KUCHING: The phrase “Health is wealth” is often heard as one grows older, and this holds for 59-year-old Anthony Peter, especially after he discovered “kelulut” bees (scientific name: geniotrigona thoracica).
“My experience with this was that I had a cough and tried other medicines, but I was still coughing. Then, after a month, I turned to kelulut honey, and I got better,” he said.
Anthony learned about the ‘kelulut’ through research, reading, and connecting with others on Facebook. This eventually led to the establishment of his business, as he shared with the New Sarawak Tribune.
Since 2017, Anthony has been in the business of producing ‘madu kelulut’ (kelulut honey) which he keeps in his humble home in Kampung Landeh.
According to him, kelulut honey has several benefits, including boosting energy, aiding metabolism, acting as an antioxidant, promoting good blood flow, and reducing cholesterol.
Anthony sells his products through his Facebook page, ‘Supermoon Stingless Bee’, which has over a thousand followers. He also connects with buyers through WhatsApp.
Originally from Mukah and has been residing in Kuching for over 30 years, Anthony has become an expert in kelulut bee.
“The honey production process is quite simple. It is very raw and pure. We keep the bees, make the honey in the box, harvest it, and pack it,” he explained.
The process of stingless bees producing honey takes around one to two months, depending on the location where they are kept, he explained.
Anthony emphasised the importance of keeping the stingless bees in the right environment to ensure profitability and prevent losses.
As a government servant, Anthony rears stingless bees in his backyard and sells them part-time as a family business. He plans to continue this venture after retirement.
When asked about his interest in this field, Anthony mentioned the medicinal value of the honey and the limited knowledge of how to keep stingless bees.
Regarding the honey extraction process, Anthony explained that he purchases the nests from locals who collect them from the jungle instead of cutting down trees himself.
“If there is a large amount of honey to extract, it takes approximately 20 minutes. This yields around 50 to 100 small pots of finger-sized portions,” he said.
To extract the honey, a specific breeding place is designated for the bees. They produce honey in finger-sized pots, which are then opened and the honey is extracted from the nest using a vacuum pump. The honey is then filtered and packed.
In addition to selling and extracting kelulut honey, Anthony also provides training for those interested in the stingless bees. He has been conducting these training sessions since 2019, with each session lasting about 4 hours.
Anthony advised against keeping kelulut bees in housing areas far from the jungle as their well-being depends on the surrounding environment.
He sells kelulut honey in small glass bottles weighing 250 grams for RM50, with prices varying based on the bottle size.
During the interview with the New Sarawak Tribune, Anthony was accompanied by his daughter Audrey Melya, 25, who expressed her support for her father’s dream of producing kelulut honey.
“I have been assisting my dad for a while now. Seeing his happiness in this endeavour, I try my best to support his dreams,” she said.
Due to her interest in biology and chemistry, Audrey developed an interest in kelulut honey, prompting her to research the subject.
“Madu kelulut is rich in vitamin C. The bees don’t require a specific tree as they can attach themselves to any wood. In our previous wooden house, the bees made nests everywhere, so we decided to utilise the wood instead of having the bees nesting all over the house,” she explained.
