THE island’s bee population would most likely not figure in the thoughts of Jamaicans driven by the natural human instinct of self-preservation in the face of danger.

However, two local bee-keepers — Duhjae Jennings, who operates multiple apiaries islandwide, and Hyacinth Wellington, who runs a farm in St Catherine — are reeling from widespread damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Both are reporting collapsed apiaries, food shortages for bee colonies, and long-term setbacks to honey production.

For Wellington, the main challenge after the Category 5 hurricane hit the western end of the island on October 28, 2025 is food scarcity for her bees.

“We are experiencing a dearth where there is no food on the trees, no pollen, no nectar. The rains washed out the nectar, the breeze blew the blossoms off, and so the bees don’t have any food,” Wellington told the Jamaica Observer.

With flowers destroyed and natural forage scarce, Wellington and other bee-keepers have been instructed by the Apiculture Unit and Ministry of Agriculture personnel to provide artificial feed. Many are turning to sugary water, pollen substitutes, or home-made supplements.

“I give them moringa — the dried leaves — crushed and mixed with some honey,” Wellington said. “It gives them enough energy to go out if there is anything available.”

Although her apiary survived largely intact, losing only the cover of a single box, Wellington said other bee farmers in St Catherine were not so fortunate.

Even with a few trees now beginning to flower, Wellington expects a long road to recovery.

“Some trees that should be blooming now were blown down. And the ones preparing to blossom, we don’t know when they will bloom again. It’s going to be years. Trees don’t grow back so soon and start to bear,” she said.

However, she remains cautiously optimistic, noting signs of life from guava and ackee trees, as well as shrubs that bees depend on. But the overall blooming season, normally beginning mid-November, will be heavily affected.

“It’s a big loss, even for small farmers like me,” Wellington added, pointing to rising costs for equipment and processing. “It’s expensive to take care of bees.”

For Jennings who manages 10 to 12 apiaries across four parishes — St Ann, St James, Trelawny, and St Elizabeth — the impact has been catastrophic.

“I had about 500 colonies before the storm,” he said. “So far, I’ve lost more than half from the apiaries I can actually reach. Many of them are still inaccessible,” he told the Observer.

Jennings described entire sites cut off by fallen trees and destroyed roads. His team is moving with chainsaws just to enter some of the affected areas.

The damage extends beyond bees. Jennings had also invested heavily in planting nectar-producing lumber trees, which were flattened.

“Most of the trees that would give me nectar have been almost totally devastated,” he said. “It’s hard to grow back those trees so it’s not a quick fix.”

While he sells honey, Jennings’ main business is selling bee colonies — a segment of his operation now severely reduced.

Both bee-keepers noted the arrival of Greater Good Charities which has begun supplying pollen substitutes, in partnership with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, to support struggling apiaries.

“Greater Good Charities has just dropped off a few pallets of pollen substitute,” Jennings said. “That is going to assist us, somewhat.”

But he emphasises that more help, especially financial, would make a crucial difference as farmers try to rebuild.

“Even if not for the main operation, just to assist with clearing and putting things back together,” he said. “But we know that might be the hardest thing to ask right now.”

Wellington believes bee-keepers must prepare for challenges ahead, including feeding colonies regularly — every 12 days if necessary — and planting fast-growing crops like pumpkin, cucumber, and squash to help reintroduce forage.

“It’s a long road to recovery,” she said. “But there will be food. Nature will have its course.”