Kuwait’s top honey extracted from Sidr trees, eucalyptus, willow nectar’s

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Bee a simple creature that does not like complexity: beekeeper

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 29: With the onset of dawn, swarms of bees permeate the branches of Sidr trees entwined with the sun’s rays, rushing towards the small yellow flowers hanging down where from a distance, the view appears as a slow motion videotape that captures pictures of bees shaking and dancing in front of the flowers. Kuwaiti beekeeper Salem Al-Oumi describes the bee as a simple creature that does not like complexity, having a special language that is expressive and rhythmic, seen in how when a stray bee returns to the hive with news of the presence of nectar, pollen, or water, it performs an expressive dance, where each dance and movement has a meaning and signal through which it determines the location of the nectar and the distance. Speaking to KUNA, Al-Oumi said Tuesday that the stray bee dances in the presence of the workers and begins to dance in a circular or vibratory manner, sometimes to the right and left, in a rapid rhythm for half a minute and may last for a full minute, after which all the workers prepare to go out to collect nectar according to a precise roadmap.

The most well-known types of honey in Kuwait are three types that are from Sidr trees, from which Sidr honey is extracted that Kuwait is well-known for, along with eucalyptus and willow, from which spring honey is extracted, he mentioned. Kuwait annually imports about 20,000 bees, the price ranging between KD 15- 20, during two periods, the first during the months of March and April, and the second during the months of September and October of each year, he stated.

The cost of a beehive with bees ranges between KD 40-45 and produces three to five kilograms during one season, he explained. The bee visits about 100 flowers and transports in each round more than half of its weight of plant pollen, he added, indicating that there are roughly 320 types of honey that differ in color, flavor and smell. Kuwait’s honey has a global presence and a desert imprint that topped advanced ranks, Al-Oumi underscored, mentioning that the secret of the quality of Kuwaiti bee honey is due to the fact that it is the product of pastures in desert areas, which are low in moisture, producing honey of high quality since it obtains the best types of nectar.

The most crucial factors impacting the quality of honey in general are measured by two main factors, which are the percentage of sugars and the percentage of moisture, he clarified. Sidr honey is one of the best types of honey in the world and the price per kilogram is around USD 150, he said. Willow honey has a golden yellow color whereas eucalyptus honey has a dark amber color and distinctive aroma, he added. Kuwait’s farms host over 15,000 beehives as the average number of beekeepers reached nearly 300 beekeepers and amateurs in beekeeping as the number is increasing, he pointed out.

There are over 20,000 bee species worldwide, including Italian, Russian, Caucasian, German and Egyptian bees and countless other types, Al-Oumi mentioned. In order for the bee to have one kilogram of honey, it travels between flowers a distance equivalent to times around the Earth’s circumference around the equator, he revealed. Between 20,000-30,000 bees live in one hive, and the worker bees warm the hive during the winter by operating their wings, while the middle-aged worker builds a honeycomb, he said. Kuwait’s annual production of honey ranges from 25-35 tons annually, he explained, saying that the price of Kuwaiti honey ranges between KD 10- 30 per kilo. Bees used types of poisonous nectar, as they secrete some enzymes on it then sprayed it on insects that attack their hive, then they die of suffocation, he revealed. (KUNA)

This news has been read 26324 times!