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IMPROVING LIVELIHOODS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE
GOVERNMENT, NGO, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN SOUTH NANDI
FOREST, WESTERN KENYA (CSCF0413)

Bee Keeping Management

Trainings
Gichuki Joan
July 2009

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THE BEEKEEPING MANAGEMENT
BASIC TRAINING
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Joan Gichuki Project Officer NATURE
. KENYA
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Objectives
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The trainees will acquire skills and knowledge in the area of beekeeping that raise the living standards in
the community.
More specifically they will learn
1. To manage the langstroth and other beehives successfully,
2. Manage apiary effectively for maximum bee products.
3. How to make bee keeping a sustainable business for livelihood improvement.
Note :( The materials discuss more on langstroth hive)

Why practice beekeeping

Beekeeping is a rewarding and enjoyable occupation with many benefits. It has a number of
advantages over other farm enterprises;
Requires little land (50 colonies require a acre ) which does not have to be fertile
Honey is a source of non-perishable food that can be used in the drought season.
Capital investment is low compared to other farm enterprises.
Beekeeping or bee farming is cheap and relatively not competitive to other Agricultural
enterprises i.e. does not compete for resources
Labour required is low compared to other farm practices.
Many products can be obtained which are great source of income i.e. honey, beeswax, pollen
propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, bee colonies, bee brood, queen bees, and package bees.
Encourages environmental conservation.
Bees are good pollinators of plants, trees, fruits and crops, thus playing a big role in biodiversity and improvement of crop yields
The therapeutic value of most hive products provide remedy for a number of ailments
(Apitherapy)

Main Challenges in beekeeping

The farmers lack adequate skills on managing bees and handling hive products.
Inadequate training for both farmers and extension staff.
Limited access to appropriate beekeeping equipment.
An underdeveloped marketing system of hive products both locally and internationally due to
problems of quality and marketing organizations.
Lack of adequate and intense research on of the existing beekeeping technologies, equipment,
honey bee and product utilization.
Low prioritization of beekeeping in relation to other enterprises in the wider Agricultural
sector.

Introduction of beekeeping in Kenya

Definition
Beekeeping is the taking care of a hive in order to get bee products. To add

Beekeeping in Kenya has been practiced over the years.

However only 20% of the countrys honey production potential (estimated at 100,000 metric
tonnes) has been tapped.
80% of Kenya consists of arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) which have high potential in
production of honey and apicultural activity is a major occupation in these areas due to the
abundance of bee flora.
Non ASAL regions also practice beekeeping
Modern beekeeping in Kenya started towards the end of 1960s and has since become an
important enterprise in the livestock sub-sector.
80% of the honey comes from the traditional log hive.
However, a reasonable amount of hive products is obtained from Kenya Top Bar and
Langstroth hives

Types of hives

1. Traditional Hives
Different communities keep bees in different ways i.e.; Kamba log hive; Bantu a piece of wood;
Nilotes [luo] pot hive; Luhya guard hive; basket hive; Mwingi mud hive-introduced by white settlers.
Al these hives were having a lot of short comings
a) Burning bees when harvesting.
b) Farmer doesnt know when honey is ready for harvesting.
c) Most hives are hung too high hence dangerous to inspect.
d) African culture did not allow women to manage hives.

2. Kenya Top Bar Hive

This was introduced in 1960s
Construction of the hive
a) Wooden end 18 wide at top 9 wide at base and12 high.
b) Sides and bottom 36 long made of wood, reeds, or matting.
c) Bars 1 wide, 19 long, with a starter strip of bees wax along the bottom.
d) Two entrances * 8
e) Cover corrugated metal with a wooden rim
f) Wire loops to suspend hives out of reach of ants, termites and animals.

a)

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Limitation of the. Kenya Top Bar Hive
. during harvesting as they are not reinforced with wires as in langstroth
Combs can easily break
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frames.
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Bees swarm when harvesting
or inspecting there is a possibility of bee loss.
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Smoke contaminates the honey harvested hence low quality honey.
. brood mixes with the honey)
Lacks queen excluder.(the

b)
c)
d)
e) Has iron sheets which makes the hive too hot - worker bees swing their wings to cool the
hive instead of looking for nectar, at night bees come together to generate heat hence some
are killed.

3. The Langstroth Hive

The hive was invented in 1850s by an America Reverend Lorenzo and introduced to Kenyan in
the1990s
An American beekeeper using normal hives realized that bees needed ample space to do their work.
The space shouldnt be too big or too small. When he harvested he realised honey had pollen, brood,
larvae, pupa etc. Then he realized there was a need to separate the queen from the rest of the hive.
Parts of a langstroth
1. Floor board - base of the hive.
2. Brood -box [chamber] brood.
3. Queen excluder - prevents queen entering the super box
4. Super box upper chamber for clean honey no pollen brood etc.
5. Roof - aluminium sheet as cover -reflects light and heat away, the plywood reduces heat.
Aluminium sheet is light plywood regulates temperatures in the hive
6. Space regulator, entrance reducer - bees dont like too much light.

Bee keeping equipments and tools

1. Bee suits & veil protective clothing against bee sting. It is supposed to be white in colour and
of nylon material. The white colour is favorable because the bees are colour blind and will not see
anything white. Nylon prevents bees from loosing their sting & dying.
2. Rubber gloves Used for protecting apiary attendant against bees sting. The bee sting slides
once it lands on the gloves.
3. Gumboots Worn together with the bee suits and veil to protect the bee attendant feet against
sting.
4. Bee smoker It is used to blow smoke to the bees for the purpose of cutting off communication
with in the bee colony.
5. Hive tool- It is used to open up the hive because of propolis which sticks the frames together.
6. Bee brush It is used for wiping off bee on the combs and frames during hive inspection or
harvesting
7. Torch- Used for lighting the inside of the hive during inspection.

Life and work of Honey bee Apis melifera

There are three types of bees in a colony:

The queen
Workers
drones

Workers

Lifespan 1 and a half to 2 months

Functions
Cleaning cells including the one that it has emerged.
Feeding the developing larvae.
After 10 days their wax glands become active so they help build honey combs.
7 days later they become guard bees.
Sealing cracks and fissures.
Fanning to help in air circulation and reduce the temperatures in case of high temperatures.
During cool weather they cluster together in the brood nursery to generate heat.
Evaporating water from nectar until it thickens.
Feeding the queen.
Bee defenders/guard bees

Drones

Drone lifespan is 6 months but die immediately after fertilizing the queen
Functions
They fertilize the queen
Queen
Lifespan 7-9 years
Functions
laying eggs

Bee family
A healthy colony may have the following number of bees
1 Queen
300 drones but often much less.
25,000 older workers actively foraging.
25,000 young workers in the hive attending the brood.
9000 brood requiring food.
6000 eggs (waiting to hatch to larvae).
20,000 older larvae and pupae in sealed cells which need to be kept warm at around 35 degrees
Centigrade.

Apiary Establishment:
Apiary is the place where bees/hives are reared or placed for the purpose of getting bee products.

Factors to consider when choosing an apiary site

1) Knowledge of bee plants

2)

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One should know the. bee plants in his / her area and their flowering periods
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. plants
Duration of flowering
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. flowers to attract the bees.
There should be abundant
. budding and actual flowering.
Know the period between

Plants selected should be producing high quality honey.

Among the best beekeeping vegetation areas are forest woodlands, grasslands with dense
covers of flowering herbs/shrubs, thickets, agricultural crops yielding nectar in abundance can
be good beekeeping sites e.g. sunflower, coffee, sisal estates legumes, bananas etc.

3) Source of water

Bees require water for various uses in the hive, cooling, feeding larvae and own use.
The Apiary can be close to the source of water.
If there is no permanent source, water can be supplied in containers with floating sticks for
bees to step on to avoid drowning.

4) Human conflicts

Apiary location should be away from public places, away from cultivated fields where large
number of people work every day.
Schools, highways and estates should be avoided so that bees do not become nuisance to
people.
The recommended distance from these utilities is more than 300 metres.

5) Fence/hedge

Trees and bushes should surround the apiary.

This makes bees to fly high when leaving and returning to the apiary, thus reducing the risk of
becoming a nuisance to the nearby farms activities.
The area should be fenced to exclude livestock and other animals that might disturb bees.

6) Shelter

Colonies should be sheltered from the scourging sun, frost, wind and floods.
Wind cause drifting of bees and poor communication. Artificial or natural shade is necessary.

7) Drainage

A well-drained place is recommended to avoid absconding due to high humidity.

Poorly drained Soil cause rotting of hives and posts.

8) Accessibility

Area must be accessible for ease in management of the apiary and transportation of honey

9) Pests

An apiary should be free from areas with frequent attacks by pests (honey badger, ants and
man).

10) Fire hazard

Avoid locations with frequent bush fires, alternatively cut the grass short in the apiary to
minimize fire hazard or hang hives on trees.

11) Distance between Apiaries

This depends on the acreage of floral sources and the number of colonies within the area.
Apiaries should be at least 2-3km apart.
It is recommended that each apiary should not hold more than 50 colonies.

12) Carrying Capacity

In one acre of good forest woodland an average of 50 hives can be comfortably established
without any problem.
In areas with sparse vegetation like grassland it can be less than this figure - survey of bee
plants is necessary before final figure is established.

13) Pesticides:

An apiary should be sited far from fields which are sprayed with pesticides to avoid bee
poisoning and honey contamination. Avoid spraying when the plants near apiary sites.

Hive placing
(a) Positioning for langstroth

Hives can be placed on stands or platforms which are fixed firmly to the ground at a
convenient working height of about 1 metre high.
However this method is only suitable in areas which are not prone to bee pest and predators

3m
Pole

(b)Positioning for KTBH

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1m

Pole
1m
2 metres

How to handle bees

Approach from the rear side not entrance or front

During the flowering season more inspections and less during the dry season there is less food
and this reduces disorganization.
Avoid being nervous fear produces pheromones which makes bees irritated.
Handle bees with intelligence, confidence and gentleness.
Wear protective clothing
Avoid rapid movements
Do not breath into bees
Start with less aggressive colonies.
Avoid strong perfumes.
Handle bees in the evening (there is less disturbance, many foragers have gone back home)
Have an assistant especially when you are not familiar with work.
Warn the on lookers who may get attacked by bees.
When walking from apiary pass through trees this discourages bees from following you, other
bees will fall off your from your bee suit.

Inspecting Your Hive

a) Take the hive tool and gently pry the roof open. Through the gap between the roof and hive,
blow in a couple puffs of smoke. Let the roof down for a moment then gently lift it up again.
b) Blow 2 to 3 light puffs on the top of super, just enough to drive the bees on top down between
the frames.
c) Use your hive tool to pry out the frames and to scrape away wax or propolis. It is better to take
out completely the first frame or two to give yourself more room.

d) Lift the frames straight by taking hold of the top bar. Dont scrape it against other frames as you
remove it; you could kill bees this way. Hold frames over the hive so that any failing bees will land
inside the hive and not on you r feet. Slowly flip the frame up so that the top bar is now at the
bottom
Note:
1. Inspect after 2weeks to check if there is a queen and confirm the status of the colony& pests in the hive.
2. It is advisable to have a bee bag to store all your equipment.
3. Where three hives have been placed together one should ensure that one hive entrance faces the opposite direction
of the other 2 hives to avoid bee confusion and collision.

Know state of your colony.

1-3 combs- colony weak

1. 4-6combs - moderate colony
7-10 combs- strong colony-put super.

Beekeeping management
These are routine management procedures that will ensure that the bees are taken care of and that the
farmer gets good quality products at the right time
1) Fencing a live fence is recommended possibly using flowering plants that can form a hedge
and grow tall so that bees fly up when going out to avoid meeting people or livestock
2) Maintain cleanliness grass should be maintained short to prevent crawling insects and pests.
3) Grease wires and posts to discourage insects from reaching the hives.
4) Regular inspection especially during the harvesting season inspect every week note
observation is easier when hives are near home.
5) Provision of water during the dry season within a radius of 300- 500 metres from the hives,
water should be clean shallow, replaced every day, some light sticks or clean leaves should be
placed on the water so that bees can land on to avoid drowning.
6) Feeding during the dearth period with sugar solution at a ratio of 1:1
7) Maintain an appropriate colony size to maximize on honey production and reduce swarming.
8) Regular inspection and ensure to check on pests, build combs, any dead bees, parasites and
diseases if there are new queen cell ensure to kill them as the can cause swarming of the
colony
9) Re queening replace the queen after two and a half years.
10) Remove the old combs to give room for fresh ones
Management schemes
The wellbeing of a colony depends on

Queen capacity to lay eggs(good genes and proper feeding) the farm should be able to
chose a good queen for his/her colony.
Optimum conditions in the hive (good workers population, acceptable temperatures,
ability to feed the brood) encourage production of honey.
Availability of nectar in the environment enhances honey production.

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. in the proper section of the hive for expansion of the brood nest and
Adequate space for
storage of honey..
Harvesting- if all .honey is removed from the hive the colony can become weak and
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succumb to predators.
. be manipulated e.g. if there are new queen cells they should be
Hive population should
. before the honey flow period to have a high population of workers
killed, proper feeding

in honey flow period.

During dearth period the supers should be removed since there is little or no honey that is
made.

Honey Harvesting
Equipments
Hive tool/knife
Bee brush
Smoker
Torch
Extra supper
Clean dry bucket.
Procedure
Harvesting time 5:30-7:30 Pm.
Smoke the entrance 5 -10 times.
Smoke around the hive.
Lift the lid gently.
Tap the frames gently and remove the empty frames put in bucket, asses the ones that need to
be harvested (sealed ones.)
Put the ready sealed frames in a bucket.
Cover the bucket tightly after harvesting.
Return the empty frames if any.
Close the lid.
Do not leave anything on the ground.
Brush bees from bees suit
Pass through some bushes to discourage bees to follow you.
It is always good to have two people during harvesting.

Bee processing site

In the process of bee products processing and marketing, the provision of proper hygienic facilities is
of great importance. Processing in thatched unhygienic buildings means dust, grass and dirt in the
honey. In addition wax is highly flammable and should not be processed in buildings where adequate

precautions against fire do not exist when selecting and sitting the refining/marketing site the
following should be kept in mind:
The site should be:
1. Convenient to the area of production.
2. Adjacent to or on a all weather road for ease of transport.
3. Having an abundant water supply.
4. On well drained ground.
Honey is not perishable as for instance, cream or milk. Supplies kept in the can safely wait several
days before being refined and packed provided they are stored in safe tanks and protected from
moisture and contamination. It is better to think ahead and install tanks sufficiently large to allow for
increasing honey produce/supply.

Bee Products
Honey:
This is product which the farmer can benefit from as: food, medicine, source of income, an ingredient
for traditional brews, and an item used for performing rituals (in some African tradition), a
preservative and a cosmetic.
Wax:
A product used for making candles; comb starter starters, shoe polish, nail polish, cosmetics, floor
polish.
Small amounts can be eaten for strong gums, reduce constipation & other stomach problems. It can
also be used for making capsules coating.
Propolis:
Medicine for -ulcer, high blood pressure. Can also be used for sealing cracks, making antibiotics &
antiviral it is also remedy against backache.
Venom:
Antitoxin - vaccine against allergies.
Pollen:
A highly proteinus food for bodybuilding.
It is bitter and makes honey dirty.
Royal jelly:
Nutritious for longer life i.e. queens lives for a long time due to being on the royal jelly.
(Royal jelly is tasteless & encourages long life).
BEE-FORAGING PLANTS & CROPS
To be updated
PESTS & DISEASES
American bees have diseases but African bees dont have diseases but can only be affected
by dirty water.

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The example
.. of the American bee diseases are foul diseases: European foul disease, chalk
brood, chilling, Noxzema, sac roods, dysentery/ amoeba- yellow fever.
Pests:

1) Human activities During inspection or harvesting the bee can be hart or even killed.
(Sensitise people on handling, working in hives very fast).
2) Wax moth This enters hive, lays eggs and the larval stage feeds on honey. Always when
inspecting the hive, remove them by picking. When the population in the hive is too
high remove the combs, scrub and wash with water. Then dry the hive in the sun.
3)
Ants & termites These enter the hive and establish colony. They release bad smell
that chases bees .Greasing wires & posts is the best preventive measure. Also slash
around apiary to maintain cleanliness.
4) Wasps/bee pirates- These suck bee sap and wait at hive entrance to get hold of bees.
The wasp looks like the bee so if you place a basin with water below the entrance it
will see its image in it and go in for it thinking that it is a bee and thus drawn.
5) Beetles: These feed on the combs and thus damaging them. Removing and crushing can
control them.
6) Honey burger This eats honey. It can be controlled by use of a dog and always remove
awful smells.
7) Bee-eater (bird like),
8) Bush baby,
9) Bees louse.

Stings-

FIRST AID

Scrap out - dont pull since this will leave / press poison venom in your body.
Then put cold water or freezing water or saliva.
Smear with kerosene or Robb. This relives pain.
Take piriton / antihistamine to reduce painful effect.
Take strong coffee or tea.
Take alcohol, changaa or whisky. If problem persists then seek doctors advice.