Mud hives: A new approach to beekeeping in hilly areas

Abstract

With little outlay of capital and large payoffs, beekeeping in hilly areas is an attractive source of income. People who live in hilly areas often practice traditional beekeeping by keeping honeybees in khadire, which are mud walls that encase their homes. People used to maintain bees and make khadire more often, but now they mostly live in concrete houses because of modernity and the need to
conform to particular norms. It is also difficult to grow bees in these modern constructions due to the lack of knowledge about scientific beekeeping procedures. Bees are presently being kept in wooden hives, but this approach has not worked out so well because it is hard to keep them alive during winter; they swarm or die. Temperatures plummet, and in certain places, snow falls throughout winter. Rearing bees in contemporary wooden hives becomes difficult under such tough conditions. Moreover, mud hives have their uses, especially for beekeeping in the winter. These can help maintain the temperature steady throughout that time,
which means they could be useful for beekeeping all year round in hilly areas.