An unprecedented pest infestation has dealt a severe blow to beekeepers in Pulpally, Wayanad, with aggressive beetle invasions causing entire bee colonies to desert their hives. The outbreak has resulted in financial losses running into lakhs of rupees for local apiculturists, who report failing to harvest even a single drop of honey this season.

The destructive pests, predominantly small beetles, have been invading hive boxes placed across agricultural land and forest edges. Once inside, the insects lay eggs that rapidly multiply into larvae, destroying the honeycombs and driving away the bees. Left with compromised boxes overrun by pests, farmers have been forced to dismantle and remove their gear entirely.

For Tharayil Pappachan, a seasoned beekeeper from Vandikkadavu with 24 years of experience in the trade, the sudden disaster is completely unheard of. Out of the 80 beehive boxes he had set up across his plantation, a mere two remain operational today. Pappachan was forced to sanitise his infested boxes in boiling water and stack them away in his cattle shed, facing losses running into lakhs of rupees.

Normally, honey is harvested just ahead of the South West monsoon. During this period, farmers split healthy colonies to expand their hives. However, with the current pest surge, introducing new bees into the contaminated boxes remains futile until the infestation is completely neutralised.

Unlike other districts in Kerala where commercial apiculture relies heavily on rubber plantations, Wayanad's honey production depends almost entirely on flowering wild plants and forest vegetation. Traditional forest honey gatherers have reported similar destruction deep within woodland areas, where larvae-infested combs are forcing wild bees to flee, drastically reducing regional honey yield.