Folks,
I just would like to share this discouraging yet challenging experience that we had just this weekend.
Baguio is already nearing the end of the honeyflow season, so we are trying to look for areas to transfer our colonies to gather more honey. We tried to visit some lowland areas farther north looking for some mango trees that will be blooming this summer. We are not asking for any payments from the farmer, we are even offering a portion of the honey to be given to them as a sign of gratitude.
The sad part is, nobody is interested and they dont even want the bees in the vicinity of the mango trees. They believe that the bees are PESTS rather than a POLINATORS that can result to increased yield harvest. They believe that when the bees visit their mango flowers, the flowers would die and not bear fruit. They trust the chemicals to increase their mango production rather that using the bees. We are quite shocked upon hearing this.
Its indeed a discouraging feedback but me and my wife took it as a challenge to make this people understand the important role of bees in securing the world's food supply the natural way.
We went home weary but not deafeted. As what the saying goes, "You cannot teach new tricks to old dogs" , its indeed hard to teach people but we are still optimistic that we can change this negative mindset, one person at a time.
Sorry for the long story. I am not ranting out, I am simply sharing this experience and hopefully every beekeeper will take this as a challenge.

Migo Ovie,
Yup, I know that guy, and I know that he has a very large mango plantation in LaCarlota City (which happens to be my childhood hometown). Maraming honey malamang makukuha nila dyan sa lawak ng mango farm nya.
Meron ding mango farm sa Pangasinan, gamit naman nila Trigona.

Sayang yun pards.
Well, money is not a problem for that guy, baka loose change nya lang pinambili nya ng mga colonies na yun hehehe

Maganda pa diyan sa Negros, kakaunti pa lang kayo, eh dito sa Baguio andami na namin.
Good luck on your new endeavor. Pag nalipat ako ng assignment dyan ride tayo lagi punta apiaries hehehe.

ovie wrote on 05/15/09 at 12:42:45:


Migo ovie,
Maganda mga twisties sa Don Salvador hehehehe. 
Hope to ride with you in the future and hope to visit your apiaries as well.

Migo Boch, regarding sa stigma meron ang bees sa local folks, hindi talaga maiwasan. One time na nag install ako ng mga hives sa isang subdivision sa Bacolod for the flow, maraming residents ang nagcomplain, umabot sa office ng association nila. Pero ng naipaliwanag sa kanila ang tungkol sa bees nag concede naman sila. At first people there were afraid kahit na mapadaan man lamang, but later when they saw na kahit kami walang protective clothing lumalapit doon humahawak pa, umiba rin ang attitude nila. Later ako na nahirapan mag control sa kanila kasi talagang lumalapit na sa hive.

Its on top of us mga beekeepers, inherent na rin yon sa pinasok natin - to educate the community about the importance of the bees and there role in the environment.

Sino pa ba ang mag-aadvocate nito e di tayo rin! So goodluck fellows.