to Nepal: Apis Laboriosa; Apis Dorsata (Tropical giant Honey Bee); Apis Florea (Dwarf Honey Bee); and Apis Cerana (Asian Honey Bee). To view the status of these native bees and the imported Apis Mellifera (European Honey Bee) go to Himalayan Honey Bees and Beekeeping in Nepal.
The Himalayan Honey Bee is aggressive and has never been domesticated as it does not use enclosed cavities for nesting
The Himalayan Cliff bee is essential for the pollination of high altitude plants and their decreased populations puts these ecosystems in jeopardy. For the past ten years groups have been working to protect the Himalayan Cliff bee by returning sustainable harvesting control back to the local villages and protecting habitat. Their habitat has become fragmented due to deforestation. In recent years bee populations have stabilized and it is hoped that increased income from "Honey harvesting tourism" will be an incentive for young people to learn the traditional harvesting methods of their elders.
Honey Harvesters are stung repeatedly (and I thought my bees were mean)
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has created a "Center of Excellence for Asian Bees" to work with traditional honey hunters and beekeepers to maintain a healthy population of native honey bees and subsequently ensure needed pollination of native plants.
Although Apis Dorsata, a family of bees which the Himalayan Cliff bee, Apis dorsata laboriosa is a member have never been kept by indigenous people because of it's aggressive nature, open nests and seasonal migration a form of sustainable beekeeping called "Rafter Beekeeping" has begun in Cambodia. Unlike the traditional honey hunters the Cambodian Rafter beekeepers selectively take only portions of the honey leaving the nest intact. The bees return year after year. (Rafter Beekeeping).
This wonderful film is about an English farmer and beekeeper who travels to Nepal to be part of the traditional, amazing honey harvest of the wild Himalayan Cliff bee.
I will definitely add this to my bucket list (sustainably). To check out great honey hunting photos from David Caprara go to The Honey Hunters of Nepal. To watch honey hunting in Nepal go to Adventure Geo Treks.
Is the honey you buy from the super market really honey? Unfortunately that is a question you should be asking.
China is by far the largest producer of honey in the world (approximately 300,000 metric tons per year). The Chinese agriculture industry uses pesticides and herbicides banned in most developed countries. The deleterious effects of these chemical additives on humans and bees has been well documented. In one example excessive use of pesticides in pear orchards wiped out entire bee populations in parts of Sichuan Province where they now must pollinate by hand (we ain't that good at it).
Farm workers in Sichuan, China pollinating pear and apple trees by hand
Chinese beekeepers are known to use antibiotics (to treat bee diseases) banned in most developed countries because of health concerns. One of these anti-biotics is chloramphenicol which is the drug of choice in third world countries because it is cheap and easy to manufacture. Chloramphenicol is known to cause aplastic anmenia, bone marrow suppression and childhood leukimia. These antibiotics used by the Chinese beekeepers seep into the honey and contaminate it. Heavy metals, probably from lead containers used to store the honey have been found in tested Chinese honey. To mask the acrid smell and taste of this contaminated honey they mix in sugar, corn syrup, rice syrup or malt sweeteners.
In 2001 the U.S. Commerce Department imposed a $1.20/lb anti-dumping tariff on imported Chinese honey because American beekeepers were being forced out of business by cheap, heavily subsidized Chinese honey. The Chinese honey was selling for 25 cents/lb while North American beekeepers needed $1.50/lb to break even. To counteract this Chinese honey producers began using ultra-filtering methods to conceal the origin of their honey. Prior to this ultra-filtering was not used by the world's honey manufacturers. Ultra-filtering is a high tech process where the honey is heated, sometimes dilluted and forced at high pressure through micro filters to remove microscopic particles including pollen which is the only way of identifying the origin of the honey.
Bee pollen has been used by many cultures including the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks for it's health benefits and therapeutic properties. Bee pollen has a higher density of protein than any animal source and is a concentrated source of b vitamin complex (provides energy). It also contains vitamins A,C,D,E,selenium,lecithin and powerful phytochemicals (carotenoids and bioflavonoids) making it a potent antioxidant (important in cancer prevention). Chinese medicine has recognized bee pollen benefits for thousands of years.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says any product so ultra-filtered to not contain pollen is not honey. The World Health Organization, European Commission and other health organizations state the only way to determine the legitimate and safe source of honey is through the pollen. More than 75% of honey sold in stores in North America was found to have no pollen meaning it was ultra-filtered. The only reason to ultra-filter honey is to hide it's origin.
This ultra-filtered honey is laundered through other Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and now the country of choice, India.
Chinese laundered honey sold through India, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand
This is one example of a German company laundering cheap Chinese honey
through other countries. The company imported millions of pounds of
honey by disguising it's origins. To read more about this go to "The Honey Trap" .
A South Dakota beekeepers' battle against honey laundering.
A senior figure in the Australian Honey industry had his car's brakes tampered with and received death threats after exposing Chinese honey laundering to the U.S. through Australia. A number of arrests have been made of honey launderers in the U.S. and Europe with no effect on the supply of laundered honey.
Honey is used in countless processed foods like cereals, granola and cookies and until governments implement honey standards that include unfiltered pollen and testing for contaminants the only safe place to buy honey is from your local beekeeper.
What can you do? Check out "True Source Honey", a good updated information base for ethically and non ethically produced honey (http://www.truesourcehoney.com/take-action/) or better still buy locally. The best policy always is to buy from your local farmer and beekeeper.
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