Hi
I am planning to buy and manage a beehive on my land east of Taichung.
It is not so easy to find data… people, services, shops, and workshops.
Any beekeeper here?
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Found an article in ATimes…
http://www.atimes.com/article/taiwan-beekeepers-struggle-cash-pure-honey-buzz/
A brand name… Ah-bin pure honey
2015 Taiwan production… 11.726 tonnes of pure honey
860 bee farms in Taiwan
Production unstable since 2011… weather, diseases…
The 'bee farmer’s in Yilan county
10 bee farmers shops across Taiwan… selling online…
To be continued…
In a forum,
found that there is a ‘beekeeping’ section in the Agriculture Center Research & Extension
Estimated 120.000 hives in Taiwan
Pollination Service?
Taiwan : Yes, widely known (Open field & Greenhouse, using bees owned by farmers - not beekeepers)
Paid Pollination?
Taiwan : No (Farmers bought some bees colonies from beekeepers, mostly every 1-2 month depending from theirs crop)
Varroa Control
Taiwan : Drone Remove, Formic Acid, OA, Drone Comb Attraction, Fluvalinate (Locally made).
Government Support
Taiwan : Some said only minor support, but from my perspective relatively balance, Taiwan Government give “enough” support for beekeeping such as: Annual research budget, produce & improve Taiwan own Fluvalinate, work together with Taiwan Beekeeping Association for bees campaign, fund some research & documentary, etc
source:
Taiwan (Taiwan Beekeeping Association, Beekeeping Researchers from Miaoli, Taiwanese Farmers & Growers)
and a photo of a box…
Found a pdf file…
Advanced management of bee health and beekeeping under
Taiwan subtropical/ tropical climate
The European bee (Apis mellifera) is the major housing bees, while Asian bee (A. cerana), the native local bee, is plentiful on the island as a wild bee.
As shown in Table 1, a total of 663 beekeepers keep around 70,000 bee colonies in Taiwan. The island is famous in its production of good quality longan honey and the royal Jelly which ranks second in the world and is an important feature of Taiwan beekeeping
industry.
…
Found an address here
Dr.Chun-Yen Lin
Taiwan Apicultural Station
261 Kuan-nan,Kung-Kuan, Miaoli
TAIWAN
There is a ‘Beekeeping Taiwan’ group / person on FB
Obviously some foreigner… Last message 2013!?
Some more data from Facebook
Bees and Wasps of Taiwan, the postage stamps. Issued in July of 2012, these stamps celebrate the Hymenopterans of Taiwan. One the lower right is the native honey bee of Taiwan, Apis cerana: which was the honey bee traditionally kept (it still is kept) by beekeepers in Taiwan.
Pictured in the stamps from left to right, top row first:
- Phimenes flavopictus: This predatory wasp has yellow markings on its black body, giving it coloring that resembles that of a yellow and black striped tiger. Females build their mud nests in places such as tree trunks and cliff-face crevices. It is also called the “tiger-striped potter wasp” in Chinese.
- Apis mellifera: Commonly known as the western honey bee, this bee species was introduced to Taiwan, and was not traditionally kept there. Most of them have a yellowish brown chest. The species’ worker bees have specialized pollen baskets, which can be found on the tibia of their hind legs.
- Xanthopimpla pedator: This parasitic wasp was once used to control she-oak pests.
- Xylocopa tranquebarorum: This pollinator has almost dark black body. Its wings have a purple, copper sheen to them. Females build their nests by boring holes into dead bamboo.
- Vespa ducalis: This stinging wasp has two golden yellow rings on its abdomen which are its most salient feature. Its last four abdominal segments are black.
- Apis cerana: Commonly known as the eastern honey bee, this pollinator lives in the wild mostly. Its appearance greatly resembles the western honey bee. It has alternating yellow and black stripes on its abdomen. This is the bee traditionally kept in Taiwan.
Adapted with modifications from:
http://philatelynews.com/2012/taiwan/bees-of-taiwan/
Traditional beekeeping with Apis cerana has many positives: the bees are gentler than Apis mellifera, and more resistant to some pathogens, they are native and known pollinators of native plants, etc.
Oh my… a post from this very same forum!
… First true link … a bit far, but not too far from my place…
I talked to my homies in Dacun and they gave me this. He sells pollinators, but my Chinese wasn’t good enough to know which kind. Deals with bees I think. They unfortunately don’t have bumblebees in Taiwan which makes me sad. I’m thinking he deals with the solo bees.
iyp.com.tw/0492657333/
沈先生
Cellphone #: 0935371480
Cellphone is for when he is out working his fields/bees.
found on another forum called taiwanease…
Novaspes: I think you could contact the Huisun Forest Station in Nantou County. I seem to recall they were selling that kind of stuff.
Feiren: http://keepbees.blogspot.tw/2010/05/blog-post.html
… but all links are now dead… looks like everything stopped in 2013!
I noticed that the last poster in that thread said that he kept bees.
[quote=“HualienOutdoors, post:4, topic:78593”]
I keep bees. . . .[/quote]
A good link again…
with lots of equipment available!
but the last update is from December 2013
http://www.sanyi-bee.com.tw/product.asp
Time to send inquiry emails!
I sent him a message
That blog also contains a link to a Facebook page:
Actually Facebook is FULL of people, data, addresses, and everything…
Too much to list here.
2 similar answers…
Recently the bees are very expensive
a few days later the beekeeper will harvest honey
it is recommended to buy bees after May
蜜蜂蜂種含箱在五月可以跟職業蜂農購得 。
~> Bee-like bee-like box can be purchased with professional bee farmers in May.
Let’s be patient and wait for May!
I love bees. I raised them for a while years ago but various things have kept me from them for the time being. Most farmed bees in Taiwan are ‘italians’ but they were brought over by the Japanese 100+ years ago and have bred with the local variety so my guess is you tested them they would be considered a sub-species on their own.
If you want to raise bees find an old guy who does it and camp out. Very few do it as a hobby and they are usually friends with someone who makes money from it. Camp out and help the guy and he will give you a hive to play around with. Do not go for the ‘Tu Fong’ or Taiwanese bee. They move too easily. You need some good angry italians.
In Taiwan it is very, very hard to harvest your own honey more than a jar or two. Pollen and royal jelly are pretty easy if you know how but unless you are in an orchard area there is no real heavy flow.
If you want to come to Hualien I can happily take you on a tour of how it is done here. My teacher is an awesome guy and so happy to share the knowledge but without someone right beside you to help you through the first time you split too early, have your hive attacked by an giant asian hornet or get some pesticide residue in the hive it will be very frustrating. Awesome hobby but steep learning curve in Taiwan. No supers so each box has a queen. I learned with no protection using a single cigarette to smoke the hive. There are easier ways of doing it though! Bees are some of the most responsive things you can imagine. They can read thoughts. Any bees in the neighborhood? Can you tell the difference between the local and farmed bees?
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Wow
Thanks for your reply… Very touching indeed
I will keep in mind all the advice
italians, bred with locals, old guy, camp out…
I would be very pleased to meet you and your teacher
There are no bees in our present neighborhood (where I live), and there is no life either.
But the picture is completely different on our farm… You can find bees there… a lot!
Send me a DM if you ever want to visit Hualien. I will see what I can do!