Apart from being known as master pollinators, producer of honey and wax and just probably the most best known winged insect around, bees could just may bee the most important creature human civilisation depends on. Their environmental importance is unmatched, their economic value to humans is understated, their uses as cartoon characters are legendary (think of Maya, Spike, Barry B and others) and if you dig a little deeper into historical texts and books, you will find their cultural and historical importance in human civilisation as well.
Seychelles is no different. As a group of islands colonised and first inhabited in the 18th Century onwards, some of the earliest recorded uses of bees by humans on the islands was by the order of the French Governor of Seychelles at the time Queau de Quinssy in the 19th Century. Beekeeping, among new flora and fauna introduced as well, was a tradition enjoyed by the French and thus they wanted to replicate their practices on the islands. The second recorded group and an interesting group of beekeepers at that was by catholic churches. Why would the early churches of Seychelles bee needing bees for? It was not necessarily for the honey, but for the value was in the beeswax.They are great for candle making. Just a quick online search, and you will find that bees wax are denser than other waxes and thus burn at a slower pace. It makes a lot of sense, ideal for heavy users of candles like churches. Frère (Brother) Victor from La Misère is still known as the most famous beekeeper in Seychelles history.
Developments in the local beekeeper community
Sourcing information for this article, we got great insights from beekeeper and all round knowledgeable local geologist Patrick Samson; also the vice-chair of the beekeeper association. Many of his observations and experiences over the years are covered in different parts of this article. Thus these bee keeping traditions started by the French continued over the next two hundred years, albeit by a few people and households on the islands. It never became a mainstream activity to the Seychellois population, but for the few, and still today bee keeping is done by bee enthusiasts as a hobby or to supplement other economic activities. It is not on the commercial beekeeping level yet; many feel it has the potential to get to, or is that about to change? We will explore that in the Part Two of the article.
Varroa mites
A feared and extremely dangerous creature in the bee world was the one that actually got the local beekeepers to come together as a committee to look at the regional situation concerning Varroa mites. Contact was made and initiated by local beekeeper and beekeeper association chairman Arthur Toule-Thilatier with La Reunion Island beekeepers about the swift destruction of the bee industry on their island, how it was affecting their bees and their honey season. From their observations in Seychelles, they identified quickly that the mite was not there yet. The local committee felt the need to do knowledge sharing, train local beekeepers and bring awareness to the government of the arrival of the mites in the other regional islands in our South West Indian Ocean region.
Till today Seychelles is one of the few places around that is still Varroa mite free. This is an achievement in itself; government intuitions reacted to the situation and put in place mitigating measures that is keeping the mite away so far. For an archipelago of 115 islands spread across 1.3 million km2, that imports about 95% of its good and services, including agricultural and food products, to still be Varroa mite free takes considerable efforts and monitoring.
Forming of an association in 2018
By 2018, Seychelles got its very own Beekeepers Association. They have 32 registered beekeepers. Mr Samson believes there are on estimation, over 70 beekeepers in the country. Majority of them own one or two hives at most within the members. Just a few have dozens of hives on record.
Beekeeping in Seychelles is not considered as an agricultural activity as of yet. Because of that, over the years there has been minimal effort to promote beekeeping as an economic activity and value. Its small scale nature and lack of general understanding of the ins and outs of bees and its produces from its hard work, its general value to the ecosystem and food production is still understated. Things are changing on the islands however, starting with the formation of an association that has been a catalyst now in the new frontier we can say in the local bee industry.
As a young association, they have already applied and received a UNDP small grants programme grant that will go towards the purchase of various types of equipment and more capacity building to the beekeepers. Part of the grant is also on research on bees and their patterns, types of flowers they tend to gravitate to and also to bring an awareness campaign on the use of pesticides in Seychelles and its effects on bees.
Beekeepers on the islands are now also evolving with the times and modern beekeeper practices are being observed more frequently. There is this transition in moving towards modern frames with wax foundation, centrifuges among other innovative practices done by beekeepers around the world.
The local bee seasons
Two flowering seasons are observed in Seychelles. Related to the change in seasons and around the equinox time, from the end of the wet season to transition to the dry season, in April to end of May, you get a short flowering season and then the longer flowering season in September to January when the transition from dry to wet season is observed usually in September to October.
Outside the two flowering season months, with no pollination happening, so we got thinking, what are the bees doing then? Are they living up to their busy bee rep during that time of year?
Busy still, but at a much slower rate. Being one of the cleanest creatures on earth, they will go about keeping the hive clean, surviving on the stored food they made from the labour of their hard work during flowering season. The queen will be also be producing less larvae, so general activity goes at a slower pace in the hive during that time.
Bee population, food production and the environment
More bees, means more pollination, more queens, more hives, more honey produced, the better for beekeepers and farmers. Seychelles with its hilly granitic islands where most of the human population is based on, bees has been observed to forage on fruits and vegetables flowers from low altitude areas to high altitude areas. Their role in pollination is a plus to farmers. Wild bees are still very prevalent and by the abundance of the bee population in the wild colonies in caves, rocks, trees, it can be said that the Seychelles bee population is a very healthy one.
So are they master pollinator or destroyer of endemic pollinators?
It will depend on who you ask. Award for pollinator extraordinaire have to go to bees. They are aggressive pollinators and they are very good at that. It does mean, they are competing with local endemic pollinators as well. Bees have been observed to forage well on Albizia trees flowers, on cinnamon trees, and both are known as the very large invasive species of Seychelles. In this way bees are helping in the propagation of these invasive species.
Are they limiting the endemics abilities to propagate as well as the invasive ones? What role bees play in that cycle? Further scientific research and observations are also needed on the pollination of endemic species of plants that Seychelles is known for.
Part Two of this article, will introduce the genealogy of the local bees, scientific research published about the bees of Seychelles; the major role Seychelles Bureau of Standard (SBS) will play in conformity tests being conducted on bees and its honey quality and bringing international standard to the country in the honey sector We will also have a part on the economic potential of Seychelles honey and mechanism and developments Seychelles is working on towards making this delicious local honey known worldwide.
Bee engaged, give a bee thought for the bees today.
Happy World Bee Day!
Source: Seychelles Nation
