Young Lecturer of IPB University Becomes Guest Lecturer at Unpad, Explains Conservation of Beneficial Insects

Nadzirum Mubin, SP, MSi Lecturer of IPB University from the Department of Plant Protection as a Guest Lecture at Padjadjaran University, (13/11). On this occasion, Nadzir explained about the conservation of beneficial insects to provide sustainable agricultural support.

“Bees are one of the beneficial insects whose conservation efforts are still very minimal, especially for solitary bees. Bees are the dominant insects in helping the pollination process on three-fourths of the plants on this land. The role of the bee is so large that it is not comparable in its conservation efforts,” he explained.

According to him, the bees that have been known so far are a group of social bees, namely honey bees that have stingers. So that people are reluctant to maintain because of concerns in security and difficulties in the maintenance process.

“However in recent years, the development of the bee world has been massive and one of them is the development of stingless bees. Stingless bees have the same roles and products as stingless honey bees. That is as a pollinator and produces honey, bee pollen, and propolis,” he added.

However, he continued, information about stingless bees that have the potential to be developed in homes, both in villages or in urban areas, is not widely known. It is even known that many of these stingless bees are in inappropriate nests.

“It is ironic when bees provide assistance in pollination but the nests are only modest, such as in flowerpots, used bamboo, wooden frames, and so on. As an effort to preserve it, one of them is done by moving the unfit nest to a more suitable nest, such as a wooden box," said Nadzir who is a Young Scientist at PEI 2021.

Nadzir also explained that in conservation efforts, it is not only moving to a more suitable nest, but providing food sources is also one of the conservation efforts.

“Because when the bees wait for the spring for food crops and horticulture, it takes a long time. While the need for nectar and pollen is needed by bees every day. So making a kind of simple flower garden provides help to the bees to keep them around our environment,” he said.

He added that another added value is for agro-edutourism. Namely agriculture-based tourism is surrounded by agricultural and plantation crops and stingless bees in the vicinity.

“Stingless bees are very safe (friendly) so even children can see and learn very closely. Even people can carry out the procession of drinking honey from the hive directly without fear of being stung,” he added. (**/Zul-IPB News) IAAS/AML

Source: IPB News

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