Source of goodness: Raymond Sim showing where honey is stored in the hive of stingless bees at his farm in Penang. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
WHEN you hear a buzzing sound, you usually cower in fear of being stung by a bee.
But bees play a vital role in the ecosystem, especially in pollination of crops, besides being a source of food in the form of honey.
They are, in fact, a vital part of our food chain.
Raymond Sim, 50, who runs several stingless bee farms in Penang, said people did not realise the importance of bees to the environment.
“Without bees, 70% of plants will go extinct.
“Stingless bees, especially, play a big role as they are smaller and can move further, pollinating more places.
“These bees thrive in temperatures of between 26°C and 30°C outside, and 23°C inside the hive, which is why they can only be found in places with a tropical climate like Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries.
“Some species can also be found in South America,” he said when met at his farm in Sungai Ara, Bayan Lepas.
Currently, there are more than 50,000 commercially farmed beehives throughout Malaysia, of which 6,000 are stingless beehives.
The largest ones are located in Sarawak and Kelantan.
Sim showing the remodified logs with lids that are now home to stingless bees on his farm. — Photos: LIM BENG TAT/The Star
Sim’s farm in Penang has about 20 types of stingless bees, the most common being terminata species (Lepidotrigona terminata) as well as the itama (Heterotrigona itama), which is medium-sized.
In Malaysia, stingless bees are known as kelulut bees.
“There are 180 species of bees which have been identified in the country.
“Some are difficult to find and when we come across such hives, we should not disturb them as they cannot survive in any other place,” said Sim.
He said a stingless bee’s lifespan was only 45 days.
“People do not realise that having these hives adds to your plant yield as pollination can enhance your crop by more than 20%
“This is why I encourage farmers to have bees.
“They need not do anything except provide space; it is a win-win situation for all,” he added.
Sim, who has been in the industry for eight years, said he set up logs with a box-like top and lid to maintain the perfect temperature for bees to thrive.
“They are specially designed to make the honey stores accessible without damaging the rest of the nest structure,” he explained.
Seeking fruit farmers’ help
According to data provided by the Agriculture Department in 2017, the total kelulut honey production in Malaysia stood at 134,244kg and generated total sales of RM19.3mil.
But the government believes the industry has the potential to reap RM3.03bil in annual sales if the lucrative business is further developed.
To facilitate this, the National Kelulut Honey Industry Plan 2020-2030 was launched in November 2019 by then Agriculture and Agro-based Industry minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub to introduce kelulut beekeeping as a new source of sustainable income.
A hive of stingless bees.
The former minister said the plan was expected to assist farmers in Malaysia to rake in high income by looking at the world market.
In Penang, the state Agriculture Department director Mohd Muhaimin Ibrahim said there used to be more stingless bee farms here but the number has reduced because of the drought experienced in 2018 and 2019.
“It has been an ongoing project for us to have more farmers cultivating stingless bees.
“We are trying to find farmers who have fruit farms and encourage them to have stingless bees as it is good for pollination, especially durian or coconut farms.
“If they are interested, they can visit the department’s office in their district to apply,” he told StarMetro.
Mohd Muhaimin said the department wanted to increase the population of the bees and the farmers’ income as well as raise the production of honey here.
Although there was currently no campaign to bring more farmers on board, he said the department hoped to encourage farmers in Penang to provide space for these stingless bees on their farms.
“Once they submit their application, we will survey their area to ensure that it is viable for the bees and then we will teach them how to rare the bees,” he elaborated.
Special type of honey
Sim is undoubtedly a big believer in the potential of the stingless bees and does his best to create an ideal environment for them to thrive.
He does not overcrowd his farm with hives, to ensure that there are enough resources for the bees.
“I have around 7.2ha of land, with only 30 to 40 hives per 0.4ha.
“These stingless bees usually set up their hives in holes or branches.
“They do not build their own hives but use the inside of a tree as support.
“It does not matter what tree it is as long as the surrounding area offers them what they need.
“At my farm, I have many fruit trees like durian, cempedak and mangosteen as well as herb plants.
“This results in the honey tasting different each time. Right now, the honey will taste like durian since it is the durian season,” he highlighted.
Sim said stingless bee honey was special because it was fermented honey.
“This honey only has 2% sugar because it is fermented for three months, while normal honey has around 26% to 35% sugar content.
“We leave the honey for around three months for it to naturally ferment in the hive before extracting it using a small suction vacuum, he said, elaborating that people who consumed it for health purpose would take one spoon (20g) of stingless bee honey in the morning on empty stomach and wait 10 minutes before eating food.
Sim said his farm extracted honey every 100 days and would not take all of it from the hives.
“We alternate between sides, meaning if we take honey from the left side of the hive now, we will take honey from the right side in three months.
“This is to ensure the bees have their source of food,” he said.
According to him, the honey harvested is raw and every batch is sent to a laboratory to be tested.
He revealed that were over 10,000 bees in each of the hive on his farm.
“It depends on the size of the space inside the log. If it is narrow, there will be fewer bees.
“It depends as well on the strength of the queen bee. If they do not have enough space, the hive will split into two.
“So we have spare logs in case they need a new home.
“There is more food during the durian season, and the bees will multiply.
“When the weather is dry, they will stop as they do not have enough resources,” said Sim.
“I do not use chemicals on my land, to ensure that it is a conducive and safe environment for the bees,” he claimed.
He also hoped to create awareness among the public about the importance of bees and safeguarding them.
Bees under threatIn a related matter, Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has called for the protection of bees by banning the use of neonicotinoids, which is a pesticide that poses a danger to the insect.
Subbarow says pesticide use has led to a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder among bees.
Its education officer NV Subbarow said the rapid extinction of species was the result of human activity.
“Widespread use of pesticides, loss of biodiversity, presence of pests and monoculture pose a threat to bees around the world.
“Neonicotinoids, the most widely used insecticide in the world, are chemically similar to nicotine.
“These insecticides were found in 70% of dead bees tested by Health Canada in 2013,” he said in a statement.
Subbarow said there was a new phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, in which bees would become confused and could not return to their hives.
“There are a number of factors leading to colony collapse disorder, but one major reason is the extensive use of harmful pesticides.
“Commonly used pesticides attack the nervous system of bees, making it difficult for them to find their way back to their hives,” he added.
Subbarow also pointed out the importance of bees for the survival of other species.
“Many animals depend on bees for their survival because their food sources, including nuts, berries, seeds and fruits, rely on insect pollination.
“The disappearance of pollinators will have a great impact on the health and viability of commercial crops and native plants,” he emphasised.
