Bee Keeper of Rio Dulce

The day we arrived back on the river from a 3.5 month visit to the U.S., the boat next to us had a thousand or so bees gathered on the center of it's mast. They had had an infestation problem before, so knew who to call. A couple of local gents arrived in a small boat, with a coke bottle half filled with a milky white substance. Their routine, was to be hauled up the mast, wearing some long clothing; stuff a couple of pieces of cloth into holes next to sheaves and soak the rags with this chemical. Well, it worked. The bees left their boat and 2 days later, they were seen on my mast!

OK. We played the game and payed them too. They agreed to do it after dusk, when the bees would be in the nest they were forming and hopefully pass on to bee heaven-not affecting another boat nearby in our marina setting. Up they went, chemical in place. Next morning some dead ones on deck but none seen around the boat. That afternoon, they were on another 2 boats, 80 feet away.

Guatemala has plenty of bees and springtime is time for them to work endlessly harvesting pollen from the local fauna.

Later on, the couple on boat #1 was discussing a local bee keeper that had set up shop years ago to gain a supply of special honey for medicinal purposes. It never turned out to be a big business, but he still supplies some locals. Not knowing he was out of town at the moment, we decided to pay him a visit and see if we could get a bit of a tour of his operation.


We set out this morning for a short ride up river as passengers in our neighbor's launcha to view the bee keeper's property. His property caretaker, always smiling Manuel, "Tough as Texas", courteously took time to walk us around the property. A lovely piece of land rising from the river up a gently sloping hill shaded by tall trees.






Our friends launcha entered a cove on the rivers north shore. We approached the thatched cottage on the shore behind a docked 75' wooden schooner from yesteryear and proceeded up hill.









Ingenuity was evident everywhere. The surface of the long walkway from the dock to the living areas up hill, was made of thick cut local timbers and varnished. Stripped and varnished smaller tree trunks served as uprights holding a complex structure of reinforced, thatched palm fronds. Much work, but it protects foot traffic from rain and sun. It was surprising to note the difference in temperature as we walked through.













Cottages, with screened in large porches, were the dominant structures, along with a few shelters for old automobiles, firewood etc., but one storage shed had actually been taken over by--you guessed it! BEES!
















The bees, actually 4 types, were active everywhere. When Manuel would get close to a certain size box however, he would move very slow and cautiously. These bees were 'Africanized' bees....a hybrid of the usual honey bee of the Americas and the easily aggravated African bee. I had a recollection or at least had
this half- assed idea that if I were calm, they would be too.

























I proceeded into a cluster of boxes up at the top of the hill with him and took note of the bee action. Not far enough I thought to get into trouble, but well probably too darned close. I certainly cannot outrun a bee colony. Well, all went smooth :) no problem at all. They buzzed Manuel, who seemed concerned, but did not even come near me.




















Cocoa plants were also grown under the shade of the taller mahogany and other trees on the property.



The property was beautiful with rolling hills, trimmed of underbrush years ago. Tall trees of various types, plants in bloom and the quiet of a natural setting was a rare pleasure for us.