ya˛a beekeepers · this practical guide to beekeeping provides a simple technical and theoretical...
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Ya�a BeekeepersA BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
A 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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
Fun Fact 3
Honey productionTomakeapoundofhoneybeeshavetotraveltoabout2millionflowers.Anaverageworkerbeemakesonlyabout1/12teaspoonofhoneyinitsentirelifetime.
Fun Fact 4
The democracyHoneybeesmakedecisionscollectively--anddemocratically.Whenhoneybeesseekanewhome,theychoosethebestsitethroughademocraticprocessthathumanswoulddowelltoemulate
START UP KIT
Description Quantity PhotoLangstrothhive 10
2frameplastichoneyextractor
1
Beekeepingsuit 1
Hivetool 1
BeeBrush 1
Decappingfork 1
Doublesieve 1
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
TYPES OF HIVES
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Long langstroth
langstroth
Box Hive
Kenya Top Bar hive (KTBH)
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING
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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