BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Agita Rex, Chairman of the Solomon Islands Honey Cooperative Society (SIHCS), is optimistic about research work on the threats affecting the country’s bee population.
Mr Rex, a bee farmer himself is also part of the group carrying out research work.
He said the programme is supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
Rex expressed that the research aims to tackle disease and what practices farmers should adopt in terms of safeguarding their bee farms and their population.
“It comes under the project Strengthening Beekeeping Industries for Production and Livelihood in the Solomon Islands,” Rex added.
Speaking to the Island Sun at this year’s National Trade Fair in Honiara, Rex said the Solomon Islands Honey Cooperative Society was revived in 2024 since the 1990s and early 2000s due to the ethnic tension.
He mentioned that today, honey populations are reducing due to invasive species, and farmers cannot prevent the spread due to lack of knowledge.
Rex said so far, research on how to deal with the pest, varroa mites, has yielded a positive result.
“Here in Guadalcanal, bees are not healthy due to the virus, varroa mites that weaken bees to forage,” he said.
Rex added that based on the research, it is believed that varroa mite was introduced into the country from Asian bees through logging.
“One of the approved bee treatments against varroa mites is Bayvarol strips. We also use supplement feeding with local resources such as banana, pumpkin, pawpaw and sugar syrup. Results have started to look promising based on the research,” concluded Mr Rex.
He said that Guadalcanal Plains has around 30 bee farmers under the SIHCS.
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