Safeguard Bees and Beekeepers in Madagascar

It’s October, which means it will soon be honey-harvesting time in Anosy. Our two local beekeeping technicians, Pierros and Fidson, have been supporting 31 beekeepers across 6 communities - Tsagnoriha, Vatambe, Manarall, Beandry, Mahialambo, and Sainte Luce - through monthly monitoring visits ensuring the hives are clean, populated, and healthy. Pierros and Fidson are beekeepers who were involved in the previous phase of Project Renitantely selected as technicians due to their high levels of skill and experience. Pierros and Fidson support their fellow beekeepers with hive maintenance and repairs, populating the hives to expand the apiaries, pest management, and overall training for the beekeepers. For instance, June beekeepers were taught how to test the water content in the honey and how to make sugar water to feed the bees.

Each month the hives are cleared of any pests or insects (such as the varroa mites) that might damage the bees’ hard work, in order to keep the hives healthy. If you look closely at the photo, you might be able to spot a butterfly that invaded the hive! The team makes sure to remove the pests and works to prevent any other intruders from entering the hives. This allows Project Renitantely to be ready for the harvesting season and I look forward to updating you on the outcome.

Whilst the yield of honey depends on the condition of the bee colonies, the health of the colonies depend upon the amount of forage (food) for the bees; a vital aspect of the beekeeping process. Unfortunately however, , forage is currently being threatened by slash and burn agricultural practices, as well as some of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. This results in a severe lack in diversity and abundance of forage, leading to a decline of wild honeybees, making their capture and repopulation even more difficult.

To address this lack of forage, in April 2022, SEED introduced five varieties of vegetable seeds and fruit tree seeds, distributing these to the beekeepers as part of a supplementation strategy. This strategy promotes both short- and long-term forage for the bees, whilst also providing secondary benefits to households through the production of food and nutritional value. Amongst some of the fruits and vegetables introduced, including lychee, courgette, aubergine, and orange, the Moringa plant is fast-growing, almost entirely edible and is extremely nutritious due to its high levels of vitamins and protein. Thus, our approach is two-fold in its benefits, being beneficial to both the health of the bees and those around them.

A healthy relationship between bees and humans is not only essential for the wellbeing of the people, but also for the environment and livelihoods of those living in rural Madagascar.