How to start beekeeping for free!

Beekeeping has recently become popular again, having been in decline for more than half a
century.

Honeybees have been in the news for all the wrong reasons: collapsing colonies, pesticide
poisoning and parasitic mites - and all this bad news seems to have triggered a desire in people
to want to help and nurture this vitally-important insect that - despite all our scientific advances -
we still do not fully understand.

Ever since I can remember, beekeepers have been regarded by the media as harmless,
doddery old men (mostly), who do strange things with wooden boxes full of bees, while dressed
in sartorially suspect garb. However, this image is beginning to change, with more and more
women and younger people being attracted to the idea of learning this ancient craft and a new
urgency in the air about preserving our bees - both 'kept' and wild - for their important role as
pollinators, as well as for their own sake.

Download the FREE plans - How To Build a Top Bar Hive

When people first consider keeping bees, their most likely first port of call is their local Bee
Keepers Association. Here they will almost always find a friendly welcome and a great deal of
technical chat among the 'old hands', most of which will sound like a foreign language at first.
When the jargon is translated, it turns out that one will be required to part with a not
inconsiderable sum of money in order to buy one's ticket into this arcane world: the glossy
catalogues full of shiny, stainless steel are beguiling, but the accompanying price lists can come
as quite a shock.

Did this put you off beekeeping?

Don't let it! It is perfectly possible to become a beekeeper - a good beekeeper - without blowing
a good chunk of one's hard-earned savings. In fact, as I shall show you, you can even do it
virtually for free!

The next hurdle to confront the would-bee keeper is the hefty weights you are expected to lift
and carry. Using conventional equipment, you need to be able to lift at least 50 pounds (about
25 kilos) dead weight from ground level - not something to try if you are lightly built and not used
to lifting in that class.

Again, this does not have to be the case: I will show you how the least fit person can become a
beekeeper. In fact, using my system, you could even work a hive from a wheelchair and never
have to lift more than a kilo or two.

Another obstacle that may kill off the newbee's enthusiasm is that of storage space. Using
conventional hives, you cannot fail to accumulate all kinds of 'extras' - odd-shaped boxes,
frames, roofs, extractors - all kinds of stuff the 'old hands' forgot to mention at that first meeting -
and you will need space to store it. We are talking real garage space, folks. Once more I have
good news: follow my system and you will not need any extra storage space, as everything can
be stored inside the hive itself!
So what does it really take to become a beekeeper?

The essentials are simple enough: some sort of hive, a hat and a veil, an old, white shirt and - to
start with at least - maybe some gloves - and the agreement of the people who share your living
space. It doesn't matter whether you are a town or a country dweller, so long as there is an
abundant and varied supply of flowering plants from early spring onwards. In fact, bees often do
better in well-gardened, urban areas than in the 'green desert' of modern, industrial farm land.

Like many beekeeping novices, I began with a conventional, framed hive - the kind with sloped-
sided outer boxes familiar from children's books. Soon, I acquired a couple more and began to
realize that if I was to continue along this road, I would have to build myself a big shed in which
to house all the spare woodwork and other paraphenalia that was rapidly accumulating - and I
would have to find a way to pay for all the 'extras' I would soon be needing.

Does it really need to be this way?

That innocent question led me on an exploratory mission of reading, study and experimentation
that showed me conclusively that, no it does not need to be that way: beekeeping does not
need to be complicated, expensive or dependent on machine-made parts and equipment.

My search for an alternative approach led me to the top bar hive - one of the oldest and simplest
types of beehive - that requires little skill and few tools to build. A good start on the road to
sustainable simplicity, but is it a practical hive for modern beekeeping?

After some years of experimenting and testing various designs, I now have a top bar hive
design that is easy to build, practical and productive, while being comfortable and easy to use
for both the bees and the beekeeper. It is bee-friendly, because bees are not given any nasty
shocks, like having their roof ripped off - and beekeeper-friendly because you never have to lift
any heavy boxes.

So what are top bar hives?

The principle is simple: a box with sticks across the top, to which bees attach their comb. Mine
have sloping sides and a pair of 'follower boards' to enclose the colony. There are many
variations on this theme and all have the essential guiding principle of simplicity of construction
and management. There are no frames, no queen excluders, no ekes, no mouse guards, no
supers, no foundation and there is no need for extractors, settling tanks, filters, de-capping
knives... in fact no need for any other equipment or storage space, other than that provided
within the hive itself. And if you have just spent an hour leafing through suppliers' catalogues,
wondering how you can possibly afford to keep bees, that will come as some relief!

Building a top bar hive is no more difficult than putting up shelves and can be done using hand
tools and recycled wood. Top bar beekeeping really is 'beekeeping for everyone' - including
people with disabilities, bad backs, or a reluctance to lift boxes: honey is harvested one comb at
a time, rather than by the box. From the bees' point of view, top bar hives offer weatherproof
shelter, the opportunity to build comb to their own design - without the constraints of man-made
wax foundation - and minimal disturbance, thanks to a 'leave well alone' style of management.

Download the FREE plans - How To Build a Top Bar Hive

So where do you get bees from?

You can buy them or catch them, or if you are lucky, they will adopt you! Catching or luring a
swarm is by far the most fun - and much easier than you might think. Bees swarm in response
to their instinct to reproduce - mostly in spring and early summer - and the sight of a swarm in
flight is certainly impressive. However, contrary to popular belief, this is the time when they ar
least likely to sting you: their only concern at that moment is to find a new place to live. So if you
offer them the right sort of accommodation at the right time - such as a pleasant-smelling, cosy
beehive - they are very likely to move in of their own accord. Many people become beekeepers
by enticing a passing swarm using a few drops of citronella or lemon grass oil, or better still,
rubbing the inside of the hive with pure beeswax.

Capturing a swarm is not difficult either - hold a basket or cardboard box under their football-
sized cluster on a tree branch and give a good shake! It is not always as easy as that, but it is
rarely as difficult as getting a cat out of a tree.

Will I get stung?

Most likely you will get stung from time to time, however careful you are. Local swelling, redness
and itching is a normal reaction: faintness, breathing difficulties and collapse are true allergic
symptoms and are potentially life-threatening. Most people who keep bees become less
sensitive to stings over time, but sometimes it goes the other way and occasionally an
experienced beekeeper may suddenly become allergic. So if you have any reason to suppose
you may be sensitive to bee venom (only about one in 200 people are) be sure to carry
Benadryl or an Epipen (adrenaline injection) and ensure that whoever you are with is properly
equipped to deal with an emergency.

Whether you approach it from the point of view of conservation, entomology, crop pollination or
simply a love of honey, beekeeping is an engaging pursuit and a fascinating window on the
natural world.

Bees are in trouble right now - from pesticides, industrial farming, pollution, parasitic mites and
viruses - and we need all the 'natural' beekeepers we can get to build up their numbers and give
them a chance to solve their own problems. So, if you want to keep bees, build yourself a hive
before the swarm season, and you could be tasting your own honey by the end of the summer!

Philip Chandler

I hope to see you on one of our natural beekeeping courses this year!

Make it Yourself
Last Updated on Sunday, 30 September 2012 13:08 | Written by Evert Jan
Robberts | | | Hits: 1475

Making your own?? Bee Hive Construction Info!

Langstroth Hive Plans
 Solar Wax Melter
Top Bar Hives -
Observation Bee Hives
Build a Bee Vacuum
Constructive Beekeeping Book (plus a varroa trap) by Norman Chapman
Alternative Hive Designs (Long Hives, Top Bar Hives

Solar dryer
This solar dryer can be made with simple local material. It is fly proof and heats up the
air temperature 20 degrees difference.
Important is to make it such a way that you create the chimney effect.
Fun to make as well. It can also serve as an wax melter for sure.

Books and Articles

Last Updated on Saturday, 27 April 2013 10:03 | Written by Evert Jan Robberts
| | | Hits: 1389

A list of books and articles about Beekeeping in the Philippines

Varroa-free Apis mellifera Honeybee Experiment in the Philippines
http://www.pia.gov.ph/philtoday/pt02/pt0204.htm BEEKEEPING : A profitable"sweet"
venture by Tina Sardoma-Sales
BEENET PHILIPPINES. Five-Year Development Plan: Progress report. Buzz Philippines.
BEENET PHILIPPINES. BEENET Medium Term Development Plan Matrix. Buzz, Philippines.
August. 4:1e Special Issue.
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. www.da.bas.gov.ph
BUREAU OF EXPORT AND TRADE PROMOTIONS. www.betp.gov.ph
CERVANCIA, C.R. and A.C. FAJARDO JR.. 2004. Status of Bee Research and Development in the
Philippines.
DELIMA, A.S. and E.J. ROBBERTS.
Beekeeping in the Philippines: A Feasibility Study for Small Farmers. Manila, Philippines.
Netherlands Development Organization.
DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY. 2004. Beekeeping Data Per Region.
Paper Submitted to the National Apicultural Task Force.
FAJARDO, A.C. JR. and C.R. CERVANCIA. 2004 The Growth of the Philippine Bee Industry. Buzz
Philippines. August. 4:1e. pp 3 and 17.
LUCERO, R.M.. 2004. Promotion of Beekeeping in Coconut Growing Communities of
the Philippines.
Bees for New Asia. Proceedings of the 7th Asian Apicultural Association Conference. February 24-
27. p.273.
MAGSAYSAY, J.F., R.M. LUCERO, A.C. MANILA-FAJARDO and N.E. TAPAY. 2004.
Economics of Raising Honey Bees in the Philippines. Bees for New Asia.
Proceedings of the 7th Asian Apicultural Association Conference.
MANILA-FAJARDO, A.C, and C.R. CERVANCIA NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE.
NEMENZO, R.E., E.C. LOYOLA, and C.R. CERVANCIA.
Philippines: Country Report. Bees for New Asia. Proceedings of the 7th Asian Apicultural Association
Conference.
PAYAWAL, P.C.. Pollination of Crop Plants and the Beekeeping Option. Philippine Agriculturist. 75 (3
& 4).131-144
PAYAWAL, P.C., A.C. TILDE and A.L. MANIMTIM. 1986.
Year Round Pollen sources of Italian Honey Bees (Apis mellifera Linn.) in the Philippines I. Los
Baos Area.
Philippine Agriculturist 69:217-225. April-June.
PAYAWAL, P.C., A.C. TILDE and A.L. MANIMTIM. 1989. Year Round Pollen Sources of Italian
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera Linn.) in the Philippines II. Metro Manila Area.
Philippine Entomologist.
PAYAWAL, P.C., A.C. TILDE and A.L. MANIMTIM. 1991. Year Round Pollen Sources of Italian
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera Linn.) in the Philippines III. Selected Areas.
Philippine Agriculturist 7
www.sunstar.com.ph/ LACK of government focus into the country's beekeeping industry hinders
the development of what can be regarded as a key to food security and environmental conservation.
www.agnet.org Beekeeping by Small-Scale Farmers in Asia
Beekeepers-want-more-colonies

www.beesfordevelopment.org Transferring colonies of Apis cerana to framehives

www.businessmirror.com. Tilapia honey emerging products in southern mindanao , new initiatives
www.samdhana.org Improving Honey Harvesting in Palawan
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net Guimaras bee farm offers unique experience
MELIPONICULTURE: Beekeeping Technology of the Bicol Regional Apicultural Center
Perspectives for honey production in the tropics. NECTAR. Utrecht, The Netherlands.
( Sommeijer, M., Beetsma, J., Boot, W., Robberts, E.J. & De Vries, R. 1997.)

Funding Possibilities
Last Updated on Sunday, 30 September 2012 13:07 | Written by Evert Jan
Robberts | | | Hits: 1045

LINKS
www.beesfordevelopment.org

Many suggestions and valuable advice.

www.bidnetwork.org/
BiD Network engages thousands of entrepreneurs, experts and investors from all over
the world
to stimulate entrepreneurship and economic growth in emerging markets.

www.agriterra.org/en

In developing countries, many people live and work in rural areas. They can contribute
considerably to eradicate poverty.

Agriterra wants to work with those rural people who are truly dedicated to this by
getting organised. Because together you stand strong.

sgp.undp.org/ Small grants program of SGP

SGP supports projects of non-governmental and community-based organizations in
developing countries demonstrating that community action can maintain the fine
balance between human needs and environmental imperatives.
www.beesabroad.org.uk/ Bees Abroad is a UK-registered charity.

FAO Telefood

Finding funding
A good proposal is the beginning of the road to success in finding funding for your
project. The next step is submitting your proposal to appropriate funding
organisations.

Selecting a funding organisation

Funding organisations are of many types:

Large United Nations backed international organisations for example FAO or
UNDP.
Government aid programmes such as DANIDA (Denmark) or DFID (UK).
Large charities with programmes in many countries including CAFOD and
Christian Aid.
Local non-government organizations (NGOs), charities and trust funds.
Commercial organisations willing to provide sponsorship.
Philanthropic individuals and families.
Which of these organisations you can apply to depends upon your country of
residence, and whether you are applying as an individual or are attached to an NGO, a
government department, an academic institution or another organisation. If you are
attached to an academic institution then check out any grants or trust funds you could
apply for. Sometimes there are obscure trust funds, which receive few requests for
funding, because nobody knows about them! The bursar at your college/university
should know what is available.

Approaching a funding organisation

No funding organisation can be expected to grasp immediately the value or
relevance of every project proposal they receive. Be prepared to explain what you
want to do from first principles.
Make sure that your project proposal lies within the remit of the organisation
you are approaching. Before you submit any proposal you must do thorough
 homework: find out from the secretary of the organisation the type of project they
will assist, their objectives and their policies.
Grant-giving organisations usually have a board of trustees who meet at regular
intervals (every six months, or every year) to decide how the organisation's funds
should be dispensed. For this reason you must be prepared to wait for quite long
periods before you receive a decision. Also you must start seeking funding a year
or 18 months ahead of your proposed starting date.
If for some reason you need funding quickly to overcome a particularly urgent
crisis then mark your application 'Emergency Request' (but only if it really is an
emergency).
Be selective about the organisations you apply to. Do not send your proposal to
every address you can find.
If a funding organisation issues application rules, follow them very carefully.
Provide all the information they require. Answer all their questions. Stick to their
deadlines.
Do not be secretive. Be straightforward about disclosing the names of other
organisations you are approaching, or other funding you have already obtained. It
is quite normal, and indeed expected that you will apply to more than one funding
body.
If you have selected several funding organisations that you think might be
interested in your proposal, then do not send your proposal to all of them
immediately. Try sending it to one or two first. If you proposal is badly worded or
confusing by the time you find out, your chance to improve it will have gone if you
have already sent it to everyone on your list.
Monitoring responses
Read the replies you receive from funding organisations very carefully. Often
they will try to help you to see why your proposal did not meet their criteria.
If they do not tell you, do not be afraid to contact the organisation and ask why
your proposal was rejected.
If your proposal receives a poor response, you must next ask yourself why? Be
self critical: Are your plans unrealistic? Are you asking for too much? Is your
proposal readily understandable? Does your proposal appear truly worthwhile?
Do not be demoralised. If the objectives of your proposal are worthwhile and
realistic, you will find funding eventually.
If you do receive funding, acknowledge this immediately. Keep the donors
informed of the progress of your project and keep in contact with them.
Honeybee for sale:
*Nucs with 4 frames @ Php 5,000
-contains 1 young & good laying queen
-2 frames of food honey/pollen
-2 frames of brood in any stages
-1 bottle bee suppliment
*Standard colony with 5 frames @ Php 8,000
-contains 1 young & good laying queen
-2 frames of food honey/pollen
-3 frames of brood in any stages
-5 empty frames
-5 foundation wax
-1 bottle bee suppliment
For details & information plz contact: 09286659044 (smart) 09335106994 (sun) or visit
www.xanbee.sulit.com.ph

A GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Antonio D. Baconawa

The wise King Solomon said 2,000 years ago, "My son, eat thou honey, because
it is good, and honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste."

Before this the Lord of Israel told Moses to lead the Israelites, then slaves in Egypt, to
a "land flowing with milk and honey."

Only in the middle of 1800s was man able to work with beehives, when Rev. Lorenzo
Langstroth discovered the bee space for Apis mellifera. He invented the Langstroth
hive. Since then, the beekeeping industry has grown by leaps and bounds.

Background
Modern beekeeping (of Apis mellifera) was introduced by the Americans who came to
the country. Based on the records this happened in 1913. But varroa mites, minor
pests of Apis cerana and Apis dorsata (both indigenous honeybees) wreaked havoc on
the hives and apiaries of Apis mellifera (foreign honeybees).

Later, some Filipinos and Filipino-Chinese ventured into beekeeping using foreign
honeybees, but with little success. So, they raised the indigenous species like Apis
cerana, known as laywan (Tagalog) or ligwan (Visayan), closely related to Apis
mellifera. The native species builds multiple combs. In contrast, Apis dorsata builds
single hanging combs. Apis cerana according to records was first framed during the
year 1978. Thanks to the untiring efforts of the late Dr. Roberto Bongabong.

With limited literature about Apis cerana, the local beekeepers used the beekeeping
technology for Apis mellifera, which is bigger than the former.

This method proved detrimental if not destructive to native honeybees, which have
different characteristics and temperament from Apis mellifera.

Native honeybees are very aggressive, prolific swarmers, and abscond easily. They
store little surplus honey (about 1- 10 kilos honey per colony), and have few worker
bees (maximum of 10,000.)

In contrast, Apis mellifera is less aggressive, swarms slowly, stores up surplus honey
20- 100 kilos), and keeps up to 60,000 worker bees in one colony.

The foreign method of harvesting honey is destructive to native species such as Apis
cerana. In this method, the frames containing both honey and brood combs are pulled
and violently shaken to drive off the clinging bees.

Shaking the frames sends the worker bees and sometimes the queen crashing down to
the floor of the hive. The fall injures or impairs the bees. The less injured bees go on a
stinging frenzy and attack even the beekeeper. These stingers usually die minutes later
because the sting and parts of the bee's intestines stick to the victim's skin.

Present Technology

Apis cerana is the first known species of honeybee to be cultured. This is based on a
thousand-year-old mural found in an Indian cave. But, the culture still needs to be
improved today. The technology is similar to that used for Apis mellifera.
The body size and population of Apis cerana differs from that of the Apis mellifera.
Hence, it is imperative that a different technology must be used on Apis cerana.

Apis cerana is hived in boxes with frames similar to those used for Apis mellifera. It
has bee space that measure about 0.5 cm. The bee space used for Apis mellifera is
about 0.95 cm. The frames in the hives for both species are arranged horizontally,
duplicating the combs of wild species.

In a technology developed by this author - Baconawa Apis Cerana Technology

(BACT) - the aggressive behavior of Apis cerana is minized, if not eliminated. It also
cuts down the weekly inspections (the pulling of frames inside the hives.) It hastens
(without destroying the combs) the harvesting of honey, pollen, royal jelly, etc., and
minimizes the building of combs for honey storage. Hence, this technology will
increase the production of honey. Bees consume 10 kilos of honey to produce one kilo
of wax.

When an Apis cerana colony is disturbed, worker bees stop collecting nectar, pollen
and water. Subsequently, the queen stops its egg-laying activities.

A single worker bee produces 1/10 to 1 ml of honey during its lifetime. Thus,
disrupting the colony can lead to low honey, pollen, royal jelly and wax production, to
name a few.

Coconut Plantation: A Haven for Honeybees

More than half of the three million hectares of coconut plantations in the Philippines
are bearing. Coconut trees bear flowers and fruit year-round. For this reason,
honeybees, particularly, Apis cerana tend to build their colonies in coconut
plantations.

The amount of swarming (division of colonies) is pronounced during toddy tapping in

the plantation. Bees are very much attracted to the taste and smell of coconut nectar.

A beekeeper from Tagum, Davao del Norte said a colony of foreign honeybees can
gather 8 - 10 kilos of coconut nectar in one day.

Beekeeping under coconuts can boost the coconut farmer's earning by an average of
Php 100,000 (about $ 2,000) a hectare per year.

In the culture of honeybees in coconut plantation, the spadix (inflorescent) should be

allowed to secrete nectar during the day. Then, this is gathered at night and fed to the
bees in the morning. The coconut nectar that cannot be consumed by the bees may be
processed into native wine (tuba) or vinegar.

Half of the sliced spadix can be opened so it can still produce nuts to be processed
into copra, candies, and other by-products.

Studies made by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) show that half of the length
of coconut spadix can be tapped without significant effect on its production of nuts. A
spadix has thousands of flowerets in it, but only 10 to 15 develop into nuts.

A coconut tree produces an average of 1 liter of coconut nectar, which has 15 percent
sucrose and 5 percent or more of dry matter. It can support the nectar needs of two
strong Apis cerana colonies. A colony of this species has the potential to produce 15 -
30 kilos of honey from a single coconut tree.

Based on this estimate, a coconut farmer can earn an additional income of Php
100,000 a hectare from his honey, pollen, royal jelly and wax.

Honeybee Pollination Increases Crop Yield

Studies conducted locally and abroad show that honeybee pollination increases crop
yield by up to 40 percent. In some plants (like sunflower), seeds are only produced
when the flowers are cross-pollinated.

Cereal crops like corn and plants such as banana, mango, coconut, coffee, cacao,
citrus, peanut, mongo, tomato, eggplant, etc. are favorites of honeybees. A marked
increase in yield can be expected when these plants are pollinated by honeybees.

In the USA and other developed countries, farmers employ honeybees to pollinate
their crops. This is one reason why these countries produce surplus crops for export.

Honey Better Than Refined Sugar

This country has thousands of hectares of sugarcane. But, most sugar farmers are
financially broke because of the low price of sugar in the world market. The culture of
honeybees should be able to alleviate this situation.

It has also been observed that honeybees visit the sugar mills during milling season.
The late Dr. Bongabong, a pioneer in beekeeping once harvested over 10 kilos honey
from a wild Apis cerana during the milling season. The bees nestled near a traditional
sugar mill in Batangas. This yield is unusual for wild honeybees.

Most, if not all commercial beekeepers of Apis cerana in the southern Philippines feed
their bees with refined sugar all year round. They sell comb honey with liquid honey
packed in jars.

Some people think any sweeteners that pass through the digestive system of bees are
considered natural honey. However, beekeepers of imported (Apis mellifera) species
in the Philippines are protesting this method. To them, this kind of honey is artificial
and should be labeled as such.

A hectare of a sugarcane farm can produce 80,000 kilos of sugarcane juice with 10 -
15 percent sucrose. Based on these computations, a beekeeper - sugar farmer may be
able to harvest 2,600 - 4,000 kilos of honey per hectare. At a wholesale price of Php
100 per kilo, he can gross from Php 266,700 - 400,000 per hectare per year.

Marketing of Honeybee Products

At present, honey and other bee products are very expensive in the domestic markets.
Honey sells for as much as Php 350 per kilo; beeswax at Php 500; royal jelly, Php 150
per 10 grams; pollen at Php 2,000 per kilo; Apis mellifera nucleus hive at Php 4,000;
and Apis cerana hive fetches Php 2,500.

Local beekeepers who raise native or imported bees have no problem in marketing
their produce. The demand for honey is still very high.

Usually, only people in the upper levels of society can afford to buy bee products. The
other 30 percent of the population, which needs this nutritious food cannot buy it.

According to statistics, the country has been importing more than a billion dollars-
worth of honey and bee products, from 1989 to the present. This shows a huge
demand for honeybee products in the local market.

Honey is used mainly in the Philippines as a health food. Pharmaceutical companies

utilize it as a base for cough syrups and energy drinks. Pollen and royal jelly are
components of energy pills and capsules. Bee products are also used in beautifying
agents by cosmetics companies.
 Natural and Safe Bee Products

Apis cerana is not seriously affected by varroa mites. Hence, it has no need for pest
control, which can contaminate bee products. With Apis mellifera, acaricides are
needed to control these mites.

At present there is no known disease affecting Apis cerana; so, it has no need for
antibiotics, miticides, nematocides, and the like.

An Endangered Species

Rampant cutting of forests and coconut trees may one day result in the extinction of
the indigenous honeybees. The excessive use of insecticides on farm crops also kill
these bees. Gone are the days when honey hunters could gather honey all year-round
in the forests which once provided them with stable source of income.

The Role of the Government

In the early 1980s, the government embarked on a program to promote beekeeping.

Coordinated by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the drive, known as Pukyutang
Barangay Program, did not flourish. It did not get enough backing from the
government in terms of research and development and credit facilities.

The Role of the Private Sector

The current beekeeping industry in the country owes its success to the private sector,
particularly, bee enthusiasts who carry out their own research and development work.
They have invested a lot of money, effort and blood just to promote the industry.

For comments and inquiries e-mail to the writer at [email protected] or you may
write/visit him at 175 Aries Street, Pangarap Village, Caloocan City, Philippines.