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People in Nghe An are in the season of hunting for honeybee colonies.

Huy Thu • December 10, 2024 20:50

With the sun shining after the monsoon season, people in many localities in Nghe An province are once again flocking to the forests to hunt for honeybee colonies to raise or sell to earn extra income.

bna_1(5).jpg — The trend of beekeeping for honey production has spread throughout the districts of the province, so during the honey hunting season, the number of bee hunters increases significantly, including both the elderly and the young. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_2..jpg — Many elderly men, aged 75-80, still enthusiastically venture into the forest alone on their motorbikes to hunt for honey. Some who cannot ride motorbikes ask their children or grandchildren to take them to the honey hunting spots. Mr. Nguyen Khac Dinh (73 years old), a veteran in the honey bee breeding profession in Thanh Khe commune (Thanh Chuong district), said: His family has been raising bees for honey for decades. During the honey bee breeding season, both father and son go into the forest to hunt for honey. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_3(3).jpg — At this time of year, bee-hunting spots in border communes adjacent to Laos in Thanh Chuong district, such as Da Dung, Khe Mu, Cay Da, and Cay Sung beach, are bustling with bee hunters from Thanh Chuong, Nam Dan, and Do Luong districts (Nghe An province), and Huong Son district (Ha Tinh province)... Photo: Huy Thu

bna_4(3).jpg — During the process of collecting bee colonies, catching the scout bee and placing it in a bait tube is crucial. Some people even erect bamboo poles against utility poles to catch the scout bees high up. However, in recent years, several accidents have occurred due to people catching scout bees on rooftops and utility poles. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_5(3).jpg — People who spend the whole day hunting for bees usually have a quick lunch of a few loaves of bread, some dried rations, or a packet of instant noodles to regain their strength while waiting for the bees to check the tubes. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_6(1).jpg — Many bee enthusiasts gather in the forest to hunt for honey during the bee breeding season. Bee hunting involves dozens, even hundreds of people, creating a lively atmosphere, but the chances of catching bees are low; only well-placed decoy tubes offer any hope of finding bees. (Photo: Huy Thư)

The process of bees visiting the bait tubes lasts from a few tens of minutes to several hours. After choosing a suitable bait tube, the bees will return. From the sky, the bees "descend" into the chosen bait tube, much to the excitement of many people. Among dozens or hundreds of bait tubes, each time the bees visit, only one tube is successfully collected, the rest are "failures". That's the fun and excitement of honey hunting. Photo: Huy Thu

Experience shows that on stormy days before rain, or on sunny days after a long period of cold and rainy weather, people often catch more bees. Mr. Hoang Van Khai (55 years old), residing in Thanh Thuy commune (Thanh Chuong district), shared: "I've only been keeping bees for two years, but I have a 'lucky' bait tube so I often catch bees. Last year I got 17 colonies. This year's bee season, I'm sure I'll get even more." Photo: Huy Thu

Nguyen Nhat Lap, a young man passionate about bee hunting in Thanh Thuy commune (Thanh Chuong district), said: "Besides bait tubes, catching bees is also a matter of luck. Each bee hunting season, some people get dozens of colonies, but others don't get any." (Photo: Huy Thu)

Those who hunt for bees mainly do so to raise them. When bees enter the tube, they carefully seal the bait tube, carry the tube down the mountain, ... then tie the tube to their motorbike and transport it home with great excitement. Photo: Huy Thu

Many beekeepers choose to increase their colonies by buying bee colonies from bee hunters. Some hunters even buy bees "on the spot" if they don't catch any. After negotiating the price, around 300,000-500,000 VND per colony, depending on the size of the colony, they time it until the bees have landed (1-2 minutes later) before removing the chosen hive and replacing it with the buyer's starter hive. Those with good starter hive can sell several colonies a day, earning millions of VND. (Photo: Huy Thư)

Hunting for honeybee colonies. Video: Huy Thu

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People in Nghe An are in the season of hunting for honeybee colonies.

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