I was in Cuernava, Mexico last week and visited some bee yards of Enrique Estrada a local queen breeder. Enrique breeds and sells queens and has practiced II for his genetics for many years. Thanks to people like him beekeepers are able to work and manage their colonies and not have to dress up like the burro. He did explain to me that he receives numerous calls from farmers who's livestock are killed each year as it is very common. Horses, dogs, donkeys, and several individuals. We worked a few of his yards with a veil and tee-shirts. It was a very informative visit.
In recent years, harvesting honey has grown signifcantly in Manuel's little rural town of Itatira, in the Brazilian state of Ceará -- in fact, the bees there are thebiggest producers around. But of 120 or so beekeepers in Itatira, Manuel and his donkey Boneco are among the most successful, thanks in part to Manuel's invention: the donkey-sized beekeeper's suit that keeps his partner safe from stings.
After reading Brother Adam's "In Search of the Best Strains of Bees", you realize that there are a number of bee races in different parts of the world that are quite hostile to work. And it's not just AHB. In this example, I'm glad to see they've made an effort to protect the animal...
The video of "Boneco" being dressed and walking along is priceless. Walking along, Boneco looks more like a scene from The Three Stooges. It's difficult not to think of there being people inside the getup.
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