Kuzhovesa Soho
Kohima | December 4
One could gain tremendous knowledge just by observing the activities of bees and ants, which could be utilized for exploring a new era of human lives and no doubt can be added to the latest trend of technologies.
Interacting with this freelance journalist, Venuta S. Venuh, a local bee research expert from Phek Town, maintained bees have an attitude of exposing themselves to become the most reputed families as that of advanced nations if an observer could make a good comparison.
He explained in details about how bees work and sacrifice for the sake of their baby bees. “I having adequate interest started observing the bees, how it performed its duties from its initial stage till a time comes for harvesting, since my youthful days,” he said. Friends call him ‘Bee Doctor’, in other words a man who keeps on doing research in bee keeping with sincere efforts.
Narrating the story of bee keeping with an experience of almost 5 decades, Venuh revealed that March is a month where bees hunt for their home; however, there are lots of chances a mother bee/layer bee will be killed by spiders. Stating that bees are naturally of two types - seasoned and whole time bees, he said, seasoned bees are fierce in nature, hard working, sacrificial, exposing its specialities even at the cost of giving its lives.
Focusing on the lives and nature of King Bee (Pfide) which comes under seasoned bee category, Venuh said, King Bee family is further classed into 2 types. One of them is Chükri bee which has more working specialities, but has shorter lifespan. The Chükri bee usually can be found in the region where there are oak trees. It would soar high in the month of August demonstrating its skills and reaching its zenith and in the meantime enabling its keeper (owner of the bee) to observe a clear flying in the air, however in September, from big to small, all working bees would maintain low flying. Thurikri bee has longer lifespan, but vulnerable in nature during its infant stage. The mother/layer bee of Thurikri unlike Chükri bee do not gave birth until the male bee which stays with her become mature enough.
The working system of a king bee is worth to be observed, Venuh stated, adding that every working bee perform certain assignments. Grouping themselves, some would go in search of feeding products for baby bees - insects, water (honey) tree mole for extending its hive etc, some would clear the ground level of the internal home (these group of bees would do decorative environment by arranging mud pieces outside in a beautiful arrangement etc). Some few would guard their entrance with fierce attitude and make sure that no other bee interferes.
March-April is the season for the mother/layer bees to settle their families, while between last part of August and before September 10 is the best season for harvesting the King bee. However, for the Thurikri bee it can be gainfully harvested even in the month of October till 1st part of November, Venuh added.
The baby bees need a month to become a workable bee, however a working bee has a guaranteed lifespan; it can never live longer than a month. Nevertheless, bees have the nature of fast multiplication of offspring; it immensely increases its family members every new day, said Venuh. He further went on to say that King bees as mentioned earlier having short duration of its lifespan, one should not confuse that all species of King Bee vanish at a time. Though the working bee die earlier, the bee who fasted themselves to become mother/layer bee for the next season live a longer period. It would fast for 3 months from November to January, where it would deliver an infant bee during the last part of January and thereby die out.
When asked whether he finds any way out to take up a nursery project of a King bee, Venuh confidently responded, “If one is determined to give their 100% effort or in other words joint efforts, there is a possibility.” He said that to carry out the project at least a few hectares of land having a good environment with enough plantations of oak tree is required. Food products and other various requirements can be supplied to them in the form of artificial treatment. There is even possibility of providing the bees an artificial home, added Venuh.
When queried on how he faced gain and loss while confining such long years observing the nature and lives of bees, Venuh disclosed, “Financially and materially I spent enough dues as I deserve, however, on the other hand I gained a lot and I found enough satisfaction with what I pursued on for the last 5 decades.”
Having deep concern for bee keeping, Venuh wished that the department concerned (i.e., sericulture department) will give unflinching support to the lovers of bees in order to motivate them professionally and commercialize the bees and their products. Stating that if bee keeping is properly taken up by the government agencies and the bee products are supplies on regular basis, the same can become the highest demanded curry/cuisine items in almost all the standard restaurants across the nation.
