Traditional Beekeeping in the Peloponnese, Greece by JOHN PHIPPS, GREECE reece has the perhaps dubi- clay/cow dung, were wastepaper- of Greece and never spread through- ous distinction of being the basket in shape, with lats of wood be- out the whole country, despite their Gfirst area in which the use of ing placed at regular intervals across obvious advantages. Two possible moveable combs has been recorded. the rim. The advantages of these reasons for this are that the Greeks Long before Langstroth in America, hives versus the later wooden ones kept very much to their own lo- Dzierzon in Poland and Prokopovich included excellent insulation for the cal traditions and that the types of in Ukraine developed their moveable colony and sloping sides which al- hives used depended on the materi- frame hives, moveable comb hives had lowed the bees to build their combs als which were easily available in the been in existence in parts of Greece in a more natural way than in rectan- districts. The Greek beekeeping mu- for at least a couple of centuries. gular frames. seum at the Agricultural Institute in Whilst the more modern moveable Interestingly, surprising perhaps, Athens has a range of old hives from frame hives were made of wood, the is the fact that these moveable comb different regions of Greece made from Greek hives were made of wicker and hives were found in only a few parts a variety of materials — wicker (split reeds), wood, clay and stone. In my part of Greece, the Mani, on the middle finger of the Southern Peloponnese, two types of hive were commonly in use: the koffinia hive — made from split reeds and daubed with mud and cow dung — and stone hives built in tiers. KOFFINIA HIVES Koffinia hives were common in ar- eas with great expanses of reed beds. Kalamata, our nearest city, has many reed beds as this flat region near the Mani coast has many ditches and damp ar- Peninsula in eas giving ideal conditions for their the Southern growth and spread. In years past, ma- Peloponnese laria was a great problem because of region of the huge populations of mosquitoes. Greece Not surprisingly, many Roma people today make their camps near the reed beds as they use the split cane for their basket making and chair seating. The koffinia hives are more like the German tall and round-topped skeps than the broader ones in England made from straw. This being the case, it was not possible to have removable combs or to add extensions to them for extra storage of honey. Koffinia hives were in use around Kalamata until a few years ago. An old beekeeper living there with November 2019 1 Gene Kritsky Mike Thomley The large collection of old hives below our village of Neochori, Mani, Peloponnese, is a mecca for beekeepers and scholars., including Professor Gene Kritsky, USA, Gilles Ratia, former President of Apimondia, and Mike Thornley, a retired conservation architect. they were protected with Langstroth STONE HIVES boxes and roofs. In the later years, Stone hives were more typical the swarms were collected and hived homes for bees in the part of the Pelo- into Langstroths, allowing the bee- keeper’s son to build up a modern commercial apiary. The beekeeper had his own way of “charming” the swarms from the trees. He put a hive with brood combs beneath the swarm and whistled until the all the bees had entered the box. A unique experience for me to witness. Sadly, just before the beekeeper’s death, Gilles Ratia this last koffinia apiary was de- stroyed in a wildfire. whom I became acquainted had I found two other apiaries with kof- about one hundred of them and was finia hives — though now no longer possibly the last person to use them in use — and again, they were used in this part of Greece. The colonies in in conjunction with modern hives. In the hives were not managed in any this case the hives were partially shel- way; they were allowed to develop tered in Langstroth boxes and cov- naturally and to swarm. In winter, ered with polythene or paper sacks for protection from the weather. A feature of some of the koffinia hives is a projecting piece of wood at the top of the hive which enabled the colony to be carried easily. Exterior and interior Early stone and wooden top bar hives of koffinia hive and a small wicker skep 2 American Bee Journal Koffinia hive con- taining a colony. The combs in the hives are much thicker than those found in conventional hives which are restricted by the frames and the bee space. The beekeeper had an apiary of these near Kalamata until ten years ago. The swarms from them were put into The Greek Beehive, as depicted in Langstroth hives to George Wheeler’s book from 1682 increase his son’s commercial apiary. ponnese where we live, the Mani. ing, or a harder material for which the Coincidentally, our mountain village English equivalent is “marbelite.” The has the best example of these 18th internal measurements of the hives Century hives in the whole of Greece, are: 55.5 cm deep x 21.5 cm wide x 28 still mostly in good repair, sited in the cm high, giving a volume of 33,411 cu- gorge just below the village and used bic centimetres (33.4 litres). until almost the 1970s. Altogether there are 257 hives: a wall THE LEGEND of 55 x 3 hives (165), another of 28 x 3 Almost every antiquity in Greece hives (84), and another with just two has some story behind it, these bee- There are extensive areas of reeds grow- tiers each with four hives. An addi- hives being no exception. The story ing in damp places around Kalamata tional four hives are found in the wall is about an ancestor of the Mara- which are split and used for making bas- of one of the large caves in which the beas family, a family in the village kets as well as hives. beekeeper lived and where the family of Neochori, whose members have squeezed the honey from the combs. been keeping bees, uninterrupted, for The hives are quite simply made — nearly three centuries. The story goes two stone uprights, a stone base, a that in the early 1700s, one of their stone to the front with a small open- ancestors left his village of Nomi- ing at its base, and a stone top. The tsi, near Platsa, to walk over the two back also is a piece of stone or wood mountain passes to Kalamata to seek which can be removed when required. work. Within a short time of being in Except on the outside walls, adjoining Kalamata, however, he killed a Turk hives share the same internal wall and who had insulted him. Maniat fam- the floor of one is the roof of another. ily honour demanded this of him. Each wall of hives is covered with a Now a fugitive from the law, he did tiled roof which slopes to the front. All the stone pieces are flat, rectangu- lar and between 6 cm and 8 cm thick, the rock being a type of soft limestone Roma people still make these hives to- “pourri” which hardens with weather- day in Kalamata. These packet hives have pointed rather than rounded roofs. An apiary with the pointed type of roof. The stone hives are on the side of a gorge facing south east. (See photo at beginning They are given protection with Lang- of article.) Behind the hives are two caves in which the monk and later successive stroth boxes and fertiliser bags. generations of the Marabeas family lived whilst managing the bees. November 2019 3 Wooden versions of the hives proved to be of no use as the walls were too thin. The back of the hive was made of wood or stone. back of an empty hive. The back of the hive was sealed in place with cow Iannis with swarm catcher dung, but initially pushed halfway in, being moved further back as the what many in his predicament had colony increased in size. A flattened done and would do in the future, he spoon was used for sealing the gaps crossed the Peloponnese and sought at the back of the hive. However, the upright wooden hives with sanctuary in one of the monasteries Iannis Marabeas, now in his 80s, the same volume as the stone hives were in Mount Athos, the Russian mon- worked these hives in the 1950s, start- much better, especially if they were well astery of Saint Panteleimon, and be- ing his beekeeping life at the age of protected from the weather. came a monk. Later, he returned to 15. Being an agile lad then, he had the Mani with, as people say, “bees the job of looking out for and catch- From each hive about half to one kilo in his hat” from the hives at Mount ing the swarms. And nimbleness was of honey was taken. Interestingly, the Athos, and settled in the caves in the certainly needed for climbing up and bees built their combs at right angles ravine below Neochori village. He down the steep sides of the gorge to the entrance. No protective cloth- then set about making stone beehives to capture the swarms. He tells me ing was ever worn when working in which to place the bees and also to that the swarms were placed into the with the bees. build a church dedicated to the saint hives as soon as they had clustered, The honey was then carried into of the monastery in which he had but many of them absconded shortly the caves behind the hives (where the sought refuge.