By
the early 1970s, Pitcairn's bee population had completely died out.
Pollination, particularly of vegetable crops on the island, then by
necessity, was being carried out by hand. Bees of an Italian yellow
strain (Apis mellifera
ligustica) were introduced in 1978 and again in 1992. The
present population is descended from both of these groups of bees.
In May 1998, the UK Government aid agency, the Department for International Development, funded an apiculture programme for Pitcairn which included training for Pitcairn's bee keepers and a detailed analysis of the disease status of Pitcairn bees and honey. The aim is to enable Pitcairn to export honey products to New Zealand and beyond. The results were better than we could have hoped for. Pitcairn has one of the most disease free bee populations of anywhere in the world and the honey produced is of an exceptionally high quality.
The
apicultural scientist conducting the project, also found that Pitcairn
bees were a particularly placid variety and within a short time, was
able to work with them wearing minimal protection. It would
therefore seem that the export of live Queen bees is another potential
earner for the Pitcairn Islanders.
Pitcairn's
bee keepers are now building up their hive numbers and preparing
product for export. The number of hives on the island is now around 30,
with potential for perhaps ten times that amount. We are hopeful that
approval for the export of honey to New Zealand will be given by the
time this issue is released.The Pitcairn Islands' Honey Bees issue is Pitcairn's first self-adhesive stamp and the world's first self-adhesive hexagonal stamp.
