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Author Topic: Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro  (Read 3303 times)

Offline newbee101

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Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
« on: February 13, 2006, 10:35:27 pm »
Here are some pics I took in Brazil. The beekeeper Senor Manuel, did
not use protective clothing, but used lots of smoke.
I wore mine in 95 degree heat.  There is a few extras of the local landscape. I have a couple more from another yard
( where I got nailed in the forehead). I took 4 pics before
they came after us. I will post them later. Enjoy!! :D  
 

 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 









 


"To bee or not to bee"

Offline Jerrymac

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Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2006, 10:59:29 pm »
WOW!!!

That many hives in one location ya'll should of been covered up in bees. Or perhaps the AHB isn't as bad as they say? Or perhaps they aren't AHB???
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

 :jerry:

My pictures.Type in password;  youview
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Offline newbee101

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Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2006, 11:07:07 pm »
Thats what I thought also. I asked if they were Italians or some thing and he laughed very loudly and said "nao , Afrikana!" I did notice that these bees move amazingly fast when disturbed. I have NEVER seen this in my bees or any other hives I have visited in the USA. The second Apaiary I visited, we had no smoke and no protection. I moved just a few branches to get a better picture and I got nailed in the forhead. There were about 50 or so chasing us down the hill. My brother inlaw got stung in the lip and on the ear. This was the response from a Brazilian beekeeper on Beesource to my posting.........

Joao Campos
Field Bee
posted February 13, 2006 06:28 PM                      
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>The key to keeping them from attacking is working from the rear of the hive and use LOTS and LOTS of smoke.

Yes, LOTS of people do that here. They usually harvest a unique, exotic tar-tasted honey. Maybe they like it.

I think that's the wrong way. You do it with much less smoke, if you can trust your coveralls. But then you won't be able to get eyebrows up when telling things to the layman  . It's true that some colonies need more smoke - sometimes quite more - to be worked, but it's far from necessary in most managements.

I've contested this practice many times, and I've even quoted an inspired article from Jim Fischer ( Blowin' Smoke) in a faq.
(But, Jim, don't break out in tears of proud joy too quick - I don't expect more than a handful of beekeepers to care for what I write - and I'm not sure if they can read in English.  )

João
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Posts: 42 | From: Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil | Registered: Sep 2004  |  IP: Logged |
"To bee or not to bee"

Offline TwT

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Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2006, 02:39:05 am »
great pic's, look like a real pretty place.... just curious, were you on some kind of a mission going there or just got a wild hair? look like you had a great trip, once in a life time....My wife went on a church mission to Honduras a few years back for 2 weeks and i turned it down, but i sometime regret it... That make me think, are there beekeeping missions out there??? glad you had a good and safe trip.... By the way with them people working bee's in hardly any protection, who was the mask man with the bullet proof suit on in a few of them pic's ? ;)
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline mick

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Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2006, 03:12:09 am »
I tink the man in the bullet proof suit was our intrepid traveller.

FANASTIC pics and great detail. I love the home made feel about everything. KISS plan working well here methinks.

Love the shade setup, tin and leaves!

Those pics ae the reason why everyone should travel away from the tourist traps.

Offline newbee101

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Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2006, 07:22:53 am »
yup, thats me in the bullet proof suit... :D
"To bee or not to bee"

Offline Jack Parr

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BRAZILIAN beekeeping
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2006, 08:41:38 am »
It seems like the beeks do not use foundation? At least that is what I think I see in a couple of your pics?

Did you get some figures on their honey yields per hive? That would be very interesting to know since they seem to be operating in a more or less natural way? Did they discuss swarming, abscounding, etc? I apprecdiate that there was probably some communicating problems with language but what was your sense of their ability to effectivly work with their AHB stocks?

How do they go about putting their equipment together? Meaning do they make their own or is hive equipment for sale like we have here? Most of their stuff seems rudementary in the pics.

How do they extract?  How do they market?  Pics tell a lot but not all. You would render a valuable services to us if you could flesh out your experiences with your observations that the pics cannot reveal.

Thanks   Jack

Mick,  me thinks that visiting AHB colonies will never be offered as a tourist attraction, anywhere.  Actually, not many people even want to visit my hives of mostly gentle bees in spite of my assurances that all is well and safe. I have acquired three vails for my guest and still no takers, yet.

Offline newbee101

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Bee photos from Barra Tijuca Brazil in Rio de Janeiro
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2006, 10:09:33 pm »
Correct, no foundation. They use standard frames with support wire.
My wife was not at the hives with me, so asking questions was somewhat limited to my lack of speaking Portuguese. The hives and equipment were very primitive. His favorite hivetool was a flathead screwdriver. I was told besides these hives (13) he had 30 more in another location. As you probably noticed, he arrived on a bicycle with the frames strapped to the back. He does have a manual extractor, how large I do not know. I did buy a whiskey bottle full of his honey for  about  $11 US. The honey was very clear, so he must be straining it with something. Honey  (Mel) is not cheap to the consumer in Brazil. An 8 ounce squeeze bottle bought in the supermarket was 6.85 real ( about $3 US). I also bought some from a larger producer at a roadside store. Very impressive label. I will take a pic and post it. His hives did not produce Green Propolis, it was dark almost black. What struck me the most about these bees was how fast they moved about the comb and hive cover when disturbed. I have never seen this trait before in the many hives I have seen.
"To bee or not to bee"

 

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