Nepal
Kayley Mutton

An ancient Nepali tradition, honey hunting is the twice annual harvesting of wild honey from the Apis dorsata laboriosa hives found on steep cliff faces in the lower Himalayan mountain region (Thapa, 2001). In some places, a ritualistic sacrifice is even made to the forest gods before harvesting, typically in the form of a chicken or goat, to keep the hunters safe during the harvest (Thapa, 2001). It is common to wear little to no personal protective equipment against bee stings and to prevent falling. Apis dorsata laboriosa, also known as the Himalayan Honey Bee, is the largest honey bee in the world (Surendra R. Joshi, Ahmad, & Gurung, 2004). This species of bee is also one of the least researched species’ because these bees prefer to build their hives on cliff faces, making them difficult and sometimes impossible to access (Surendra R. Joshi et al., 2004). Over the last 20-30 years, the number of A. dorsata laboriosa colonies has significantly decreased (Surendra R. Joshi et al., 2004). For example, a study of four river valleys in the Kaski district, known for being home to this species of honey bee, saw in some cases a more than 50% decrease in the number of colonies (Surendra R. Joshi et al., 2004). Most existing honey hunting practices are quite destructive to the hive, especially when the hunters don’t leave enough of the honeycomb and food stores left for the colony to recover (S.R. Joshi & Gurung, 2005). It is common for a large number of the colony to be killed during the harvest and it is suggested that honey hunting is one of the reasons for the decline in the A. dorsata laboriosa bee population (S.R. Joshi & Gurung, 2005). Another thing that is currently practiced is lighting a fire beneath the comb to smoke all of the bees out but a study has shown that a safer and more controlled method is to spray the comb with sugar syrup to distract the bees and then use a bee brush to move them to the side, off of the piece of comb that you wish to harvest (S.R. Joshi & Gurung, 2005). If honey hunting were to be made a safer – and therefore more appealing – practice for the Nepalese, it is possible that the hunters may harvest the wild honeycombs more than just twice a year. A method of honey hunting much less destructive than current practice is simply to take less of the honeycomb at a time (S.R. Joshi & Gurung, 2005). Making it a safer and easier experience will allow multiple harvests a season, promoting the building of the honeycombs to increase yield, and honey bee health. By ensuring an increased survival rate of the bees, it is creating a more sustainable practice and a job security in that reducing honey bee loss means that their will always be more honey to harvest the next year.

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Tourism

 

Another positive impact the rock climbing equipment will have on Nepal’s economy will be the attraction to tourists. Tourism is Nepal’s most profitable industry and it relies on its beautiful landscape like the Himalayan Mountains to attract tourists (CIA, 2016). Honey hunting and A. dorsata laboriosa are quite unique to specific regions in Nepal and many people may be interesting in witnessing this ancient tradition and experiencing this aspect of Nepali culture. Mount Everest also serves as a big attraction to Nepal and it is certain that they use rock climbing equipment in the Himalayas. Since rock climbing appliances are already being actively used across Nepal, that means that the people are already familiar with the equipment and may be more open to implementing their use in other sectors.

 

 

Honey Demand

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In 2001, raw Nepalese honey was worth around $25-30 US per kilogram and the money was commonly spent by the whole village on its collective wellbeing (Thapa). Recently there has been a high degree of honey bee losses all over the world, including Canada, United States, China and Europe (Clermont, Eickermann, Kraus, Hoffmann, & Beyer, 2015). This means that honey is in demand in some of the world’s most developed and populated countries.

 

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Medicinal Uses

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In Nepal, honey is used as a home remedy for gastric problems, pharyngitis, and the inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane also known as hay fever (Quave et al., 2010). It is also found that honey harvested from high altitudes contains more antioxidants than honey from lower altitudes (Neupane et al., 2015). Honey can also be fed to cattle and the Nepalese believe that it helps to increase milk yield (Thapa, 2001).

 

 

Research

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There is a lack of education on the importance of the A. dorsata laboriosa and therefore a tendency to over exploit by practicing destructive honey hunting methods (Surendra R. Joshi et al., 2004). I have mentioned before the great decline in Himalayan Honey Bee colonies over the last 20-30 years and it is in part due to a lack of education on the species. It is difficult to find information on the behaviour, production rates, and susceptibility to diseases of the Apis dorsata laboriosa because there have not been many studies published on them.  The rock climbing equipment could also be used by scientists or beekeepers who wish to study the Himalayan honey bee, or monitor the colonies on a regular basis to keep track of hive health and honey production rates.