A Preliminary Note on Hiving Apis Dorsata Colonies

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Abstract
It has been stated many times that, of the Apis species, only mellifera and cerana can be kept in hives, and therefore “domesticated” for honey production. In tropical Asia, attempts have been made for a number of years to “domesticate” Apis dorsata in this way, since it is a much more productive species than the indigenous hive bee Apis cerana. Unsuccessful attempts to induce Apis dorsata to remain in a “hive” or apiary include: mounting the single comb that houses the colony inside a large wire-screen cage fitted with flight holes; putting the comb in a hive made of glass or other transparent material; erecting an artificial “tree” with horizontal side branches consisting of a wooden bar baited with beeswax. The article presented here describes an open type of hive in which Apis dorsata colonies have remained for three months. To bee-keepers accustomed to Apis mellifera this may not seem a great achievement, but it is in fact quite remarkable, and may provide a basis for the development of a system of beekeeping management with this productive species, in countries of tropical Asia which at present have no effective beekeeping industry.

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