Introduction to Beekeeping

Vietnam is currently the 6th largest exporter of honey in the world, with the top position in honey production among all countries exporting honey to the United States. The potential for beekeeping and honey production in our country still offers many development opportunities and is continually expanding.

The beekeeping industry for honey production is currently showing significant potential for development in our country

Beekeeping for honey production in Vietnam is a profitable venture with high economic returns, especially considering that 90-95% of the products generated by honeybees, such as honey, pollen, beeswax, royal jelly, etc., can be widely utilized and processed. Beekeeping requires a relatively low initial investment and does not demand excessive labor.

With the potential for high economic returns, many households in Vietnam have invested in and expanded beekeeping operations, focusing on the production and business of various bee products and services. As technology advances, the industry is becoming more sustainable, with improved equipment and methods to enhance the quality and security of honeybees.

Honey bee farming process

While in the past, people could only collect honey from the wild by venturing into the forest, nowadays, thanks to the advancement of science and technology, there are numerous highly effective methods for beekeeping and honey production. However, the standardized process for honeybee farming generally includes the following steps:

Step 1: Constructing beehives

• Build beehives using hollow wooden logs. Beekeepers need to choose logs with a small hollow in the middle to make the cavity spacious.
• The typical dimensions for a beehive are as follows: length ranging from 80 to 100 cm, thickness of 3 to 4 cm, and an average diameter of 30 to 40 cm.
• Both ends of the beehive are sealed with circularly carved wooden planks, fitting snugly with the hive's openings. Beekeepers will then apply buffalo dung to seal the gaps between the planks and the beehive, making sure they are airtight (buffalo dung is used as it adheres well, dries quickly without cracking, and has no odor when dried).
• The entrance to the beehive is ideally placed in the middle (it is recommended to choose logs with a natural crevice in the center to create a natural entrance and exit for the bees).
• The entry and exit holes should be just large enough to allow one bee at a time to pass through, to prevent other animals or insects from intruding and disrupting the hive, which may lead to the loss of honeybees and the queen.
• The ideal location for placing a beehive is in a dry area with plenty of sunlight, and the hive should be elevated above the ground by 50 cm on a stand with a roof to provide shelter for the hive.

Building a beehive for honeybees requires ensuring safety and adequate ventilation while providing a conducive environment for bee development.

Step 2: Selecting honeybee strains

• To avoid diseases and increase honey production, beekeepers should choose healthy and purebred honeybees. Typically, beekeepers prefer bees with rich yellow color and avoid those that are predominantly black since the latter tend to produce less honey.
• When encountering a honeybee colony, the beekeeper will capture the queen bee and pierce her wings with a needle. However, it is essential not to clip the queen's wings, as they will regrow, and the queen will lead the swarm away. If the queen's legs are tied, she will die. Afterward, the beekeeper places the queen in the prepared beehive, and the honeybee colony will start building its comb and producing honey inside the hive.

Step 3: Caring for the honeybee colony

• Note: When keeping bees, it's essential to prevent ants and other insects from entering the beehive. This can be done by smearing grease or oil on the bottom legs of the beehive stand or placing the beehive legs in water-filled containers.
• Beekeepers should regularly monitor and inspect the colony, driving away any bees or larger insects that might pose a threat to the colony's safety, causing the bees to leave the hive.
• Regularly monitor the bees during their coming and check the amount of pollen collected on the two hind legs. This information will help to adjust their route. When bees enter the hive without carrying pollen, it indicates that the honeycombs are full and ready for harvesting.

Step 4: Harvesting honey

Harvesting ripe honeycombs will result in the highest quality and optimal honey production

• It is best to harvest ripe honeycombs since the honey at this stage has the highest quality and the most abundant nectar. March is an ideal time for honey harvesting because the honey is dense and has the most delightful aroma.
• The harvesting process involves gently tilting the hive and using a knife to scrape off the bees from the combs. Then, the beekeeper collects the honey in its most abundant form.
• It is crucial to leave some honey in the hive as if all the honey is harvested, the bees will leave the hive and never return. They will search for a new location to build a new hive.
• After harvesting the honey, the beekeeper should clean the beehive thoroughly and seal the entrance and exit holes as before.

• To obtain the most delicious and long-lasting honey, during the honey extraction process, beekeepers should remove the portion containing immature bees and the honeycomb that has a deep yellow color and is firm with no sweet taste but rather a slightly sour taste (bee wine). If this portion is extracted, the honey will not be as delicious.

Beekeeping techniques for honey

Beekeeping for honey production is not a simple task; it requires beekeepers to have extensive experience in caring for, preventing diseases, and treating illnesses in bee colonies to ensure the honeybees are healthy and produce honey of the highest quality.

Structure of a Honeybee Colony

A honeybee colony consists of three main types of bees: Queen bee, Drone bees, and Worker bees.

Honeybees typically live in colonies, which consist of three main types of bees.

• Queen bee: This is the largest bee in the colony, and typically, each colony has only one queen bee. The queen bee is the only bee capable of reproduction and plays a vital role in regulating the activities of the colony.
• Drone bees: Their sole purpose in the colony is to mate with the queen bee. Drones usually live for about 50 to 60 days. After mating with the queen, the drones are expelled or may die due to a lack of food.
• Worker bees: These bees form the majority of the colony. They have underdeveloped reproductive organs and are responsible for tasks such as caring for the brood, collecting nectar and pollen, and building the honeycomb. Worker bees typically live for 5 to 8 weeks. Some worker bees also serve as scouts, exploring and locating sources of nectar and pollen to communicate with other worker bees and guide them to the food source.

Necessary temperature and humidity for optimal honeybee development

Temperature and humidity are two critical factors that directly influence the reproduction of the queen bee and the honey-making process of worker bees.

• Temperature: Honeybees maintain the temperature inside the hive at around 35°C (95°F).
• Humidity: The ideal humidity level inside the hive is approximately 95%.

Supplemental Feeding Methods for Honeybee Colonies

Methods to supplement food for bee colonies

During periods when nectar sources are scarce (non-flowering seasons), beekeepers need to supplement the food supply for the honeybee colonies to prevent them from starving, weakening, or perishing completely. There are two common methods for supplemental feeding:

Providing forest honey

During rainy seasons or in regions with limited nectar sources for bees to collect, beekeepers can supplement the food by offering sugar syrup.

The sugar syrup is made by mixing 1 kg of sugar with 0.8 kg of water and placed in feeding troughs above the hive, allowing the bees to climb up and access the food. The best time to provide this supplemental feeding is in the evening.

Artificial Pollen Patty

Artificial Pollen Patty: Beekeepers can create an artificial dry pollen mix. The ingredients include dried pollen (10 kg), roasted and ground soybeans (10 kg), and additional supplementary vitamins (0.4 kg).

All the ingredients are mixed with honey, adding just enough water to create a honey-pollen mixture similar to bread dough (neither too dry nor too sticky). The mixture is placed above the hive in a large lump resembling the size of a rice bowl, and the bees gradually feed on it.

Treating common bee diseases

Timely treatment of bee diseases is essential to protect the colony from population decline.

A common disease in honeybees in our country's beekeeping regions is larval foulbrood. There are two main causes of this disease: bacteria and food. Depending on the cause of the disease, specific treatment methods are as follows:

1. American Foulbrood Disease

The main cause is that beekeepers use low-quality sugar or pollen sources contaminated with substances or bacteria that cause larval foulbrood.

When it becomes foul, the bee larvae will flatten and decompose. In cases where the bee colony is affected by this disease, beekeepers need to change the type of food for the bees or add essential vitamins to the sugar mixture for the honeybees to consume.

2. European Foulbrood Disease

When beekeepers observe bee larvae sinking or notice worker bees in the hive removing affected larvae after 4 days, these are signs of foulbrood caused by bacteria.

In such cases, beekeepers should isolate the infected colony. When a colony is detected with this disease, it should be isolated away from the bee yard, and antibiotics should be used to treat the bees. Only after the colony has fully recovered from the disease should it be reintroduced to the bee yard. One drawback of this method is that honey cannot be used during the treatment with antibiotics.

Another method to treat the bees in this situation without using antibiotics is to confine the queen bee to a cage. Beekeepers should keep the queen bee confined until all eggs, larvae, and pupae affected by foulbrood have been removed. After releasing the queen bee and reducing the number of worker bees (following the principle that healthy honeybee colonies can overcome the disease), the colony should recover.

Selecting an Ideal Beekeeping Location

Selecting an ideal beekeeping resource area plays a crucial role.

Choosing the right location for beekeeping plays a crucial role in maximizing honeybee growth and honey production. When selecting a beekeeping location, several criteria need to be considered:

• Suitable hive placement: Survey the location thoroughly before setting up the beekeeping site. It should be appropriate for the beekeeping region and ensure the safety of people around the area. The site should be free from any bee-related diseases for at least six months before setting up the apiary.
• Avoiding proximity to sugar or candy factories: Bees may visit such locations for food, reducing honey production and quality.
• Convenient transportation and distance from other beekeeping sites: ISOlated locations, away from noise and disturbances, such as industrial areas, offices, livestock processing facilities, schools, hospitals, etc., are preferable. Ensure proper distance from drainage systems for waste water as per local regulations.
• The beekeeping site should be located near a clean water source, have ample shade, and be far away from areas with household and industrial waste pollution or places where pesticides are sprayed or stored. Ensuring maximum safety for the honeybee colonies by preventing damage or attacks from other animals and minimizing the risk of fire or flood hazards.
• The beehives should be placed close to natural sources of nectar and pollen, where pesticides are not used. The area should be free from bee diseases and have minimal or no presence of wild bees or harmful wildlife.

In addition to choosing a region with suitable criteria for beekeeping as mentioned earlier, you also need to pay attention to some technical aspects of placing beehives as follows:

• The beehive should be placed in a well-ventilated area, allowing for easy division of the colony. The hive should be designed to minimize accidental entry by bees from other colonies. It can be arranged in rows or around the base of trees.
• The entrance of the beehive should face different directions. During summer, avoid west-facing entrances, while during winter, avoid north-facing entrances. The front of the beehive should be clear and unobstructed.
• Each beehive should have a distinct external surface, easily distinguishable by using different colored paints (black, white, brown, or blue). This helps bees recognize their hives and prevents confusion between hives with the same location and orientation.

Based on the criteria mentioned above, it is evident that the location for placing beehives must be thoroughly surveyed before establishing the apiary. It should be suitable for beekeeping and safe for the surrounding community, ensuring that there have been no bee-related diseases in the area for approximately 6 months before starting the apiary.

Which type of honey is the best now?

Each type of honey has its own distinctive flavor, depending on the characteristics of the flowers from which the bees collect nectar. Currently, some of the most popular types of honey that you can consider include:

Each type of honey will have distinct and unique flavors

• Forest honey: Harvested naturally when bees forage in the forest from various trees, resulting in a golden or amber color. It has a sweet and mildly aromatic taste, with herbal notes varying based on the region. Good sources of this honey are Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Quang Nam, and specific areas like Kon Ka Kinh, Măng Đen, Nam Trà My, and Đawk Glei.
• Mint honey: Highly regarded honey from Mèo Vạc, Hà Giang. It offers a refreshing, sweet taste, providing a delightful and invigorating experience. The distinct color ranges from golden amber to emerald green, and it boasts excellent antioxidant properties, promoting numerous health benefits.
• Coffee blossom honey: Obtained mainly from Gia Lai, from the flowers of Arabica coffee plants. This honey has a naturally sweet and slightly acidic taste, with a color ranging from reddish-brown to amber, and it can be preserved for up to 3 years.
• Lychee and Jackfruit honey: These honey varieties are highly valued due to their good quality and characteristic fragrances, derived from lychee and jackfruit flowers, respectively. They have a pleasant sweet taste, and a bright yellow color, and are widely available and affordable.

For each type of geographical region, it will produce a distinctive and delicious pure honey product. However, besides choosing honey based on the geographical region, you also need to pay attention to selecting honey products that have been partially processed, and filtered to ensure purity, aroma, and safety for the health of all consumers.