Why are there bees at the center, but no honey?

Giant honey bees, Indian hive bees, red dwarfs and black dwarfs—from September to November, you may see any of the four native honey bees of Thailand in this orchard. All of these bees are important pollinators of fruits, vegetables, and wild plants. All produce honey at other times of year. All have spiritual and cultural significance to Thai people.

Giant honey bees (Apis dorsata) migrate long distances at the end of the rainy season, pausing here to rest and feed. They are likely moving from a region where plants have stopped flowering, to higher altitude where flowers are still blooming.

Large numbers of giant honey bee swarms come to this orchard every year, a phenomenon not seen by scientists anywhere else in the world. Swarms range from a few hundred bees to more than 100,000, clinging in clusters to tree limbs.

While resting here, normally for a week or two, the giant honey bees forage for nectar from nearby eucalyptus trees and other flowers to fuel their migration. They gather water from the river bank, exposing it on their tongues while they fan their wings to evaporate it and cool the swarm.

During their rest stop, the bees do not build wax comb, raise new bees, or make honey. Without honey or brood to defend, they rarely sting people. But you should not approach closer than about 15 meters.

As the swarm prepares to leave, scout bees perform dances that other bees follow. The dances indicate the direction, and perhaps location, of the bees’ next stop on their migration. After many dances by the scouts, the swarm becomes excited and lifts off, flying in the direction indicated by the dancers. You may even see a swarm fly!
 

Fighting and escaping hungry hornets!
 

Two species of hornets attack Indian hive bees (Apis cerana) in northern Thailand.

Greater banded hornets, Vespa tropica, directly attack bees in their hives and exposed swarms, picking off single bees to take back to their nests and to feed their young.

Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) have a different strategy: they hover in the air at colony entrances, or even surround a swarm, and pick off returning foragers. The hornets make beekeeping with hives difficult in this region.

When hornets are abundant in September through November, Indian hive bees leave their protective cavities to defend themselves more successfully out in the open. Each cluster of bees you see is a single colony with a queen and workers. When a hornet attacks, a group of bees may surround the hunter. By shivering they generate enough heat to kill the hornet.

To lure hornets away from the queen bee and foragers, some bees form hanging “tails,” and “arms” along the branches. The bees shake their bodies, which signals to the hornets that the bees see them and can defend themselves. The whole swarm may take repeated, short flights, gradually leaving the hornets behind
 

Giant and Dwarfs. 

When not migrating, giant honey bees build wax comb nests on tall trees or even buildings, where they produce honey and young bees, and will fiercely attack predators and honey robbers. When they are nesting they are famous for their defensive behavior.

Two species of dwarf honey bees may occur in the orchard: red dwarfs and black dwarfs. Both may nest here, or pass through in migration. Both build well-concealed, single, small wax combs in which they raise young bees and store honey.

Entire red dwarf (Apis florea) combs can be found for sale in markets around Thailand.

Black dwarf honey bees (Apis andreniformis) are rare. Black dwarfs deserve strong conservation protections. You are lucky if you see these beautiful little, black-striped bees!
 

 

WWF Thailand is a founding member of the Asian Pollinator Initiatives Alliance or APIA. The APIA is a working group that aims to create a network within Thailand and the rest of Asia to raise awareness on the importance of pollinators to the environment and economy, while also taking intervention actions to create change. 

Made of like-minded individuals from different fields, the APIA shares and utilises knowledge and resources from the private, public, and education sectors to maximise impacts 

Through events and workshops, the APIA connects like-minded individuals and organisations in Asia and raises public awareness on pollinator protection. Keep up to date with all of APIA's events here. 
 

Non-Governmental Organisations 
WWF- Thailand
Biothai
Earth Net Foundation 

Non Profit Organisations
GO Organics Peace International

Political Foundations 
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Southeast Asia

Researchers/Research Institutions
King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi Native Honeybee and Pollinator Research Centre
Dr Orawan Duangphakdee from King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi 
Dr Alyssa Stewart from Mahidol University 

Business Sector 
Mivana Co.,Ltd

APIA Webinar  #1 Introduction to Rafter Beekeeping 

 

 

APIA Webinar  #2 Apis Cerana and Bee Friendly Farming

 

 

APIA Webinar #3 Community Based Native Bee Conservation in South-eastern Thailand Online Webinar (Thai) 

 

 

APIA Webinar #4 Bat Pollination in Thailand: a Decade of Research

 

 

APIA Webinar #5 Pesticides and Bees
 

 

APIA Webinar #6 The Forgotten Thai Pollinators: the "solitary" bees responsible for the future of Thailand terrestrial ecosystem"

 

 

APIA Webinar #7 Beekeeping in the 'New Normal' (Thai)