Operation to relocate beehives from Ajanta Caves

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The forest department and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have launched a joint operation to transfer honey bees from the Ajanta Caves following frequent bee attacks on tourists.The operation primarily covers Caves 9 and 10, and the authorities have described it as safe for both visitors and honey bees.Amol Dodke, the range forest officer for the Ajanta circle, said fog is being spread on beehives to disperse the bees. "Fog does not cause any harm to the bees and only acts as a repellent. To avoid the fog, the bees leave the beehives gradually over a period of 12 to 18 hours and form another beehive in a natural habitat," he said.Dodke said the operation is being carried out in a highly scientific manner without harming the bees, which he said needed protection as vital natural pollinators.A total of seven honey bee attacks have taken place at the Ajanta Caves, with three of them involving Caves 9 and 10, while the remaining took place around the Unesco World Heritage Site.Manoj Pawar, the conservation assistant with ASI, said most of the beehives had formed at the facade of the Caves 9 and 10 recently. "Around 19 small and large beehives have been noticed at both these caves, and bees from these structures are being removed in a phased manner. We hope the operation will last a few days till all the beehives become empty," he said.Pawar said the ASI is also providing special caps to tourists as a safety measure. "We are regulating visitor movement and avoiding huge gatherings in front of all vulnerable caves," he said.Forest department authorities said the area of the Ajanta Caves, located around 100 km from here, is a habitat of rock bees. Also known as agya mohol in the vernacular language, these bees were known to be aggressive when provoked.