I n 2012, images of farmers pollinating pear trees by hand in China’s Sichuan Province drew international attention. For the first time, human beings were forced to ponder our dependency on these small insects.
As pesticides, habitat loss, pollution and climate change continue to drive honeybee populations into decline, our vulnerability sparked the international catch phrase: “Save the bees!”
Luckily, South Africa has a robust wild bee population. The Overberg, with its sprawling farmlands and dense fynbos coverage, is one of the areas in which bee farming is a viable industry.
Beekeeping, or apiculture, is when humans maintain bee colonies (nowadays inside movable comb hives) for personal or commercial use. Hives can be harvested for honey, propolis, beeswax, royal jelly and pollen, among other bee products, but a large portion…