The Bee Doctor who got Africa buzzing

AS part of the South Wales Guardian’s campaign to get the Valley buzzing, reporter Clare Snowdon interviewed Glanaman bee enthusiast Emyr Jenkins, following his trip to Lesotho to manage a bee project, and his future plans to get the valley more pollinator friendly.

EARLIER this year local councillor Emyr Jenkins was fortunate enough to become part of a team that would be sent to Lesotho as part of the international learning opportunities programme, sponsored by the Welsh Government.

The scheme sends experienced managers from the civil service and other public bodies out to sub Saharan Africa to work on projects to develop themselves and benefit others.

The main purpose of Emyr’s trip was to help manage a bee project at the Phelisanong school and orphanage.

“Bee keeping is relatively new in Lesotho, with many still associating honey with witchcraft, so my job was to teach the locals the art of bee keeping,” said Emyr, who works for the Home Office as the vehicle fleet officer for UK immigration enforcement.

The bees in Lesotho are commonly known as African killer bees, however Emyr soon found this not to be the case.

“I took all my heavy gear with me, and on my first trip to a hive I kitted myself out heavily, expecting an angry swarm, but I was amazed by just how docile these bees were,” he said.

“African bees are known to be more aggressive, but I didn’t have any problems while out there, by the end of my trip I was inspecting hives without my gloves on.”

The 47-year-old was soon getting a name for himself as his first mission on the trip was to help an Australian volunteer, Miles Durand, the manager at the local garden centre, situated within the orphanage estate.

“Miles wasn’t having much luck attracting bees to his hive so we had a chat about different ideas and I helped him re-position the hive,” said Emyr.

Amazingly just a few days later – on St David’s Day – the hive had attracted a swarm of bees.

From this day forth Emyr was known as the Bee Doctor.

Emyr went on to hold bee workshops for the people at the Phelisanong school and orphanage.

“I was amazed by how many people would turn up for my workshops.

“I had scheduled to start at 10am but by 9.30am the place was heaving with people, which just showed the enthusiasm for keeping bees – I was overwhelmed.

“I was asked to show them an African top bar hive – a conventional beehive out in Lesotho – although cheap to make, compared to UK prices, in Lesotho the cost of a hive can educate a child for a year.”

So, Emyr decided to show the locals how to make them.

“Top bar hives can be built out of whatever you can find – scrap wood, old oil drums or wooden pallets – anything really.

“The locals soon got stuck in and within 40 minutes had made their first hive.”

Emyr talks fondly of his translator, Mochade - introduced to Emyr by his Christian name Peter - who often went along with him to inspect hives.

“Peter was stung on his first day out with me, and I thought this would put him off the idea.

“When you have a beginner with you, you are constantly making sure everything is ok, but with Peter I didn’t have to worry, at one point a bee had managed to sneak into his veil, there was no running away and shouting and waving his arms, he sensibly walked away from the bees before removing his veil – he looked like a natural.

“I managed to pinch a teaspoonful of honey from the hive – my first ever taste of Phelisanong honey – and it was glorious, you could almost see the flowers as the flavours rolled over your tongue. It was the most fragrant honey I’ve ever tasted.”

Interestingly, one of the bee’s biggest enemies in Lesotho is the local herd boys.

Becoing a herd boy is a cultural obligation in Lesotho, where they head out into the hills from as young as seven. They are given just a blanket and half a dozen sheep to look after.

In return for work, the boys will receive a cow or several smaller animals, as well milk throughout the year for their families.

“I was told that the herd boys will go up to the hills, find wild bee colonies and light a fire using old wellingtons underneath the nest to kill the bees and take the honey,” said Emyr.

“This leads to a shortage of wild swarms.”

But Emyr hopes he was able to educate the herd boys after teach them how to harvest properly.

After eight weeks in Lesotho it was time for him to say goodbye.

“It’s been a life changing experience,” said Emyr.

“I’ve had to think on my feet, learnt that I can adapt quickly and change course to suit the need, learn that people respond and accept change easier if you show them what they could do, not tell them what they should do. I’ve made new friends, found a new direction in life and, I think – made a difference.”

So, will Emyr go back?

“I am going back - one way or another I’ll go back out there once I’ve found the means – and if they’ll have me.”

Back home, Emyr’s wife Belinda raised some money for the orphans – with a lot of people knitting warm clothes and blankets for the children.

Hermon Chapel in lower Brynaman also gave generously enabling Emyr to buy some much needed new beds and winter bedclothes for some of the smaller children and young girls.

Following his trip, Emyr has spent the last few months working with Cwmaman town council to get more pollinator friendly plants in the valley.

“I had a vision about four years ago to get plants such as heuchera and lavendar planted in and around the villages of Cwmaman.

“The town council was the first in Wales to have a pollinator plan, which is a fantastic achievement for the valley.”

“Bees and butterflies go bonkers for these plants.”

When asked if there was a decline in bees, Emyr is quick to defend.

“I wouldn’t say there is a decline, contrary to recent articles that I’ve seen circling the web, but they are struggling.

Emyr says the figures to show a decline are false due to the era which they are associated.

“In the Forties, during the war, sugar shortages and food rationing meant thousands of homes kept bees as part of the Digging for Victory campaign.

“After the war ended people stopped beekeeping, thus a decline in numbers.

“There are so many factors when it comes to bees not surviving, from climate to the common hive diseases such as varroa mites.

“However, if the hives are managed correctly there is no reason why you can’t have a healthy and happy hive.”