Honey extraction and conservation of biodiversity in the Sundarbans

Bee's honeycomb in Sundarbans

Honey extraction and conservation of biodiversity in the Sundarbans:

The Sundarbans covers about 4.2 percent of the total area of ​​Bangladesh and 44 percent of the total forest area of ​​the country. The world's largest mangrove forest was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 6, 1997. There are 334 species of plants, 365 species of animals, 35 species of reptiles, 41 species of mammals, 210 species of fish and 24 species of shrimps. There are 14 species of crabs and 43 species of oysters among the innumerable biodiversity.

Honey extraction in the Sundarbans:

The honey of the Sundarbans is one of the unique geographical heritage of the world. Depending on the extraction of honey and beeswax, the forest-based profession and life of Mouyali has developed in the mangrove forests of Bangladesh. The honey collection season in theSundarbans begins in the Bengali month of Chaitra. A BLC pass was issued to the local foresters from the local office of the forest department at this time for honey harvesting and forest entry.

The BLC was passed from the office in the name of Sajuni, the head of the boat crew. The beekeepers collect honey from the forests identified and approved by the forest department at regular intervals. In the case of honey collection, the beekeepers also follow a number of rules and regulations. According to experienced beekeepers, there are three types of bees in the Sundarbans. Of these, beekeeping makes more bees and the honey of this bee is considered to be the best honey in the Sundarbans. The reddish aura of sweet taste is also called Padmamadhu and the bees collect this honey from Khalisha flowers. Beekeepers say that a bee has to go to about eighty flowers to collect a drop of honey.

Bees start coming to the Sundarbans from the month of Magh and leave again in the month of Ashar after the hive. The bees notice the forest during the flowering season and move to the Sundarbans during the flowering season in the spring. According to the beekeepers, a wheel contains a queen bee and many worker bees surround it.

Worker bees go in search of new honey sources every day. After returning to the wheel, they mark the distance of the honey source from the wheel through the up-down, right-left dance. However, everyone brings a sample with honey. The beekeepers in charge of the chalk decide which honey source to collect honey from. When bees travel long distances to collect honey, the bees become paralyzed, many die, many run away, and many fall into another hive. Beekeepers call bees ‘heavy insects’ when the honeycomb is full of its honey juice. Honey bees fly slowly and do not go left or right but fly straight to the hive. The forest dwellers look for the hive following the movement of honey bee insects.

Bee's honeycomb in Sundarbans

Breathing roots of different shapes and characteristics are as important for mangrove forests as they are for bee hives. Like the scattering bushes of the root tree, the bee hive often makes a hive at the root of the tree, because the environment there is very cold and hidden. According to beekeepers, such an environment is more preferred for bees.

Although bees do not collect honey juice from the flowers of beautiful trees, the pollen of this flower is mostly collected for the protection of wheels. The bees cover their faces with pollen from the flowers of the beautiful tree so that it does not fall out after collecting honey in the hive.

The Sundarbans is divided into three levelswith horizontal features. Low level, middle level and high level. Bees collect more honey from the middle and higher levels of the forest. In the mangrove forest, the number of plant species diversity trees is high and the amount of herbaceous grasses and grasses is comparatively less. Any bee plays a major role in tree pollination. Most bees roam the middle and highlands of the forest, and the flowers of most trees in the forest are at both levels. Forest bees survive on honey and flower pollen.

Khalisa honey of Sundarbans is more abundant, followed by Gevar honey and later Bain and Keora honey. In 1985, the price of one ounce of honey was Rs.When the men of the house are in the forest while collecting honey, the women follow some rules. Women should not burn pepper in the oven at this time, do not use oil and soap on the head. Women should not burn pepper in the oven at this time, do not use oil and soap on the head. Women do not light a fire in the stove in the afternoon. They believe that if a fire breaks out in the house at this time, the forest and the sweet wheel may be damaged.

 

Bee's honeycomb in Sundarbans

In the Sundarbans salinity is rising, temperatures are rising and rainfall is declining, and climate change has reduced the perception of wildlife after cider and ayurveda, as well as the behavior of bees. Pirates and robbers are another major problem in honey collection in the Sundarbans.

Through the collection of these resources, the foresters make a living and deposit the revenue in the government treasury, which is used to generate Bangladesh's GDP and national development programs. Directly and indirectly, the bees and beekeepers of the Sundarbans are still playing a role in the overall development of Bangladesh.