Can honey bees keep away “gundhi bug” (locally called bambuchi) in paddy? Definitely, says Ramakrishna Shenoy, an agriculturist and an ex-serviceman, from Beluvai in Mangaluru taluk.
Mr. Shenoy said that the “gundhi bug” was a major menace in his paddy field for rabi crops (November-February) and not for kharif crop (June). Though the government’s agricultural scientists suggested chemical spray to drive away the bugs, he preferred not to use it. Instead, he used an organic mixture prepared by himself. But it was not very effective to keep them away permanently and the bugs returned after a few days of organic spray.
As he was also an apiculturist, he had kept five honey boxes in the surroundings of the paddy field three years ago. He kept the boxes there because honey bee colonies had multiplied and he had to find them new homes (boxes). To his surprise, after some days, he noticed that the “gundhi bugs” had disappeared from the paddy field. Till then, he never had an idea that honey bees could drive away the bugs. Mr. Shenoy (52) believed that, probably, the constant buzz of the honey bees disturbed the bugs forcing them to fly away.
H. Kempe Gowda, Joint Director, Agriculture, Dakshina Kannada, told The Hindu that he was hearing it for the first time and would have to verify it. Mr. Shenoy said that following this till the last rabi paddy crop, the “gundhi bugs” had not attacked his field.
Though he continued to grow paddy for this kharif, this year, for the first time, he has grown maize as rabi crop in the paddy field. Maize helped honey bees in honey production. In addition, last year the peacock menace during the rabi paddy crop was also high, he said. Mr. Shenoy said that he joined the IAF in his teens and served there for 20 years. He took up farming on his three-acre land 16 years ago.
Mr. Shenoy has taken up integrated farming with apiculture, arecanut, coconut, cocoa, paddy, pineapple and vermi-composting.