Tribewanted: Vorovoro

I don’t think I mentioned this, but last time I was here on Vorovoro I brought a small hive of honey bees with me, from my farm. This was an interesting experience in itself as a kilometer from land I suddenly wondered what would happen if the seal I’d put on the hive came free! There are limited places to run on a 13’ dingy if 10,000 bees suddenly decide they don’t like the captain. Happily, this was not the case. The bees were installed in the bush in an area half way between the showers and the pigs, and they seemed relatively happy…still there at the end of the day.

But when I came back this week, two weeks later, the bees had left the building and moths and lizards and ants had taken up residence in their place. Was it the proximity of the pigs, was there a disease or was Vorovoro simply not right for them? We might never know the reason for our absent insects, but I have commissioned the local bee expert from the Ministry of Agriculture to help me discover whatever we can.

I’ve not given up. Homegrown honey remains on my “to do” list. If any of you are avid apiculturalists might I avail myself of your advice?

Catch y’all later