When you been to the dense forest, you observe the trees having humble bees nest from distance. Like other parts of the forest, there will be no jumping, romping, twig-branch of monkeys. Wild elephants don’t rub their body to such trees. They do not leave their young ones near those trees. Even the wild pigs don’t shatter the stocks by its fangs. They head off and flee from there as submissive students. This is due to the fear of honey bees.
Those who are cultivating in forest edge always have to look out the crops carefully. There is an extreme goof of wild boar and elephants that too for crops like sugarcane, paddy and banana farm lands. Rather than the effort of growing crops in such places, it is more sedulous to protect them. Have to guard it day and night.
Though we safe guard it, there is no use. For these reasons, farmers trench around farm land, set solar fence, sometimes they work to electrify the wire strap from nearby electric poles. They know that doing this is unfair. But to avoid the gap between cups and lips they do it to protect the crops. Without knowing anything the wild animals like elephants, deer and swine touches the string and die. Of course, this will be the news .Farmers related to illegal electric curtail will be collared against the complaint. Such cases will be repeated.
Human-wild life conflict is constantly going on. For such things, African agriculturists were working to find solutions. The African forests are larger than India and the wild life is also monstrous in number. Bee fencing is one of the strategies by the farmers in such forests edges to protect their crops. Don’t be startle that we never heard of such a thing. What kind of fence is this? This is a live fence. African farmers understood well that not only human beings but also wild lives know what kind of harm should experience, what fate has to suffer if we ruffle the honey bees.
When wild animals attack grassy crops farm land and vandalize, the revolted bees severely rush them.Wild lives yawp and flee from there for their dive attack, inflammation when stuck and suffering for pain. Still bees follow them for quite a long way. African farmers will not destruct the trees around the farm.If the bees built the nest here, they do not dust them away for honey. There we can notice bumble bees have built nearly hundreds of nests because there is no any detriment for their activities and they get the nectar abundantly from the crops. Our farmers can also follow such techniques. Bees do not irritate anyone, even don’t leave simply if provoke.
The scientific name of bumble bees is ‘Apis dorseta’. In common usage it is also called as lapidary bee and tree bee. The size of these is larger than other species of bees. Usually there, the bees are 1000 to 1200mt above the sea level. In summer if there is a shortage of food they migrate to faraway places in search of it. In such case, nesting is of 2100 mts above the sea level. On the way of migration, in between they stay passim for a couple of days. We can also found it in residential areas. In such setup they build nests at high altitudes that enemies cannot attack them easily. They fly around a diameter of 5kms from its nook to collect nectar. We can found collecting it even in moon light nights. Agri crops, forest crops provide enough yields by their pollination.
Fierce: The guardian bee warns other bees about the enemy that disturbs the nest, convey alarm message by flying around the top of the hot house. Then the remaining flies will join the bottom of the nest. Later altogether will attack the enemy. They sting by chasing their enemies around a distance of 3-4 km. This will cause a severe swelling and distress of skin.
Won’t the farmers get trouble? : Its natural that the question raises, whether the farmers will be affected if they were in places where gardens and farm land are located. But bees are adapted to the activities that take place near their nest. They attack only if wild life disturbs and deface nesting.
Typical aura: Initially the guardian/soldier bees will attack. A typical chemical is released from the attacked organism. Only honey bees can sensible this. They attack more from where such smell roll-out.
For more information, Please Contact: Dr. V.P. Hegde, Senior Agri scientist, Farmer, 08170 217403
Apis dorsata is a rock bee that is not bumble bee and i think for live fencing they may use other angry bees .
Thank you Sir…