Amy Weeks Remembers her F2F Assignments in Guyana

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Working in Guyana though Partners of the Americas has been both a proud and humbling experience for this beekeeper from Louisiana. I have been keeping bees for over 15 years and working with the beekeepers in Guyana reminds me of how much there is to share as well as how much there is to learn. My first visit to Guyana in 2013 was to share my knowledge of raising honeybee queens. My teammate and I worked with beekeepers who manage hives along the Mangrove Reserve. While we shared hive management techniques the beekeepers taught us the importance of the Mangrove tree for protecting Guyana's coastline and how important the bees are for pollination on the Reserve. 

Practicing grafting larva for queen-rearing in 2013

On a later assignment in Guyana, our team shared beekeeping training skills as well as helped perform the first Pest and Disease Survey for Guyana. The beekeepers had noticed a varroa mite in a few of the hives and it was important for there to be a baseline established for the health of Guyana's honeybees. This survey was a learning experience for everyone involved. Samples of bees were collected from various locations and were processed at labs in the U.S. 

Demonstrating frame and foundation assembly in 2013

One of the areas we visited on this trip was Lake Mainstay. At this location, we worked with an Ameri-Indian group of beekeepers who already had a good start in beekeeping. We shared some of our knowledge, and in turned learned many things that are unique to the management of Africanized bees in Guyana. Did you know that because of the defensiveness of the hives, the colonies are best set up separate from one another? Also, ants that can over-run a bee colony are a serious pest issue for beekeepers; a hive stand with legs placed in an oil trap works as deterrent. 

A collection of products made from materials produced by the beehive

I returned recently to Guyana in February 2020 after a seven year span since my last visit. I was thoroughly impressed by the strong growth and industry development I saw in beekeeping. Beekeeping is taught at the Guyana School of Agriculture. Beekeepers visit the younger students to teach mini-lessons on bees and their importance to the food supply and environment. This is also very important to help the younger generation overcome a fear of Africanized bees and to learn how to safely handle them. Throughout the country, there is much local training and outreach to members of the community who want to learn beekeeping as an income-producing skill. This is performed by members of Guyana Apiculture Society (GAS) and Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA). I had the pleasure of working among this group of passionate beekeepers who love their craft (and the honeybee) and also love to see others succeed. 

The brood and honey pots of a stingless bee colony

On this recent journey, I was amazed to see the management of and honey harvest from a colony of stingless bees, a native honeybee of Guyana. This style of beekeeping is completely different from managing Africanized bee colonies. Also, the honey is very marketable, but in much shorter supply. The safety of working with this bee makes it a very family-friendly enterprise. I am so thankful to all of the beekeepers who opened up their apiaries to me and allowed me to share in their growth and skill of the humble creature that brings us together, the honeybee.

Members of GAS, GLDA, and Partners of the Americas on the way to check on some bees in 2020.

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