Bamboo Beehives: A Unique Way To Make Your Own Honey
In Latin America, farmers often use bamboo as beehives. Bamboo internodes (the part between 2 nodes) of larger diameter bamboo species such as Guadua angustifolia or Dendrocalamus asper are very well suited to make a bamboo beehive. A closed piece of bamboo is suspended horizontally under the roof of a house or shed, and a small hole made in one node at one end enables the bees to enter.
After a few days, the enclosed bamboo beehive will attract bees to live and raise their young. The presence of the bees can be seen when there is a waxy entranceway protruding from the hole that we made earlier (see pictures below).
The bees will create a densely packed matrix of hexagonal cells made of beeswax (honeycomb) inside the bamboo. They use the cells to store their honey, and to house eggs, larvae, and pupae. After about 4-6 weeks their honey can be harvested from the bamboo internode by splitting it length-wise with a machete.
Honey doesn't only taste great, it is also a natural energy booster and has a lot of health benefits because of its antibacterial properties. In Central America, farmers also use this "bamboo honey" to treat eye infections.
Help Preserve our Bee Population and Get Your Own Bamboo Beehive!
The honey bee is dying. Not just in North America, but around the world, bees are losing their ability to forage for food necessary to sustain themselves. The reasons are varied and complex - pesticides, mites, viruses, genetic engineering of crops - but they all add up to one thing: Bees are not able to return to their hives with enough food to sustain the colony through winter.
Bees are crucial to maintaining our global food supply. Most people know that bees are responsible for pollinating about 1/3 of our food supply, but did you know that without them we would be unable to eat delicious foods like apples, cucumbers, or almonds? If we truly want to preserve the health of our bee population, it is vital that we do something about it. By installing a beehive in your garden, you can help support our bees and their important work.
Handmade Bamboo Beehive
A must-have for nature lovers! With the KIBAGA bamboo bee home you can contribute your share to the preservation of our bee population. The bee house is a perfect habitat for various species of bees, such as the peaceful mason bees, which are incredible pollinators.
Thanks to its design with about 70 bamboo tubes, the Kibaga beehive is an excellent nesting spot for female bees, as they love to make themselves at home in pre-existing holes and gaps. For colder months it presents a cosy shelter for the insects.
Hexagonal Bamboo Bee House
A natural eyecatcher for any yard! The bee house improves your garden environment in two ways: The high quality bamboo hive simply looks charming and the diligent little bees boost the blooming of your flowers enormously.
It may takes some time until bees find their way to your bee hive - be patient, you’ll be rewarded. Do good and also create a lovely yard decoration - an unbeatable combination! With the bee hive starter kit you can experience the benefits yourself. Bonus: The bee home deters bees from nesting on your patio!
I am fascinated with the Guadua honey beehive. How big is the cane used? What size hole is drilled for the bees?