Turkey ranks third of largest honey producing countries in the world and after I unexpectedly met a local beekeeper in Maral; I am surprised they are not number one.
Personally, I think the bloke is mad to do the beekeeping job using his unorthodox methods but hey, this is Turkey and they do produce some of the sweetest honey on the market
There is nothing fancy about beekeeping in Maral. That is until you learn the specifics of how they do it.
As a passer-by, you will see locals have constructed large open sheds with shelves to place the hives on, away from the ground and any bears with ideas of doing a Winnie the Pooh impression. You think nothing of it but bees in this region are special.
The Pure Caucasian Queen Bee of Maçahel
Maral is part of the Maçahel province, of which half is in Turkey and the other half in Georgia. In 1998, scientists wanted to know why Maçahel was producing more and better quality honey than other regions. The answer was because the bees are pure Caucasian.
The Caucasian queen bee in particular has a longer proboscis, used to gather nectar from the plants. It also works harder than other breeds.
Combine these facts with natural plants and flowers that are in abundance in Maçahel, and you have the perfect business model to create and sell top quality honey and generate employment in local communities. So the Tema project started
Pointing out the Queen Bee
This beekeeper bought a queen bee from the Tema project, who help to produce more of the breed by artificially inseminating bees in a laboratory with the pure Caucasian gene.
The beekeeper placed her in a small box within the hive as rejection can sometimes be an issue. In between the bees and the queen bee was a small piece of cake.
Over time, the cake was eaten away and the relationship between the queen and the workers grew. She was accepted and released into the hive to start work.
Due to the proven results and success of the pure Caucasian queen bee, locals can sign up for a beekeeping course with Tema, therefore embarking on a new career.
Beekeepers from other regions can also purchase a queen bee and honey from Macahel is associated with quality, one jar selling for as much as 40 Turkish liras, if not more.
Equipment Needed For Beekeeping in Turkey
None! I wore no gloves, jacket, or hat with a protective hood. Dressed in a short sleeve t-shirt and trousers, hundreds of bees were swarming around my head.
The constant buzzing made me nervous and when the beekeeper picked up bees by their wings, I wondered if he liked the thrill of potential pain, inflicted on his body parts.
If this had been any other place or time and I was with numerous friends, at this point, we would all be running around in circles or down the mountain screaming our heads off.
The beekeeper was quite confident there was no need to panic. He has never been stung in all the years he has been doing the job and assured me the smoking tool would keep the bees calm.
Smoking of the bees
If you visit the Maçahel region, do take time out to visit one of the local beekeepers.
We did not arrange any appointment, just came across a man while we were walking the country roads. However, like other locals in Turkey, he gladly spent time with us and showed fantastic hospitality despite my uncontrolled enthusiasm and excitement.
If you do not manage to make it to the region, here is further reading that explains why Maçahel really does excel when it comes to beekeeping.
An American Expat who has become a beekeeper in Turkey
The Macahel Website explaining more about beekeeping in the region
Bees for Development and the Tema Project
Readers Question : What do you think? Isn’t it fantastic to come across locals like this while exploring?
. . when J and I first came across these anti-bear constructions we were intrigued. Bears are great climbers and we couldn’t see how they could be stopped if they were determined. In years gone by they were hunted down, but that is no longer an option. A European NGO came up with a simple answer – passive infra-red sensors, floodlights and sirens. We were given a demonstration and the effect was enough to drive us away!
Some wonderful photos again.
Alan recently wrote about..Suffer The Little Children . . .
I suppose that works even better Alan but maybe wakes up half the neighbour hood!
What I could not figure out is that they put the hives in trees and sheds like this, but build their houses at ground level with wooden doors. So they don’t want the bear near the honey but don’t mind it knocking down their front door!
nice read that one Turkish honey is sweeter than the stuff we get here i didnt no there was so much to it its something ive never really thought about next time i have honey i will think of this
and the next time i see bee hives i will walk over and have a look
I think a lot of the Turkish honey is natural as well Di, without all the preservatives and additives. I know the honey we were eating in macahel was straight from the hive.
Natalie recently wrote about..Ear Cropping of Dogs – Ignoring An Age Old Tradition
That is really neat. I talked to a honey seller at a German Christmas Market last year. Beekeeping is really pretty interesting isn’t it? She was telling me they have mobile hives on a truck to get different kinds of honey from different local flowers/plants. I didn’t think that species had anzthing to do with it, but that is cool to see.
Turkey seems to use it a lot too. I remember it ended up on the table for breakfast and in a lot of desserts. Do they use it in tea or sugar?
Andrew recently wrote about..Riding a Junk in Hong Kong
I was fascinated by it all Andrew. I have never seen a Turk put it in their tea but perhaps they do it. Breakfast and on deserts are the main reasons for using it. They also like to use it for colds etc with some hot water, much like us Brits do.
Natalie recently wrote about..Walking Hell’s Gorge
Like you, I would’ve been scared of the bees…I’m so happy you’ve heard of Cat and her balyolu project in NE Turkey! Luckily, I’ve met her in Istanbul through PAWI and she is quite a fascinating young gal.
I love the honey here in Turkey, esp. the bal kaymak on a fresh loaf of bread. Yum!
Joy (My Turkish Joys) recently wrote about..Celebrating 4th of July Abroad – Year 2
I think she is fascinating with what she is doing Joy. So original and nice to see someone doing something away from the ex pat crowds.
Natalie recently wrote about..Memories Are Everything. Remembering Alacin River
Thanks you too
. Just saw this – what an exciting adventure (I love Maral!). Glad you could make it to Macahel and great to see you’re writing about it. Thank you so much for including me as part of your adventure and for your kind words.
Cat recently wrote about..In The Press
You’re welcome Cat but I owed you a thank you anyway. Before I left for Macahel, I emailed you with some questions and you were very quick to respond.
Natalie recently wrote about..Tips for Planning a Road Trip in Turkey