Harvesting honey from giant honey bees in the Philippines

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Julian Aldous Willis
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1 Publicado en TECA ( Harvesting honey from giant honey bees in the Philippines RESUMEN: Harvesting honey from colonies of giant honey bees, Apis breviligula and Apis dorsata can be a profitable village enterprise. Smoke is used to drive away the bees from their nest. The honey comb is cut and separated from the pollen and brood. The comb is processed in a honey house to limit contamination. Dehumidification is done when necessary to lower the moisture content to at least 23%. Extracted and dehumidified honey is bottled in glass jars. PALABRAS CLAVES: Honey collection [1] Honey production [2] honey bees [3] CATEGORÍA: Ganadería [4] PAÍSES: Philippines DESCRIPCIÓN: There are two known species of giant honey bees in the Philippines. Apis dorsata, is found in the island of Palawan and Apis breviligula is found in the rest of the country. Nests of giant bees abound in forested areas. Giant bees produce kilos of honey per colony which is a source of income of farmers in the community. To conserve giant bees and produce quality products, a honey collection program was developed for each community. The program limits the harvest time from March to May during the dry season when most of the plants produces lots of flowers and nectar. The colonies are mapped by individual gatherers and trees with colonies are marked to allow identification of ownership. Gatherers adhere to guidelines set by the community pertaining to time of harvest, ownership of the nest and proper harvesting procedure.. Preparation At the onset of honey flow season, the colonies are checked for honey. The honey store is located at the upper front part of the nest. Thickening and extension of this area is a sign that nectar is being collected and stored. When three fourths of the honey comb is already sealed, the honey is ready for harvesting. A smoker is made by bundling dry and fresh plant material. The dry leaves and twigs are bundled tightly and fresh leaves are wrapped around until a cigar-like shape is formed. The material is held by vines or twine. Several of these smokers are made. Two of them should be small enough to be carried by the gatherer who climbs up the tree.

[5] A clean, food grade bucket or basket lined with banana leaves is used as receptacle of honey, A rope is attached to the handle of the bucket or basket and lifted up within the reach of the

2 [5] A clean, food grade bucket or basket lined with banana leaves is used as receptacle of honey, A rope is attached to the handle of the bucket or basket and lifted up within the reach of the gatherer. A separate bag is prepared for the brood and pollen. These are harvested only after the honey is removed. Harvesting honey The smokers are lit prior to climbing the tree. The large smokers are distributed around the tree while the two smaller ones are carried up in the tree and positioned just below the colony to provide a steady stream of smoke. The smoke drives away the bees but leaves the comb intact.

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With the smoke curtain as a cover, the gatherer climbs onto the branch where the nest is attached and positions the bucket under the nest and secures it in place.

4 With the smoke curtain as a cover, the gatherer climbs onto the branch where the nest is attached and positions the bucket under the nest and secures it in place. The honey comb is cut in sections starting from the bottom and is allowed to drop into the plastic bag. During cutting, a 1cm buffer of honey is left between the brood and pollen. This is done to minimize the contamination of the collected honey with pollen. After cutting the plastic is sealed and tucked into the basket. The basket is covered and lowered to the ground afterwards. The pollen is similarly cut and placed in a separate container. Giant bee has only one comb, and it is totally removed during harvesting. The bees migrate to another tree which is usually close to the original nest. This is the reason why techniques for smoking the nest is important, as it will not cause too much bee mortality. Time of harvest also matters, since the broods are minimal during honey flow season. Since collection expeditions last for two weeks, several plastic bags and baskets are carried by the gatherers. The brood is usually consumed by the gatherers After harvesting, dispose the smokers properly. Pile them together and pour adequate water or cover with soil to make sure that it will not cause forest fire. [7]

[9] To extract honey the comb is cut into small pieces and then placed on a straining tray.

5 [8] Transporting and processing the honey Sealed honey and pollen bags are collected in a community center and weighed by the buyer. The gatherer is paid according to gross weight. Honey and pollen are paid separately. Afterwards these are taken to a honey house for processing. [9] To extract honey the comb is cut into small pieces and then placed on a straining tray. The bottom of the tray is usually made from stainless steel wire mesh (1x1 mm). Most of the wax and other debris that may have fallen into the comb during harvest are filtered out. After straining the moisture content is checked using a

$refractometer and the honey is kept in a settling tank for about a week for the remaining debris to separate from the honey.$

6 refractometer and the honey is kept in a settling tank for about a week for the remaining debris to separate from the honey. If the moisture is above 23%, place the honey in a food grade tank with wide mouth. Leave the tank open and place it in a clean room with a dehumidifying machine. It takes 8 to 12 hours to reduce the moisture content of honey. Let the honey stand for at least two days to allow it to settle before bottling. It is advisable to pasteurize the honey to inhibit the activity of yeasts that cause fermentation. To pasteurize, place the honey bottle in a saucepan with water and heat to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. ( [10]). While pasteurization inhibits the growth of molds and yeast, the increase in temperature may denaturize enzymes in honey. Extreme heat may also cause the honey to caramelize. Store the honey in a dry cool place away from the sun to lengthen its shelf-life. Exposure to sunlight causes photo-oxidation resulting in the discoloration (darkening) of honey. [11]

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[14] MÁS INFORMACIÓN: CERVANCIA, C.R. A.C. FAJARDO, A.C. MANILA-FAJARDO and R.M. LUCERO. 2012. Management of Philippine Bees: Stingless Bees and Honey Bees. With Bibliography of Philippine Bees.

9 [14] MÁS INFORMACIÓN: CERVANCIA, C.R. A.C. FAJARDO, A.C. MANILA-FAJARDO and R.M. LUCERO Management of Philippine Bees: Stingless Bees and Honey Bees. With Bibliography of Philippine Bees. University of the Philippies Los Banos. ISBN pp. FUENTE: The University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) [15] País: Philippines URL de origen: Enlaces: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

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HONEY. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

HONEY. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations HONEY Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations HONEY 1.- Honey General Information Honey has a fluid, crystallized (total or partially) consistence. Present a high viscosity and density