The Bolivian who rescues bees and teaches how to live with them to preserve the planet
Daniela Romero
La Paz, May 20 (EFE).- The swarms of bees that form on the roofs of old houses and along public streets in some cities have found refuge in the home of Luis Flores, a young Bolivian agronomist who has been rescuing bees for three years and teaching them how to live with them to preserve the planet.
At an altitude of over 4,000 meters, in a house located on the border between the cities of La Paz and El Alto, thousands of bees hover around six handmade honeycombs made of wooden and metal boxes.
Those who arrive and want to get close to the bees put on a special suit and Flores applies smoke to them, which helps calm them, he explains.
Flores says he's always been a bee lover, but an ultimatum from some neighbors prompted him to start rescuing them and sheltering them in his home.
"I started with some bees that were in danger. They told me, 'Either you take them or we'll burn them.' It was a very tough decision, and despite not having suits or anything, I rescued the bees," Flores tells EFE.
After the first rescue, more came and before he knew it, thousands of bees had already taken over his house.
"I've always been curious about their hierarchy, their way of working is impressive: the queen, those who feed her, the explorers—there are specific jobs," the agronomist comments.
Flores has distributed the honeycombs among the strongest bees, the weakest, those that produce honey, and the newcomers, and he takes special care of each group.
Inside his room, where he sleeps, is the honeycomb of bees that are already producing honey, which causes wax trays with fresh honey to be distributed on the floor.
"Here we try not to harvest everything; we take what is consumed, up to 50% of the honey, and the rest is used to feed them," he explains.
Flores' goal is to raise awareness among people so they can learn to live with bees, feed them the honey they produce without subjecting them to "exploitation," and so they can be "fundamental" to preserving the planet.
Flores performs at least four rescues a week, especially between October and February, when the most bees appear in different regions.
The agronomist trains young beekeepers, students, and others to handle bees so that they can all adopt them within a few weeks.
The young Bolivian has developed a new habitat for bees. At altitudes of over 4,000 meters and sometimes "devastatingly cold," he has accustomed them to leaving their hives at specific times, depending on the season, and to working fewer hours during winter.
"I now have the confidence to work with them; they already recognize me, and that's a process that bees must go through," Flores says.
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 20 as World Bee Day to raise awareness about the importance of bees in nature.
The agricultural engineer has found his favorite hobby and life's purpose in bees, as he maintains that when you welcome bees into your home, they are actually the ones who adopt you. EFE
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