Honey hunting facts for kids
Honey hunting, also known as honey harvesting, is the practice of collecting honey from wild bee nests. It is one of the oldest human activities, dating back thousands of years. People still gather wild honey in parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America today. Some of the earliest evidence comes from ancient rock paintings, which are about 8,000 years old. In Europe during the Middle Ages, collecting honey from wild or semi-wild bee colonies was a common trade.
Traditionally, honey hunters often use smoke to calm the bees. Then, they carefully open the tree or rock where the bee colony lives to reach the honeycomb. This method sometimes harms the bee colony.
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Honey Hunting in Africa
In Africa, honey hunting is a deep-rooted part of many local cultures. Hunters have practiced it for thousands of years. Sometimes, a special bird called a Honeyguide helps humans find bee colonies by leading them to the nests.
Honey Hunting in Asia
Nepal's Giant Bees
High in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal, brave teams of men gather twice a year. They visit cliffs that are home to the world's largest honeybee, Apis laboriosa. These bees are more than twice the size of those found in places like the United Kingdom. Their larger bodies help them stay warm in the colder mountain climate.
For generations, these men, often from the Gurung tribe, have harvested honey from these giant bees. They use traditional tools and methods in very challenging conditions. Documentaries, like one by freelance journalists Diane Summers and Eric Valli, have shown their incredible skill. Another BBC2 documentary in August 2008 featured an English farmer joining a honey hunting trip. Hunters climb 200-foot rope ladders. They balance a basket and a long pole to carefully cut pieces from giant honeycombs, which can hold up to 2 million bees. This ancient tradition is still practiced today.
Honey Hunters of the Sunderbans
In the Sunderbans forest, which is shared by Bangladesh and India, honey hunters are known as "Mawals." This forest is a unique area with estuarine trees. Honey hunting here can be a very dangerous job due to wild animals like tigers.
The honey harvest begins with a special ritual. Hunters offer prayers and sacrifices of flowers, fruits, and rice. Then, they light a fire at the base of the cliff or tree. The smoke helps to gently move the bees away from their honeycombs so the honey can be collected.
The Menumbai Tradition in Indonesia
In Riau Province, Indonesia, the traditional way of harvesting honey is called Menumbai. The Petalangan people, who live near the Sialang trees in the Tanah Ulayat forest, perform this skill. Menumbai Pelalawan involves using a bucket and rope to collect honey from wild beehives.
To help prevent bee stings, the honey collectors recite special mantras and rhymes. This unique method is only used for wild bee hives and is typically done in the afternoon.
Honey Hunting in Europe
The Zeidler: Forest Beekeepers
People in Europe collected wild honey as early as the Stone Age. However, it became a specialized trade in the Early Middle Ages. In German-speaking parts of central Europe, these honey hunters were called Zeidler or Zeitler. Their job was to collect honey from wild or semi-wild bees in the forests.
Unlike modern beekeepers who use man-made wooden beehives, Zeidler created homes for bees in old trees. They would cut holes in tall trees, often about six meters high, and fit a board over the entrance. Whether a bee colony chose to nest there depended on the natural environment. They also sometimes trimmed the tops of trees to protect them from strong winds.
Where Honey Hunting Thrived
Forests with conifer trees were very important for tree beekeeping. Significant areas for honey hunting in the Middle Ages included the Fichtel Mountains and the Nuremberg Imperial Forest in Germany. In Bavaria, forest beekeeping was recorded as early as the year 959. Even near today's Berlin, there was extensive honey gathering, especially in the much larger Grunewald at that time.
Around Nuremberg, many clues still point to a rich history of honey hunting. For example, the castle of Zeidlerschloss in Feucht is named after the Zeidler. Honey was crucial for Nuremberg's famous gingerbread production. The Nuremberg Reichswald, also known as "The bee garden of the Holy Roman Empire," provided plenty of it.
