Maltese Beekeeping Site
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Earthenware Jars |
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Traditionally, bees were kept in earthenware jars. This jar was a cylindrical container made of baked clay. It had front openings or holes, in about 10cm diameter , and a rear opening, that is all the diameter of the jar. The beekeeper used to lay the jar horizontally on the ground with the narrow entrance facing south. Some preferred to have them placed under trees for shade such as carob trees or fig trees. This was still practiced up to the middle of this century. During this period, although most of the beekeepers reared their bees in pottery jars, the box hives were being introduced. Since the Maltese beekeepers were not accustomed to the box hives, diseases, like Varroa jacobsonii, could not be identified and controlled before it was too late. Most of the bees which were kept in pottery jars did not overcome the Varroa epidemic, and this factor contributed to a significant loss of colonies in the Maltese Islands. 80% of the colonies were destroyed.
This fact triggered the government to take action and replace the jars with boxhives. Nowadays all beekeepers rear their bees in boxhives, and jars are kept to decorate homes.
