Email

Print

They are nature's pollinators and honey makers, the under-appreciated insect engineers of nature's bounty. We visited an apiary and spoke with a Beekeeper to find out how they're managing climate change and all this heat. Jomarie Lanza has this story.

Her honey is "farmed to perfection" out here in Camalote Village, Cayo District. But achieving that perfection it does require diligent work - and not just from the worker bees.

Shalwa Leslie, Owner, Farmed To Perfection
"It's hard work it's not easy at all it's definitely not like office work depending on the Weather it can be much harder like today it's going to be very hot in the suit. You have to visit them all the time at least two or three times for the week because there are different challenges they face in the Forrest and while we are not trying to control the environment we are making it better so that they stay."

Four years ago Shalwa Leslie started her business from scratch with the little that she knew. And she now cares for 40 hives on a weekly basis, ensuring that the bees have everything that they need to keep producing this rich, dusky, intoxicatingly sweet honey. She says the bees are always busy problem solving nature:

Shalwa Leslie, Owner, Farmed To Perfection
"Regardless of the weather regardless of the challenges, not enough pollen, not enough nectar they know how to survive in the change of the weather."

On a regular beekeeping day, after she is all suited up, Leslie and her daughter make their way down this hill to the apiary. And that's where the smoker takes over:

Shalwa Leslie, Owner, Farmed To Perfection
"I will start my smoker with all the items I need for my smoker which has to be very natural so because of where I live I use cohune nut, I use saw dust tile it paper roles anything that is natural I start my fire I get dressed and I head out into the bushes."

And from there she goes about checking each hive, swapping out new the honeycombs with fresh ones, and ensuring that the bees have enough water.

But it's not just tending hives, the bees depend on a host of other links in the chain of nature to do their work:

Shalwa Leslie, Owner, Farmed To Perfection
"It's getting more difficult for them because even simple hurricanes that we have i think it was two years ago or three years ago the trees have fallen and there is not enough flowers in that particular area and there won't be any nectar so there is no food for the bees and if there is no food they can't survive and they will literally starve. There is also lack of water in the case of this 108 degrees that we have sometimes. I set out water for my bees to ensure that they don't have to go too far. If they go too far they might not make it home or they might come the next day but they just might not make it in time. And In one piece because they have their own predators out there so I set water for my bees and all the rest of bees that are around me."

The Beekeeping is only a fraction of the work, apart from harvesting the honey which only happens once a year or so. And once that raw product is extracted, the possibilities are endless as to what you can do with the honey, the beeswax and everything else that is left over from the process.

Shalwa Leslie, Owner, Farmed To Perfection
"As I started this journey with the first training from central farm I realized that there was so many products in the hive and I myself have not even touched half of it but I am starting to I'm not in a rush I am going slowly because again there is so much but wax in itself is an array there are so many different balms you can make we do so far yes you touched on lip balm we do arnica pain killer and right now I am using that because I have a sprained foot and I can tell you it works even out customers have testified that it does. We do wax polish for furniture and shoes we also do food grade polish as well for your salad bowls. There is propolis that comes with its own benefits there is pollen. I do need wax lotion bars if you don't like the icky feeling of regular lotion and that is just a few of the things we do so far there is so much more in the hive."

If you're interested in Leslies "Farmed To Perfection's" products you can reach out to them on WhatsApp at 668-8949.