Saving Bees at Farlim, Penang

On 05th June, 2019, we received a call from KK Lim who lives in Farlim Penang, Malaysia. Saying his house ceiling were occupied by a colony of bees. This bee were in the top of the ceiling of his house for few months, and the hive were getting bigger and bigger, and the bees were invading into his living room and living hall on the second floor or even the dining room. After we reach his house located opposite the Pizza Hut of Farlim. We noticed that this were a colony of Apis Cerana. Without hesitate much, we help him to remove the original hive into the wooden Apis Cerana hive (Apis Melifera hive were much more bigger and the Apis Cerana were unable to manage it.) We first tried to locate the queen of this colony and then capture it into a hair comb queen cage. And then cut all the honey comb into the size of our Apis Cerana frames and then secure it with a rubber band onto the frames.

We then secure the hair comb queen cage into the wooden Apis Cerana hive and then insert all the frames into the box. Now the question coming, in such a small space, we need all of the bees to come into the wooden box, and the space are limited to Steve who is 176cm tall.. and the temperature were nearly 40 Celsius, with a full suits on, boots and gloves, he working in the rooftop for nearly 2 hours and sweat like a cow. This passionate job were never a sweet task, except the honey. What’s make us never give up were saving every bees we can in this island, and the hapiness were priceless. The bees later were transport into Steve Honey Bee Farm located at Balik Pulau, Penang. But the bees stayed in the wooden box for 2 months and they moved out. Probably they found a nicer place in the Durian orchard and they all moved to that place. In our bee farm, we never force any bees to stay with us because of their honey, they are free to go as the whole area were more than 100 acre full of durian trees and other fruits trees! But they are always welcome to come back too! 🙂