Bee men create a buzz in the city
These Men From Bihar Come Down On The Hunt For Liquid Gold
Priya.Menon@timesgroup.com 28.07.2018
When it’s flowering season, bees are drawn to the blooms. And in search of the liquid gold they produce come these men from Bihar. Armed with little more than the knowledge passed down generations, they harvest honey from the hives and turn saviour for many a troubled city dweller.
“We are a group of six but there are about 40 of us who come down to Chennai four to five times a year when it is honey season,” says Ramchandra Mandal. The 40-year-old, along with his younger brother Bhunesar, 35, son-in-law Arjun, 25, and friend Rambabu, often does the rounds of the city, distributing their cards. “Whenever there is a bee hive to be removed, we are called,” he says.
What’s more they do not charge for their services. “We give one kilo of honey to the owner of the campus or apartment complex and then sell the rest, usually to the people gathered there and make our money,” says Mandal.
These men, who have been trained since their childhood to handle bees and hives, are not afraid of getting stung. All they use is dry coconut leaves, bucket, knife and a rope. “We use the rope to climb up the tree or apartment buildings,” says Bhunesar.
It’s fascinating to watch the men at work. First, the dry leaves are used to smoke out the bees. After that, the men use their bare hands to “wipe” away the bees. With a clean stroke of the knife, the hive falls into the bucket positioned strategically below. The honeycombs are then squeezed and the honey filtered before being sold at ₹460 a kilo.
“Usually the bees don’t sting if you are careful,” says Rambabu. “If it does, the area remains swollen for 24 hours, but over the years we have become immune to it and now it doesn’t swell.”
Bhunesar, in fact, is accompanied by his 15-yearold son Amit. “I have been taking him along on Sundays and school holidays and now he is with me full time. Our children are not afraid of bees as we were all trained as youngsters,” says Bhunesar.
This season is a busy one, as is the time before Holi and after Diwali. “Last Saturday, we cleared 13 hives from Greenways Road, and got about 100kg honey,” says Mandal, adding that they can make ₹15,000 a month per person, and sometimes more. They usually come down for 15 days at a time and are based in Avadi.
“Though I am from Bihar, I was born in Delhi so we go there for Diwali. The rest of the year we go around the country wherever work takes us. We also go into the forests and harvest honey that we supply to wholesale dealers,” says Mandal, adding that his family is now based in Bengaluru. “There are a large number of people all over the country who do this work,” he says, stating with pride that they are careful not to harm the bees. “People sometimes set fire to the bees but we don’t kill any bees,” he adds.
They are also proud of their traditional knowledge. “We chant a few words before smoking out the hives and the bees don’t sting us,” says Mandal. Some people are also concerned that bees may make their hives again in the same spot. “So we clear it out and then rub a herbal medicine we make so that bees won’t come again. That’s the only service we charge for,” he says.
SWEET DEAL: The men do not charge to remove the bee hive from the premises, instead they give a kilo of honey to the owner of the building. They make money by selling the rest of the honey in the market
These Men From Bihar Come Down On The Hunt For Liquid Gold
Priya.Menon@timesgroup.com 28.07.2018
When it’s flowering season, bees are drawn to the blooms. And in search of the liquid gold they produce come these men from Bihar. Armed with little more than the knowledge passed down generations, they harvest honey from the hives and turn saviour for many a troubled city dweller.
“We are a group of six but there are about 40 of us who come down to Chennai four to five times a year when it is honey season,” says Ramchandra Mandal. The 40-year-old, along with his younger brother Bhunesar, 35, son-in-law Arjun, 25, and friend Rambabu, often does the rounds of the city, distributing their cards. “Whenever there is a bee hive to be removed, we are called,” he says.
What’s more they do not charge for their services. “We give one kilo of honey to the owner of the campus or apartment complex and then sell the rest, usually to the people gathered there and make our money,” says Mandal.
These men, who have been trained since their childhood to handle bees and hives, are not afraid of getting stung. All they use is dry coconut leaves, bucket, knife and a rope. “We use the rope to climb up the tree or apartment buildings,” says Bhunesar.
It’s fascinating to watch the men at work. First, the dry leaves are used to smoke out the bees. After that, the men use their bare hands to “wipe” away the bees. With a clean stroke of the knife, the hive falls into the bucket positioned strategically below. The honeycombs are then squeezed and the honey filtered before being sold at ₹460 a kilo.
“Usually the bees don’t sting if you are careful,” says Rambabu. “If it does, the area remains swollen for 24 hours, but over the years we have become immune to it and now it doesn’t swell.”
Bhunesar, in fact, is accompanied by his 15-yearold son Amit. “I have been taking him along on Sundays and school holidays and now he is with me full time. Our children are not afraid of bees as we were all trained as youngsters,” says Bhunesar.
This season is a busy one, as is the time before Holi and after Diwali. “Last Saturday, we cleared 13 hives from Greenways Road, and got about 100kg honey,” says Mandal, adding that they can make ₹15,000 a month per person, and sometimes more. They usually come down for 15 days at a time and are based in Avadi.
“Though I am from Bihar, I was born in Delhi so we go there for Diwali. The rest of the year we go around the country wherever work takes us. We also go into the forests and harvest honey that we supply to wholesale dealers,” says Mandal, adding that his family is now based in Bengaluru. “There are a large number of people all over the country who do this work,” he says, stating with pride that they are careful not to harm the bees. “People sometimes set fire to the bees but we don’t kill any bees,” he adds.
They are also proud of their traditional knowledge. “We chant a few words before smoking out the hives and the bees don’t sting us,” says Mandal. Some people are also concerned that bees may make their hives again in the same spot. “So we clear it out and then rub a herbal medicine we make so that bees won’t come again. That’s the only service we charge for,” he says.
SWEET DEAL: The men do not charge to remove the bee hive from the premises, instead they give a kilo of honey to the owner of the building. They make money by selling the rest of the honey in the market
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