For generations, in Karen lands referred as Kawthoolei, particularly, in the Salween Peace Park, harvesting honey from tall trees has been a way for the Karen people to generate income. However, local villagers cannot sell their honey at reasonable prices because the quality still can be improved. Traditionally, they use the squeezing method to extract honey from the hive. The extracted honey often contains beeswax, fluid from accidentally squeezing larvae in the hive, and bee waste. Although the villagers use filters to remove beeswax and other impurities, the quality of the honey obtained is still not at its best.
To assist local people and Community Forest Rangers – guardians of the forest – in producing high-quality honey, a three-day training session was conducted by a team of experienced Thai Karen experts in honeybee keeping and honey production from April 22nd to 24th, 2025. The villagers and Community Forest Rangers who participated in the training came from communities near the Kaydoh Mae Nyaw Wildlife Sanctuary in the Salween Peace Park.
Saw Wee Eh Htoo, Wildlife Monitoring and Patrol Officer from Mutraw district Kawthoolei Forestry Department, said;
“Our purpose is not only to train the villagers in producing high-quality honey and gaining the people’s trust in their product but also to help them appreciate the forest linked to honey. Since wild bees typically create hives in large trees and require numerous flowers for honey, villagers will come to value trees and forests as they see honey production as their new livelihood. They will volunteer to patrol the forest and prevent forest fires, thereby protecting the forest while ensuring their beekeeping remains safe.”
During the 3-day training, villagers learned the best time for harvesting honey, how to carefully harvest bee hives, and how to patiently extract pure honey from the hive without incorporating impurities, allowing it to be stored for a long time and sold at a reasonable price.
In addition to honey extraction techniques, the trainers shared insights to help the villagers harvest honey efficiently while minimising safety risks, requiring minimal space and less work, and promoting forest conservation through honeybee keeping. This training is essential because the honey harvested from this type of bee, which creates hives in hollow trees, is more valuable than that of bees on the branches of large trees and would serve as a significant support for local communities.
In the practical part of the training, the villagers practiced building beekeeping boxes, techniques to attract honeybees, optimal locations for placing the boxes, and methods to protect them from threats like bears and ants. The trainers also shared their knowledge about the ecological benefits of beekeeping, such as pollination, encouraging the villagers to engage in beekeeping to generate income while promoting forest health through increased pollinator populations.
According to the trainer, the common wild bee that makes hives on the branches of tall trees usually spends around one month producing honey. In contrast, this honeybee spends at least 6 months collecting nectar from different flowers to make honey. Hence, the honey from this type of bee contains many flower juices and can be very beneficial for medical purposes. Although it is more expensive, this honey can be relatively easily obtained with just a small space for beekeeping, compared to wild bees which require climbing tall trees at night to harvest the honey.
Uncle Saw Prasert, who provided the training, said,
“In the past, we said we raise bees, but now we say bees raise us. We will not earn much with just a square foot of land area. We can get a few thousand baht with a small beekeeping box near the tree or on a small piece of land. In addition, everyone can do it, whether old or young, male or female. It doesn’t harm the forest; instead, it helps. And when the quality of the honey is good, it is not hard to sell. I hope this training will help the villagers generate some income and live with the forest peacefully in the future”.
Creating a new livelihood opportunity for these communities through beekeeping and honey production will enhance their capacities in honey-making and bring them closer to forest and wildlife conservation efforts, as they will rely on forests for their livelihoods. Additionally, it will help the Community Forest Ranger generate a small income for their regular wildlife protection activities.