BEE-KEEPING 103 



Of late years the Agricultural Department has intro- 

 duced modern hives with movable frames, and had it not 

 been for the high cost of timber since the war, the number 

 of these would have increased rapidly. The difficulty is 

 to get the local carpenters to construct them properly 

 and with finish. Practical hive construction is taught at 

 the Agricultural School. 



Cyprian bees are, par excellence, the yellow race of the 

 world. They are of uniform colour, size and character, 

 slightly smaller than the Italians and the blacks. They 

 have great power of flight, are very prolific and vigorous 

 and good honey-gatherers. They are by many considered 

 vicious and ill-tempered. This is possibly due to the con- 

 stant war they have to wage against hornets, which in this 

 country are a real plague and frequently exterminate whole 

 colonies and sometimes whole apiaries. Various devices are 

 employed for the protection of bees in or near the hives. 



A good number of Cyprian queen bees have been 

 imported into Europe and America, and are very highly 

 regarded wherever they have been established. In the 

 eighties Cyprian queens were sold in the United States of 

 America at 2 each. This high price checked the importa- 

 tion and the crossing of Cyprians with Italians and blacks 

 took place, the hybrid offspring being sold by dealers as 

 Cyprians. These, however, did not possess the best charac- 

 teristics of Cyprians, and for a time they brought about a 

 reaction in favour of other breeds. 



Cyprus possesses excellent honey-producing plants in 

 the eucalyptus trees, orange groves, " throumbia " or 

 wild thyme, and other aromatic plants. 



In the neighbourhood of orange groves a competent 

 bee-keeper can obtain an average of 50 Ib. of honey per 

 colony ; although unfortunately the ordinary village bee- 

 keeper gets little more than 6 to 10 Ib. 



Locally produced beeswax is of fine quality with 

 delicious aroma and of a bright yellow colour, said to be 

 superior to that imported from Asia Minor and Egypt. 



The industry is susceptible of considerable develop- 

 ment and, when brought under more complete control, 

 should be capable of establishing a good export trade of 

 honey and possibly of beeswax. 



