Honeybees reared by urine

Updated 23.08 Tue Jul 08 2008

Keywords: bacteria, research, india, honey, scientist, urine, wee, cow, bee, and finally

Scientists in northern India have been using cow urine to save bees from contacting microbial diseases.

Researchers at the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology in Pantnagar city have explored the benefits of cow urine and are using it extensively while breeding honeybees.

"Using cow urine we have seen that within 7-8 days the breed becomes healthy" researcher Ruchira Tiwari

While rearing, bees are kept in wooden boxes with frames, where they are susceptible to microbial diseases.

A researcher at the institute, Ruchira Tiwari, said: "Using cow urine we have seen that within 7-8 days the breed becomes healthy. The workers work as cleaners and the queen bee lays the eggs. After the urine is sprayed on them, the workers start working more efficiently and then take out unhealthy larva from the eggshells."

The current medicines used for killing the microbes have had a bad affect on the production of larvae but the researchers believe cow urine surpasses such effects.