Ya˛a Beekeepers · This practical guide to beekeeping provides a simple technical and theoretical...

Ya�a BeekeepersA BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING


◊ FunFacts

◊ Introduction

◊ ImportanceofBeekeeping

◊ BenefitsofBeekeeping

◊ HoneyBeeColony

◊ BeeproductsandUses

◊ TypesofHives

◊ ApiaryManagement

◊ HoneyHarvestingTechniques

TABLE OF CONTENT

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Fun Fact 1

Why bees are important?Didyouknowonethirdoftheworldsfoodsupplydependsonpollinatinginsectslikehoneybees.AccordingtoAlbertEinsteinIfbeesdisappearedoffthefaceoftheearth,manwouldonlyhavefouryearslefttolive.

F U N F A C T

Fun fact 2Advanced mode of communicationDidyouknowthatbeeshavethemostadvancedmodeofcommunicationamongallsocialinsects?Theycommunicatethroughdances,vibrationsandbodychemicalsignalsknownashoneybeepheromones.Thescoutbeeshavethetaskoffindingnewpollen,nectarandwatersources.Oncetheyhavesourcedthesetheyreturntothehiveandperformeitheraroundorwaggledanceacrossthehoneycomb.

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Fun Fact 3

Honey productionTomakeapoundofhoneybeeshavetotraveltoabout2millionflowers.Anaverageworkerbeemakesonlyabout1/12teaspoonofhoneyinitsentirelifetime.

Fun Fact 4

The democracyHoneybeesmakedecisionscollectively--anddemocratically.Whenhoneybeesseekanewhome,theychoosethebestsitethroughademocraticprocessthathumanswoulddowelltoemulate

START UP KIT

Description Quantity PhotoLangstrothhive 10

2frameplastichoneyextractor

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Beekeepingsuit 1

Hivetool 1

BeeBrush 1

Decappingfork 1

Doublesieve 1

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Beekeepingisthemaintenanceofbeecolonies,commonlyinman-madehives,byhumans.MostsuchbeesarehoneyinthegenusApis,butotherhoney-producingbeessuchasMeliponastinglessbees80%oftheKenya’shoneyproductionpotentialremainsuntapped.

Thedemandforhoneyisincreasingatarateof15%peryearwhilehoneyproductionhasstagnatedovertheyearsposingagreatopportunityforyouthtotapthispotential.Wecanembracethisopportunity.BeekeepinghasahighpotentialforcreatingemploymentandgeneratingasustainableincomeandreducingpovertyinKenya.Beekeepingrequiresveryminimalresourceslikelandandcapitaland.Additionallybeekeepingisimportantforbiodiversityitplaysakeyroleincroppollinationandconservationofbiodiversity,Mostbeekeeperslacktheknowledgeandskillsrequiredtoefficientlymaximizethehoneyproductionlevel.Resultingtopoorapiaryperformance,hiveoccupationrate,honeyyieldandquality.Thispracticalguidetobeekeepingprovidesasimpletechnicalandtheoreticalinformationonthemostimportantaspectsofbeekeepingtosupplementinitialinformationforbeginners.

INTRODUCTION

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Beesplayakeyroleinthepollinationofagriculturalcropsandmanyotherfloweringplants.Theycontributetonutritionalfoodsecurityforincreasingtheproductionformostfruitsandvegetables.Beesaremajorpollinators

ofagriculturalcropsandcontributetonutritionalfoodsecurityandbiodiversityconservationthroughpollination.Pollinatorstransferpollenandseedsfromoneflowertoanother,fertilizingtheplantsoitcangrowandproducefood.Cross-pollinationhelpsatleast30percentoftheworld’scropsand90percentofourwildplantstothrive.Withoutbeestospreadseeds,manyplantsincludingfoodcropswoulddieoff.Beekeepingisalsoanessentialeconomicactivityforgeneratingincomeandimprovingthelivelihoodsofcommunitygroups.

Importance of beekeeping

Benefits of Beekeeping• Environmentalconservation

• Providesfoodsourcesandincreases

productioninthefarms

• Earnsforeignexchangethroughexport

• Requireslimitedland

• Requiresminimumtimeforproduction

• Lowlabourrequirements

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Honeybeesare social insects that live in colonies.(Bee species)Honeybeecolonies consist of a single queen, hundreds ofmale drones and 20,000 to80,000femaleworkerbees.Eachhoneybeecolonyalsoconsistsofdevelopingeggs,larvaeandpupae.Ahoneybeecolonytypicallyconsistsofthreekindsof

adultbees:workers,drones,andaqueen.

HONEY BEE COLONY

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Queen Worker Bee Drones

Developmentalstage 16days 21days 24daysLifespan 2-3years 3months 3months


QueensLife expenctancy 3-5 yearsQueensaretheonlymembersofacolonyable to lay fertilized eggs.An egg-layingqueenisimportantinestablishingastronghoney bee colony, and is capable ofproducingupto2,000eggswithinasingleday.Queensmateearlyinlifeandstoreupmillionsofspermwithintheirbodies.Whiletheyarecapableoflivinguptofiveyears,theyonlyoftenonlylivetwotothreeyearsproducingeggs.

WorkersWorker honey bees are the largestpopulation within a colony. Worker beesare entirely female, but they are unableto produce fertilized eggs. If there is noqueen theydosometimes layunfertilizedeggs,whichbecomemaledrones.Workerbeesuse theirbarbedstingers todefendthe colony, but after attacking, the barbsattach to the victim’s skin, tearing thestingingbee’sabdomen,resultingindeath.Workersareessentialmembersofhoneybeecolonies.They forage for pollenandnectar, tend to queens and drones, feedlarvae,ventilatethehive,defendthenestand perform other tasks to preserve thesurvival of the colony. The average lifespanofworkerbees isapproximatelysixweeks.

DronesDrones, or male honey bees, have onlyonetask: to fertilizenewqueens.Dronesmate outdoors usually in midair and diesoon after mating. Some honey beecolonieswillejectsurvivingdronesduringfall when food for the colony becomeslimited.

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BeeProduct Description USES Applications1.Honey Honeyismadeusing

thenectaroffloweringplantsandisreservedforeatingduringtimesofscarcity.

• Medicinalproperties-Healsburnsandreducesinfections.

• Nourishestheskinhasamoisturizingandsoothingeffect

• FoodAdditive-BindingagentandPreservative

• Healthbenefitshasantioxidantsthathelpinboostingimmunity.

• Essentialnutrients-agoodsourceofproteinsandvitamins,flavonoidsandaminofattyacids.

FoodSoapsCreamsOintments

2.Beeswax Beeswaxissecretedfromtheabdominalglandsofworkerbees.Theglandsofworkerbeesconvertthesugarcontentsofhoneyintowax,whichoozesthroughthebee'ssmallporestoproducetinyflakesofwaxontheirabdomens.

• Honeycombconstruction

• Attractbeestothehive• Stabilizer• Weakemulsifier• Increaseswaterholding

capacityofointmentsandcreams

BeehivesCreamsSoapsCandles

3.Propolis Propolisisaresin-likematerialmadebybeesfromthebudsofpop-larandcone-bearingtrees.

• HighlyeffectiveAntiseptic

• Containsantioxidants• Hasantiinflamatory

properties• Antibacterial• Antifungal• Anti-dandruff• Tissueregeneration• Tissuerejuvenation

ShampoosMouthrinsesandtoothpasteCleansingcreamsMedicineagainstbacteriavirusesandfungi.

BEE PRODUCTS & USESBees produce several products like honey, wax, pollen, propolis and royal jelly andvenom

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BeeProduct Description USES Applications4.RoyalJelly Royaljellyisa

gelatinoussubstanceproducedbyhoneybeestofeedthequeenbeesandtheiryoung.

• Skinrefreshingregeneration

• Rejuvenation,healing

• AntioxidantandAnti-InflammatoryEffects

• Nutritious

MedicineFoodBeautyproducts

5.Beepollen Beepollenistheprimarysourceofproteinforthehive.Foragingbeesbringpollenbacktothehivefromflowers.

• Nutritious-Acompleteprotein,richinvitamins,minerals,enzymes,aminoacidsandanti-oxidants,

• Boostenergy• Helpsdigestion• Reduces

symptomscausedbyairbornallergens.

FoodImmunebuildersVitalitymedication.alertnessandconcentration

BeeVenom Beevenomismadebybees.Thisisthepoisonthatmakesbeestingspainful.Beevenomisusedtomakemedicine.

Beevenom(BV)isacomplexmixtureofproteinsandcontainsproteinssuchasphospholipaseandmelittin,whichhaveaneffectonbloodclottingandbloodclots.

MedicineApitherapy

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TYPES OF HIVES

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Long langstroth

langstroth

Box Hive

Kenya Top Bar hive (KTBH)


Type of hive Advantages DisadvantagesLoghive • Easytomake

• Largequantitiesofwax• Hardtosteal

• Colonyisdisrupted• Hardtoinspect• Pronetopests• Abscondment

KTBH • Damagetothebroodandthecolony.

• Easytosplitcolony• Largequantitiesofwax

produced• Easytoinspect• Swarmingcanbecon-

trolled• Harvestingiseasy

• Highskillsandtech-niquerequired.

• Harvestingtimeonlytwotimesayear.

Langstrothmodernhives

• Nodamagetothebroodandthecolony.

• Easytotransport• HighHoneyyield-upto3

timesayear• Easytoinspectandhar-

vest• Swarmingcanbecon-

trolled• Beebreedingandqueen

rearingispossible• Longlasting

• Highskillsandtech-niquerequired.

• MinimalBeeswaxpro-duction

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Apiary Management

1. Apiary Set upStartinganewapiarysuccessfullyrequiresawell-plannedandsuitablelocation.Youshouldconsiderthefollowing• ApiaryLocation-Awayfrompublic

places,roadsschoolsandchurches,livestockandagriculturalactivities.

• Nearawatersource-Beespreferflavoredandsaltywatersourceslikeswimmingpools.

• Havediversevegetationforfoodlikeropsandtrees.

• Protectedfromstrongwindsandsunshine

• Awayfromareaswithintensivepesticideusesapplicationofpesticides

• Hivesshouldbewellplacedfencedandfrequentlyweeded.

• Treesandflowersshouldbeplantedinandaroundtheapiary

• Childrenandanimasshouldbekeptawayfromtheapiary.

• Hiveplacement-Onemetrefromthegroundandatleast30cmapart.

2. Hive Inspection• Anapiaryshouldbeinspected

regularlyusuallyonceafortnighttobuildawarenessoftheconditionofthecolonies

• Checkhowbroodisdevelopingatdifferentstages

• Checkcellsarefilledwithhoneyandpollen.

• Beesaregatheringnectarpollenorpropolis

• Anypests,diseasesornuisancesdisturbingthebees.

3. Record KeepingRecordkeepinginbeekeepingisimportantbecauseithelpskeeptrackofyourhive’sprogress.Recordanythingthatseemsunusualandnoteyournextvisit.TheTablebelowshowstheessentialinformationtorecordforeachhiveaftereveryinspection.

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DISEASES AND PESTS CONTROLThereareanumberofdiseasesthataffecthoneybees.Diseasesareoftenaprobleminareaswithalotconcentrationofbeecolonieswithlimitedspace.Thegeneralcontrolofmostdiseasestolimitimportationofbeesandreportinganyoutbreakstotherelevantauthorities.Mostbeediseasesarebacteria,virus,protozoa,ormitesaffectingtheBroodandlarvaeandaredetrimentaltothefutureadultsinthecolony.Theyinclude,AmericanFoulBrood,Europeeanfoulbrood,chalkbrood,Sacbrood,Nosema,AcerinemiteandVarroamite.

Image Pest Description PreventionWaxMoth Adamagingpestofbeeswax

combs,combhoneyandbeecollectedpollengrains.Asignofotherunderlyinghiveproblems

MaintainhealthycoloniesKeeptheapiarysetupcleanandsanitizedConstanthiveinspectionWaxmothTraps

HoneyBadger

Feedsonhoneyanddestroysthehivesweakeningcoloniesandmaycausethepopulationtoabscond

• Hangthehiveswithwiresproperly.

• Fencethearea• TraptheHoney

BadgersSmallAnts/SafariAnts

FeedsonHoneyattractedtothesugars.

Greasethepolesandwires.Weedingtopreventants

Termites Theydestroywoodenpostsandhives.

• Treatpostswithantitermitechemicals

• Greasethepolesandwires

• Weedingtopreventtermites.

SmallHiveBeetles

AttackcoloniesintheTropicsDestructivepestsofBeecolonies.Damagesthecombs.WeakenstheBroodFeedsonBeepollen,honey,broodeggsanddeadbees.Theirexcrementalsocontaminatehoneymakingitfermentedandunfitforbeeandhumanconsumption.

• Avoidover-superinghives,whichincreasestheareathatthebeesmustpatrol.

• Maintainacleanapiarytoreduceattractiontobeetles.Avoidtossingcombsontothegroundaroundhives,whichmayattractpests.

MiceBirdsLizardsandToads

DestroythecombsEatLargeNumberofbees

• Maintainacleanapiary.

• Setatrap.

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Honey Harvesting

Harvestingshouldbedoneinthemorningoreveningtoavoidattacksincebeesarelessactiveatthistime.Assemblethenecessarytoolsforharvesting.Thisinclude;aBeesuit,gloves,Smoker,hivetool,beebrush,bucket,Gumboots.Preparethesmokertogeneratesmokeusecharcoalmaizecombsand

sawdust.

Steps1. Identifyhoneyflow-nectarsources

whentheflowersareinbloomandidealseasonsforharvesting.

2. Identifytherightwindowforharvesting

3. Identifywaxcappingthatsymbolizethehoneyisreadyforharvesting

4. WearProtectiveBeekeepingSuits–Wearsafetygearanybeekeeperswillmakethisrecommendationbecauselighter-coloredclotheshaveacalmingeffectonthebeesandkeepsthemcalm.

5. Removethelid6. Applysmokecontinuouslyonthe

hive.7. Openthehive8. Identifyframeswithhoney.9. Removebeesfromtheframesusing

abeebrush.10. Uncapthehoney11. Filterthehoney12. Packagethehoney.

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GlosaryPlantstofeedbees-thatbeesloveItisadvisedtoplantashrubaroundyourapiarytoprovideforageforbeesandreducebeeaggression.Differentagroforestrytreesandfruittreeswouldalsobebeneficialandprovideawiderangeofnectarandpollensources.Someexamplesinclude:1. FruittreesincludeAvocado,pawpaw,

banana,mangoes,coffee2. Trees-Macadamiaplants,Eucalyptus,

Bottombrush3. Nativeplantsandshrubs-Acacia

trees,calliandra,leucaena,sesbaniaandMulberry.

Save the BeesWorldwidethereisagreatconcernovercolonycollapsedisorderaphenomenonthathasledmostpartoftheworldtoloosethousandsofcolonies.Scientistsknowthatbeesaredyingfromavarietyoffactorspesticides,drought,habitatdestruction,nutritiondeficit,airpollutionandglobalwarming.Thesolutiontorestoreandprotecttheworld’sbeesavoidtheuseofdangerouspesticides.Protectpollinatorhealthbypreservingwildhabitatandrestoreecologicalagriculture.Otherbeespeciesarealsoimportantnotjusttheapis–Honeybees.

Bees need waterWateriscrucialtohoneybeesurvival.Workerbeesusewatertocontrolthehumidityofthecolony.Nectarwhichismostlywaterprovidessomeneededmoistureinacolonybutnotnearlyenough.Foragerswillcollectwaterwhenneededinacolonywaterisusedtodissolvecrystallizedhoneywhenproducingfood.

Pesticide applicationFloweringplantsareoftenvisitedbyhoneybeesforforaging.Onlyusepesticideswhennecessarypreferablyatdusktominimizethelethaleffectonhoneybeesandotherbeneficialinsects.

SwarmingIsthenaturalmeansofreproductionordivisionofacolonyswarmingoccurswhenacolonyistoolargeforahive.Considersplittingthehiveorputtingadditionalsupers.

AbscondingAbandonmentofahivebyacolonyduetotoomuchdisturbanceeitherfromthepredatorsorbeekeepersorthelackofresourceslikeforagewaterandsun.

Cost/Revenue analysisForeconomicsenseitisadvisabletostartwith10hivesonanApiary.

No of hives Startup kit 10EstimatedCostofpur-chase

Kes5,000perHive Kes50,000

EstimatedHarvestinKgsperyear

Harvest3timesperyear5kgsperhive/perharvest

150Kgs

EstimatedRevenueperyear

SellIkg@aminimumofKes500 Kes75,000

GetaReturnoninitialinvestmentwithinthefirstyearandRevenueof75,000everyyearafterthatwhenyoubuy10hives.

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Ya˛a Beekeepers · This practical guide to beekeeping provides a simple technical and theoretical...

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Transcript of Ya˛a Beekeepers · This practical guide to beekeeping provides a simple technical and theoretical...