Himalayan Women Save Native Bees in Traditional Homes

In the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand, 80-year-old Saraswati Devi sits in her courtyard listening to a familiar buzz. Indian honey bees fly in and out of a special cavity built right into her home's wall, where they've lived alongside her family for generations.

For centuries, homes across this region of India have included wall hives designed specifically for Apis cerana indica, the native Indian honey bee. These rectangular cavities, built during construction with a circular entrance outside and a sealed door inside, provide the perfect shelter from rain, cold, and predators.

The women of Uttarakhand are the traditional caretakers of these bees. They smooth the hive interiors with clay and cow dung, creating insulated spaces that protect colonies from harsh mountain weather. When temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the thick mud walls keep the bees safe until conditions improve.

"The only reason A. cerana indica is still surviving in Uttarakhand is the women," says Nagma Parveen, assistant professor at Kumaun University. While many men have left rural villages seeking work elsewhere, women have stayed behind as guardians of both their traditional homes and the bees within them.

This quiet dedication has become increasingly vital. Climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide exposure threaten wild bee populations throughout the region. The wall hives offer ready-made sanctuaries where bees can escape these dangers.

But modern construction is changing the landscape. A recent study in Chamoli district found that traditional homes fell from 61% before 1980 to just 26% by 2010. As concrete replaces mud walls, the number of wall hives per house has dropped from 11.2 to less than one.

The Ripple Effect

The women's work extends far beyond honey production. Bees are so woven into local culture that traditional wedding songs celebrate them. One melody Saraswati sang at weddings goes: "Bees come to those homes where children play; but at homes with no children, the bees won't stay."

By maintaining their wall hives, these women are preserving both a species and a way of life. Their daily care provides wild bees with safe nesting sites while keeping ancient traditions alive for future generations.

Shakuntala Devi from Ramni village sums up the relationship simply: "Rain, storms and cold impact the bees. Inside the wall hives, they are safe, but outside they cannot fight the natural forces."

In Uttarakhand's changing landscape, women remain the steady force keeping native bees buzzing through the Himalayas.