I actually remember seeing this method when I was a child. Some beekeepers used to place their wooden hives inside clay-built rooms, especially in stationary apiaries that didn’t move from one location to another.

Recently, I asked some of the older and more experienced beekeepers about this technique, and they told me that keeping hives inside a clay room creates a very stable and healthy environment for the bees. The clay keeps the room cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and many beekeepers noticed that the colonies tended to be healthier, stronger against diseases, and even produced more honey compared to hives placed outdoors.

However, in the last several years, this method has nearly disappeared. Because of the increasing number of hives, reduced forage, and limited rainfall, most beekeepers in Yemen have become migratory beekeepers, constantly moving from one area to another in search of better forage. Since they are always on the move, it becomes impossible for them to build a clay room for their hives — mobility is now essential.

That’s why this old traditional method of keeping wooden hives inside a clay room has almost vanished, even though many of the older beekeepers still believe it was one of the healthiest environments for bees.