The beekeeping season in Nghe An’s Thanh Chuong District lasts from February to June. During this time, people transport beehives to local acacia forests to attract bees.
Hundreds of bee hives are placed under acacia trees.
Do Thi Hoa from the northern province of Ha Nam said her family has 600 beehives. With the favourable weather conditions and abundant food, she can harvest honey once a week.
She has hired ten people for the work. Each is paid VND250,000-270,000 a day.
Bees are often at their fiercest when separated from their beehives. So people have to make a fire to drive them away. They also have to wear masks, caps and gloves for protection.
Tran Van Tuyen said that his bees provide around 30 tonnes of honey annually. During the flower blooming season, the bees produce ample honey. To prevent the bees from eating the honey, beekeepers must feed them with additional soybean powder. During a scarcity of flowers, soybean powder and granulated sugar serve as the food for bees.