What's the buzz? Meet the former biologist who moves beehives

Free Malaysia Today

2 days ago

Former biologist John Chan says humans can learn to live peacefully with bees. (Dinesh Kumar Maganathan @ FMT Lifestyle)
PETALING JAYA : It was supposed to be a standard relocation. But as John Chan rose skyward in a cramped skylift box, face-to-face with a massive 2m-wide honeycomb hanging high above an international school in Bandar Baru Bangi, he knew this wasn't going to be an ordinary rescue.
The air was already thick with warning. 'We lit the smoke – we always do that first,' he said, referring to the makeshift burner made from cardboard egg cartons. 'But even that didn't calm them. The bees attacked immediately.'
The hive belonged to the 'lebah tualang', or giant honeybee – Malaysia's largest and most aggressive species. 'Their sting is the most painful. I wear at least three layers, but if they really want to get through, they can.'
That day, they did. Chan, a volunteer at My Bee Savior (MBS), was stung four or five times through his protective suit. One of his fellow volunteers, stationed safely on the ground below, had it worse – he bolted over 100m to the school's main gate, only to discover 30 stings across his back.
Surprisingly, the giant honeybees are Chan's favourite: 'They are beautiful creatures; unlike other bee species here, they form a congregation of 30 to 40 hives on a single tree. They command a lot of respect.'
Chan and fellow volunteers at My Bee Savior offer beehive-relocation services for free. (My Bee Savior pic)
Still, this particular case was one of the rare ones during which Chan and his team had to retreat.
At 43, the former biologist dedicates his life to protecting both people and bees. As part of MBS, which relocates beehives free of charge, Chan deals with some of nature's most misunderstood – and sometimes most dangerous – creatures.
Originally a government initiative under the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, MBS re-emerged in 2019 as a volunteer-led organisation with one mission: to offer humane, non-lethal solutions to Malaysia's rising cases of urban beehives.
For Chan, this mission often requires nerves of steel, a beekeeper's precision, and the level-headedness to walk away when nature refuses to yield.
'Sometimes we have to abandon a case – it's too dangerous. But even then, we make sure to guide them. Close your windows, turn off porch lights: bees are drawn to light. We help people stay safe.'
Giant honeybees are the biggest and most aggressive bees in the country. (John Chan pic)
So, why risk his life for bees? It stems from Chan's lifelong love of nature. 'Biology has been my favourite subject since Form 4,' he shared. 'And I ran an ecotourism business for many years, where we dealt with and handled wildlife. I was focused on insects and plants.'
His path shifted during the pandemic. While most stayed home, Chan joined a global project studying bee microbiomes – the gut bacteria of bees – alongside researchers from Switzerland's University of Lausanne and two local universities.
'We needed real-time access to bee colonies for sampling. MBS was the best resource: they were getting complaints and relocation requests almost daily,' Chan recalled.
What began as a scientific necessity soon evolved into a calling. The deeper Chan went, the more committed he became – not just to research, but to protecting bees and the ecosystems they support.
Indeed, the work he does is important. Relocating beehives isn't just about keeping people safe – it's about protecting the very creatures that keep our ecosystems thriving.
Saving bees is important for the world's food supply. (Dinesh Kumar Maganathan @ FMT Lifestyle)
'Honeybees are mainly pollinators,' Chan explained. Without them, entire food systems would begin to collapse.
In a world where bees are often misunderstood – swatted at, sprayed, or seen as threats – Chan's goal is as much about education as it is about rescue. Every hive safely moved is a small victory for biodiversity.
'Beehives can be relocated. It's not necessary to kill them, which seems to be most people's natural response. Yes, they can be dangerous, but in most cases, they are actually not. We can learn to live harmoniously with bees,' he concluded.
Find out more about My Bee Savior here, and follow them on Facebook.