Cement hives - An environmentally-friendly alternative to wooden hive boxes

By Joyothi Ravishankar, Karnataka, India

In India, hive boxes are of Indian standard size. People everywhere are concerned to reduce the destruction of forest. In order to save trees I have developed a Cement Hive Box. It is my small gift to the world.

The rainy season in India is from June to November. In July and August rain will be pouring heavily and during this time hives that are made of wood are damaged quickly. Mostly it is poor people who are beekeeping: people who are sound in finance will not take an interest. In order to be encouraged, people need to be able to afford to buy hive boxes. These cement boxes can be manufactured for one quarter of the price of wooden boxes and are long lasting.

A major problem for bees in wooden hives is attacks from hornets. In a cement box there is an arrangement for the protection of bees from hornets. I have been using my own cement hive for about five years, and I am very successful. An anthropologist at Bangalore University has tested it, and has given me a certificate that the cement box is as good as a wooden hive box.

A cement hive has four parts: bottom sheet, brood, super and top. The hive takes plastic frames.

Advantages of cement hive boxes

• Bees will readily occupy the hives
• The boxes are indestructible
• There is no use of wood
• The heavy weight of a cement box makes it safe from theft
• Cement boxes costs one quarter of the price of wooden boxes
• Cement boxes can be kept in rain or sunlight
• Bees are protected from attacks by hornets and other kinds of insects

Further information

Mono block clay hive for Apis cerana Bees for Development Journal 61: 6-7
The Vautier hive: appropriate hive design from West Africa Bees for Development Journal 51: 3
Beekeeping in Bas Zaire (News around the World) Bees for Development Journal 36: 7
Construction of the Mpofu Hive in Swaziland Bees for Development Journal 13: 6-7
Using cement hives in Senegal See: www.fao.org/spfs/detail_event.asp?event_id=24515

Bees for Development Journal #75

 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page