In north India, women protect native bees in traditional home walls

world cultures & travelMongabay

In north India, women protect native bees in traditional home walls

the gist

In Uttarakhand's Himalayan villages, traditional mud houses are built with wall hives: rectangular cavities set into the wall that the Indian honey bee (Apis cerana indica) enters from outside. A small door on the inside, sealed with clay and cow dung, is opened only at harvest. Women usually tend the bees, especially as many men have moved away for work, and during winter they feed colonies amaranth or hemp seed powder. The thick mud walls insulate bees against mountain cold, storms and rain, which matters because they cannot forage when it drops below about 10-13°C. Many households keep the practice as a sacred custom rather than a business.

so what

These living walls shelter a native bee species under pressure from climate change and new building styles. As concrete replaces mud houses, the hives disappear with them, and researchers credit the women's care for the bee's survival in the region.

fun fact

The Indian honey bee is a subspecies of the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana, which is kept in hives in many parts of Asia.

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background

Apis cerana indica, the Indian honey bee, is a subspecies of Asiatic honey bee. It is one of the predominant bees found and domesticated in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and mainland Asia. Relatively non-aggressive and rarely exhibiting swarming behavior, it is ideal for beekeeping.

It is similar to the European honeybee (Apis mellifera), which tends to be slightly larger and can be easily distinguished.

They usually build multiple combed nests in tree hollows and man-made structures. These bees can adapt to living in purpose-made hives and cavities. Their nesting habit means that they can potentially colonize temperate or mountain areas with prolonged winters or cold temperatures. Colonies contain only a few thousand workers, compared to the 50,000 typical of European honey bees.

It is one of the important pollinators for coconut palms; the other species are Apis florea, Apis dorsata and Apis mellifera (the European bee).

From Wikipedia: Apis cerana indica (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗ · text CC BY-SA 4.0

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Devilal, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Len Worthington, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mongabay · CC BY-ND 4.0

Illustrative photo · Devilal, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: Mongabay ↗

politics

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

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Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.