Beekeepers walk for miles to obtain rare, high-quality honey

VAN

In their pursuit to produce rare, high-quality honey for national and international markets, beekeepers in the eastern province of Van’s Çatak district trek for kilometers across hilly terrain in search of bee nests in rock crevices and tree hollows, where escaped bees often take refuge.

Beekeepers Abdulvahap Semo and his brothers use techniques specific to mountain climbers to produce this distinctive honey in a region renowned for its pristine environment and abundant flora.

After trekking for kilometers to inspect tree hollows and rock crevices for the nests built by bees that have fled their hives, the beekeeping brothers patiently await the arrival of harvest time each year.

Taking the necessary safety measures, the brothers identified nesting sites in the rocky rural areas of the district, marking the first stage of this year's harvest. They then used a rope to access the nests, expelled the bees with smoke, and collected the honeycombs from the designated locations.

Abdulvahap Semo described their journey to obtain this rare honey as "challenging," noting that they exercise great care to avoid causing any harm to the region's wilderness.

"Bees entered the tree from a bird's nest to build the nest we discovered. Without harming the tree, we simply cut the entrance. We take the honey and then relocate the bees to a hive," he explained. "Afterward, we seal the hollow of the tree in the same way."

“This honey is extremely unique due to its rarity. We charge 10,000 Turkish Liras per kilogram,” he said, emphasizing that they often struggle to meet the high demand.

Hadi Semo, one of the brothers, also noted that the honey is free of any additives, stressing that people often take it as “medication.”