Few expression from last workshop at Naliboki Forest. Of course full relation would be published later on, but few information is worth sheering separately – the tree-beekeeping strategy in swampy forest’s of Belarus. Ivan Mulin, our tree-beekeeper from Naliboki forest create and hanged on the tree’s this year about 10 small log hives. Why? This is an old tree-beekeepers strategy still used by some individuals on Belarus. Where 'bortnik’ create 2 kinds of hives, one dedicated for honey, and others for swarms. The smaller one are dedicated for catching swarm’s, the cavity of them is lower than standard logs so they make bee’s swarm more often than usual then fly away and look for a new home.
Preparing swarming hives. Fot Fratrum Mellicidarum
They are localized around territory (outside ring) where normal size log-hives are putted on the trees and tree platforms. Of course we talking about area of several square km, where logs and tree-platform are scatter across the territory. On each platform are localizeted up to 3 logs, then some others standing separately on the tree’s. But how to choose a place for placing an log or platform?
Tree platform with 2 logs settled with bees. Fot. Fratrum Mellicidarum
First of all the tree need to be thick and solid enough, best if it’s have some solid branches on which platform could be supported – minimum 5 m above the ground. But actually most of the platform constructed so far in Naliboki Forest by our brother are on 8 up to 10 meters. But before we would start constructing the platform or pick the tree for putting the log hive on it we first put on such places small carton box warped with foil with few frames with wax in it – the temporally swarm catching boxes. If in one year the box would be settled with bees then on such tree we put a log on constructing platform there.
Swarm catching box. Fot, Fratrum Mellicidarum
Log hives then need to be transported to the place where we would mount them on the tree and theres only 2 way’s of doing that: one is simply to carry them on Your back wchih we do if more people are coming to the „chutor” for example to learn tree-beekeeping during our workshop. Or drive them with sledge during the winter, when swamps are frozen and cover with snow.
Caring the log hive to selected tree on the swamp’s of Naliboki Forest. Fot. Fratrum Mellicidarum
We believe that best is to learn is thru practice and best vacation is thru work together. So feel invited for our next workshop there in April 2018 !
Zrealizowano w ramach stypendium Ministra Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego.