Meliponines by Gee Shariff - Lepidotrigona doipaensis

A showcase of superb macro shots by Bilut Valley Bee Farm's macro photographer Gee Shariff.

Featured here is a species from the genus Lepidotrigona of which name is derived from the word "lepido" which means "scales". Species in this genus have very significant scales in yellow or white that frame the scutum of the meliponine. The species here is named doipaensis.

Bilut Valley Bee Farm Honey - Before It Reaches You (Part 1)

In this first part, we show you how we treat our bottles before honey is stored in them.

Bilut Valley Bee Farm strives to give you, our beloved honey lover, the highest quality of honey possible. There are many aspects to ensuring this and one of the crucial factors in the quality control process is how the honey is packaged and stored in bottles.  Here, we show you how we prepare the bottles that keep your precious honey which is enriched with goodness, and we want to make sure it is maintained that way. 

We insist on using dark bottles, as these are the best to filter UV light that could damage the properties of the honey and cause oxidisation. They're difficult to obtain and a little pricey compared to clear bottles, but we want only the best for you.

The bottles are first washed with a cleanser and then thoroughly rinsed in a disinfectant, both containing tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is scientifically proven to be a powerful antiseptic. We don't want to use detergents which may have hazardous chemicals, because we have your health and safety in mind.

We use a range of solutions by Melaleuca, which again, is more expensive than normal detergents, but they don't contain any hazardous chemicals. Yet they are effective enough to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on hard surfaces.

After the bottles are dry, they are put in this sterilising unit to ensure that the bottles are really clean, enough so the honey stored in them can be used to treat wounds even.

  

Quite a tedious process but Bilut Valley Bee Farm Honey promises the highest quality product that is hygienic and safe for your consumption. 

And finally, the cap is sealed and secured so you're certain your bottle has not been opened by someone who put his nose at the opening to take a sniff at the honey!

Meliponines by Gee Shariff - Homotrigona fimbriata

A showcase of superb photos taken by Bilut Valley Bee Farm's macro photographer. 

Today's feature is the Homotrigona fimbriata, one of the larger species among the meliponines.

The second and third photos are splendid shots where the mandibles and teeth of the meliponine are so clearly visible.

Meliponines by Gee Shariff - Heterotrigona itama

A showcase of superb macro shots by Bilut Valley Bee Farm                     macro photographer Gee Shariff.

The second species featured in the series is the Heterotrigona itama. This is the most common species cultured for their honey and it's the same for Bilut Valley Bee Farm. We have almost 100 colonies at our farm now.

Meliponines by Gee Shariff - Tetragonilla atripes

A showcase of superb macro shots by Bilut Valley Bee Farm macro photographer Gee Shariff. 

As this is her favourite species, we shall start the series with the Tetragonilla atripes.

Le Tour de Kelulut, East Coast Tour

The stingless bees fraternity in Malaysia is rapidly growing as more people are aware of the benefits of the honey and how relatively easy it is to culture them compared to the common honey bees. While it is heartening to know that there is more pure, local honey made available by the increase in bee farmers, it raises the issue of how well-informed they are in ensuring the bees are properly cultured and that there is sustainability in the long term. There are also concerns that trees are logged in large numbers to get the stingless bee colonies by irresponsible, greedy and unscrupulous traders.

With this grave concern in mind, Tuan Abu Hassan Jalil or Pak Abu as he is known to most, had taken the initiative to make  visits to bee farms and even those who rear meliponines on a small scale to share, educate and provide as much knowledge on Good Bee Practices. With a group of enthusiasts comprising mainly participants in the workshops he conducts, Pak Abu started with a roadshow to the Northern region of the peninsula in March this year followed by the Southern region in early May.

Come June, it was the turn of the East Coast region and Bilut Valley Bee Farm was scheduled to be the first stop on this itenerary. We played host to the convoy from the Le Tour de Kelulut, Jelajah Pantai Timur on Saturday 6th of June, 2015 and they were expected to arrive at 9a.m.

We were very fortunate because this tour was joined by Prof. Dr. Hajah Siti Salmah Idrus from University Andalas in Padang, Indonesia. She was accompanied by her husband Dr. Idrus and their grand-daughter Anggi. Prof. Siti Salmah had done extensive research on meliponines and had worked with renowned researchers in a similar field. A sprightly 80-year, she had completed the whole tour which took four days, and in each of the four days, the tour ended late at night.  

Among the objectives of the Road Tours are:

• To meet with meliponiculturists and enthusiasts to discuss current issues.
• To compile current meliponiculture techniques to derive an SOP.
• To compile a list of FAQs.
• To propose a petition for the formation of a Bee Council to set standards of meliponine based products, it's certification and enforcement.
• To provide consultancy services where necessary
• To collect honey sampling for lab tests by representatives of UiTM Puncak Alam and UMT researchers and students.
• To collect honey samples for Ranking of Honey packages based on colour, taste, labels and guided by lab test reults
• To collect specimens to study variation in species especially from the genus Tetragonula.

Pak Abu giving tips and advice on meliponiculture and Good Bee Practices. His love and passion for meliponines is his only reason for doing this. And that says a lot about his commitment towards the conservation of what is to him, a national treasure.
In the background in red cap is Hj Zolkaplie Mustafa, one of the 8000 aborists in the world.

Pak Abu with the COO of BVBF listening intently to what the expert has to say

Pak Abu with a species he named Marziacea sweetinea

A very good experience from the tour, we get to see actual conditions on each others' farms and we are able to discuss a problem and provide a solution if necessary. Seen here are standing, Ariff Amri, sitting right, Hj, Najib and Zaki on the left. Along with a few others under the tutelage of Pak Abu, they share their knowledge and experience so generously. A great show of camaraderie brought about by a mutual love for meliponines.

Our neighbour and fellow meliponiculturist from Raub, Azrul with his father

We served freshly made grilled chicken sandwiches and salad with dressings that contained meliponine honey

From left, Pak Abu, Wak Abdul Aziz, Prof. Siti, Dr. Idrus and Anggi

Ariff Amri owner of Humaira Honey

Nur Raziana and her husband Wan. Nana is an orang asli from the Mah Meri tribe. She is one of the most hardworking, resourceful and proactive woman we've seen. 

This is lovely photo of our garden on the farm by Nana

Aiman showing off the topping he had made using a design suggested by Pak Abu. The joints of the topping are overlapping so they are more secure for the meliponines against predators. When conditions in the topping are conducive, they will quickly work upwards to make honey pots 

Mmm...delicously marinated with honey and grilled by our chef Hadi

Zaki from Meru, Klang 

Hj Najib with his cutie daughter Raisya

From left, Datin Aimi, a partner of BVBF, Aniza and Prof Siti Salmah

 

Wak Abdul Aziz, Pak Abu's right wing man

Fuad without his wife Zurita

Jalur Gemilang on the farm

Pak Abu inspecting the hives. He is probably the only expert in beescape in the country and his greatest concern is that this aspect in meliponiculture is not looked into seriously enough.

Aniza explaining how honey is made, stored and taken from the involucrum or propolis structure in the topping

 

Thank you to Pak Abu and everyone for visiting our farm. Hope to see the rest of you very soon!