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Funded by:-THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA
©March 2012
THE NATIONAL BEE KEEPING
TRAINING AND EXTENSION
MANUAL
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDAMinistry of Education and Sports
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES
FARM INCOME ENHANCEMENT AND FOREST CONSERVATION PROJECT
APICULTURE PROMOTION SUB COMPONENT
The NationalBee Keeping
Training and Extension Manual
Funded by:-THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA
iiNational Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Edited by:1. Ms.KangaveAlice,
2. Mr.ButeleCosmasAlfred,
3. Mr.OnzomaApollo,and
4. Mr.KatoAgapitus
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012iii
TABLE OF CONTENTSEditors ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ii
TableofContents ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... iii
ListofFigures ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... iv
Listoftables ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... v
Foreword ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... vi
Acknowledgements ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... vii
ListofAcronyms ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... viii
Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ixCHAPTER ONE:
THE HONEYBEE AND ITS IMPORTANCE ... ... ... ... ... ... 1Module 1: BeeBiologyandBehaviour ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Module 2: TheImportanceofBeekeeping... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Module 3: Pollination ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
CHAPTER TWO:
MANAGEMENT OF THE HONEYBEE ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11Module 4: BeekeepingSystems ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Module 5: BeekeepingEquipment... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Module 6: MakingBeekeepingEquipment ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
Module 7: ApiaryManagement ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54
Module 8: TheFloralCalendarandBeekeeping ... ... ... ... ... ... 63
Module 9: BeeStingsandManagement ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 66
Module 10: HiveInspection ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 70
Module 11: PopulatingtheHive ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 74
Module 12: CatchingaSwarm ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 79
Module 13: TransferringBees ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 83
Module 14: DividingandUnitingColonies ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 85
Module 15: FeedingofBees ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 90
Module 16: BeePests,PredatorsandDiseases ... ... ... ... ... ... 93
Module 17: MakingBio-Pesticides ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 98
CHAPTER THREE:
HIVE PRODUCTS AND PROCESSING ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 102Module 18: HiveProducts ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 102
Module 19: QualityHoneyHarvesting ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 106
Module 20: ProcessingHoney ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 110
Module 21: Beeswax ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 114
CHAPTER FOUR:
EXPLANATION OF COMMON BEEKEEPING TERMS ... ... ... ... ... 125APPENDICES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 127Appendix 1: ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 127
Appendix 2: ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 128
References: ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 129
ivNational Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
LIST OF FIGURESFig.1: Thehoneybeecastesinacolony ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2Fig.2: Diagramofthelifecycleofthehoneybee ... ... ... ... ... ... 3Fig.3: Peanut-shapedqueencell... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4Fig.4: Queencells ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4Fig.5: Pebblytextureddronecells ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4Fig.6: Theworkerbeevisitingaflower,helpingtopollinatetheplant ... ... ... 9Fig.7: Measurementsforwovenbaskethive ... ... ... ... ... ... 16Fig.8: Wovenbaskethive ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16Fig.9: Theloghive ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17Fig.10: Clayhives ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18Fig.11: PictureofJohnsonhive ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19Fig.12: KTBhiveshowinghowthecombattachestothebarinsidethehive ... ... 19Fig.13: AtopbarliftedfromaKTBhive ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20Fig.14: AKTBhivebeingopened ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20Fig.15: CatcherboxforaKTBhive... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21Fig.16: Langstrothhiveshowingthedifferentpartsofthehive ... ... ... ... 22Fig.17: Langstrothhive ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22Fig.18: Langstrothhive-broodchamber,emptyframe,honeychamber,combedframe,queen
excluder,cover ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23Fig.19: CatcherboxforaLangstroth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23Fig.20: Framebrickhive ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24Fig.21: Beesmokers ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25Fig.22: Beesuit ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26Fig.23: Softlatexgloves ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26Fig.24: Beebrushes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27Fig.25: Hiveopeners ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27Fig.26: Knife ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27Fig.27: Airtightbucket(foodgrade) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28Fig.28: Foodgradedrum ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28Fig.29: HoneyRefractometer ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28Fig.30(a): Strainingcloth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29Fig.30(b): Strainingclothtiedaroundabucketreadyforstraininghoney ... ... ... 29Fig.31: Centrifugeextractor ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30Fig.32: Honeysettlingtank ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30Fig.33: Honeypress ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31Fig.34: Honeyjars... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31Fig.35: Beehouse... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31Fig.36: DimensionsforthebodyofaKenyanTopBarhive... ... ... ... ... 33Fig.37: Topbarmeasurements ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35Fig.38: Langstrothhivedimensions ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36Fig.39: Solarwaxextractor ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39Fig.40: Beeveil ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 40Fig.41: Dimensionsofbeeveil ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41Fig.42: Beeveilparts ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41Fig.43: Beeveilplan ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41Fig.44: Overallplan ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42Fig.45: Measurementsofbeeglove ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 44Fig.46: Measurementsandmakingofabeesmoker ... ... ... ... ... 44
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012v
Fig.47: Floralcalendar ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 65Fig.48: Comb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 72Fig.49: Catchingaswarm ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 76Fig.50: Transferringbees ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 77Fig.51: Dividingacolony ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 78Fig.52: Openinganoldweakcolonyforunitingwithaswarm ... ... ... ... 89Fig.53: Theappearanceofqueencellsandqueencups ... ... ... ... ... 90Fig.54: Farmerssellinghoney-wineatashow ... ... ... ... ... ... 103Fig.55: HoimaNaturalHoneyondisplay ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 103Fig.56: Apollentrap ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 104Fig.57: Uncappingfork ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 111Fig.58: Differenttypesofhoneypressandlocallymadebottlingcontainers ... ... 111Fig.59: Asketchandpictureofahoneycentrifugeextractor ... ... ... ... 112Fig.60: Meltingwax ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 118Fig.61: Waxextractionusingasackandadrum ... ... ... ... ... ... 119Fig.62: Waxextractionwithclothandsticks ... ... ... ... ... ... 120Fig.63: Sketchofasolarwaxextractor ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 121
LIST OF TABLESTable 1: Lifespanofbees ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4Table 2: Anexampleofahive/colonyrecordsheet... ... ... ... ... ... 62Table 3: Visitors’Book ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 62Table 4: CashBook... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 62Table 5: Floralcalendar ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 64Table 6: Formsofhoneyandhowtheyaremade ... ... ... ... ... ... 113
viNational Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
FOREWORD
Itiseverybody’sconcerntoseethattheruralcommunitiesgeneratesustainableincomesassoonas
possible.Livestockproductionandmarketingoffersanoption.Outofthevariouslivestockenterprises,
namely, poultry, fisheries, cattle, piggery, etcbeekeepingenterpriseoffersoneof thebestoptions
for the rural communities and commercial farmers because of itsminimal requirements for land,
machineryandequipment,laborandcapitalinvestment.
In Uganda, honey production potential is enormous, estimated at 500,000metric tones per year.
Thispotentialisnotyetfullyexploited.Thebasicknowledgeandskillsneededtoexploitthehoney
productionpotentialarelackingamongthetechnocratsandfarmers.
Over the years, several stakeholders including Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies
havebeencarryingouttrainingoffarmersintheirownwayswithoutstandardguideanduniformity.
Someof the guides/manuals used by the stakeholders are substandard. This practice has for long
underminedeffortstoincreaseproductionandenforcecompliancetostandards.
Thismanualhasthereforebeendevelopedtoprovidethebasicstandardsfortrainingbeekeepersall
overUganda.
Itismysincerehopethattrainers,extensionworkers,farmersandstudentswillfindthismanualvery
valuable.
Okaasai S. OpolotFor: PERMANENT SECRETARY
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WeareverymuchgratefultotheAfricanDevelopmentBank(ADB)andGovernmentofUganda(GoU)
forfundingtheFIEFOCProjectwhichhasproducedthisveryimportantNationalBeekeepingTraining
and Extension Manual. For sure this manual will guide teachers, trainers, students, farmers and
beekeepers.
We appreciate and acknowledge the following people who provided literature without which this
manualwouldnothavebeenproduced:-
Mr.KatoAgapitus,Entomologist,Mukono,DLG;Mr.AyoGeorge,DEO,LiraDLG;Mr.RubaihayoJohn,
DEO,KabaroleDLG;Mr.MugumeAmos,DAO,KabaroleDLG;Mr.BagonzaAdolf,KabaroleBeekeepers’
Association, Kabarole District;Mr. Ayatuhaire Asaph ,West Honeys Uganda,Mbarara District;Mr.
KanyikeCharles,DEO,NakasongolaDLG;Mr.PalandaRobertObumai,AssistantEntomologist,Adjumani
DLG;Mr.OchounEmirious,PrivateServiceProvider,NebbiDistrict;Mr.LuleHenry,DEO,LuweroDLG;
Mr.Kefa John,MoyoBeekeepers’Association,MoyoDistrict;Mr.AmafuaMorphat,PrivateService
Provider,YumbeDistrict;Mr.KawawaRashid,DEO,YumbeDLG;Mr.CemaPhilliam,DEO,AruaDLG;
Ms. Kesubi Nice Alex, BNU, Arua District; Babua Fred, AruaMoyoNebbi Beekeepers’ Association,
AruaDistrict;Mr.KhaukaEdmond,Beemaster,MbaleDLG;Mr.OgwoliGeoffrey,DEO,SironkoDLG;
Mr.KisaaliBosco,PrivateServiceProvider,SironkoDistrict;NyangasSimon,PrivateServiceProvider,
KapchorwaDistrict;Mr.OlukaMichael,DEO,BukedeaDLG;Mr.EsimaMike,PrivateServiceProvider,
SorotiDistrict;Mr.KwikirizaJibril,Ag.DEO,MasindiDLG;Mr.MugishaDaudi,AssistantEntomologist,
HoimaDLG;Mr.KasangakiPatrice,DEO,KibaaleDLG;Mr.KaserekaJ.Muranga,RwenzoriMountains
DevelopmentOrganization(REMODA),KaseseDistrict;Mr.BesekyaHilary,TropicalBeeCareCentre,
BushenyiDistrict;Mr.TumuhimbiseGordon,DEO,BushenyiDLG;Mrs.MargaretRoseOgaba,Kitgum
WomenBeekeepers’Association(KWOBA);KadduJohn(2012)Beekeepingequipmentmanufacturer
andtrainerKampala,Uganda.
Thanks to all the people who participated actively in constructive discussions during workshops
organized,butnotmentionedhere.
Lastbutnotleast,greatthankstoMrs.KangaveAlice,PrincipalEntomologistProductiveInsects/Manager
ApiculturePromotionSubComponentof FIEFOCProject,DLH&E,MAAIFHqtrs;Mr.ButeleCosmas
Alfred,SeniorEntomologistApiculture,DLH&E,MAAIFHqtrs;andMr.OnzomaApollo,SeniorTraining
Officer,HRD,MAAIFHqtrsforhavingcompiledtheliteratureandviewsprovided,andediting.
Dr. Nicholas KautaCOMMISSIONER, LIVESTOCK HEALTH AND ENTOMOLOGY
viiiNational Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
List of Acronyms
ADB - AfricanDevelopmentBank
BNU - BeeNaturalUgandaLtd
BQV - BlackQueenVirusdisease
DAO - DistrictAgriculturalOfficer
DEO - DistrictEntomologyOfficer
DLG - DistrictLocalGovernment
DLH&E - DepartmentofLivestockHealthandEntomology
FIEFOC - FarmIncomeEnhancementandForestConservationProject
FIG - Figure
GoU - GovernmentofUganda
HIV/AIDS - HumanImmuneVirus/AcquiredImmuneDeficiencySyndrome
Hqtrs - Headquarters
HRD - HumanResourceDepartment
Hrs - Hours
KBA - KabaroleBeekeeper’sAssociation
KTB - KenyaTopBarbeehives
KWOBA - KitgumWomenBeekeepers’Association
MAAIF - MinistryofAgriculture,AnimalIndustryandFisheries
MBA - MoyoBeekeeper’sAssociation
NAC - NationalApicultureCentre
NGO - Non-GovernmentalOrganization
PE - PrincipalEntomologist
PSP - PrivateServiceProvider
REMODA - RwenzoriMountainsDevelopmentOrganization
SE - SeniorEntomologist
STO - SeniorTrainingOfficer
TVs - Televisions
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012ix
INTRODUCTION
Overtheyearsseveralprivateserviceproviders,NGOs,Projects,Governmentagenciesanddepartments
havebeencarryingouttrainingoffarmersinbeekeepingintheirownwayswithoutuniformity.Inother
wordstherehavebeenmanydifferenttrainingmanuals/guidesbeingusedbythedifferentstakeholdersin
theapicultureindustry,someofwhicharesub-standard.Thispracticehasforlongunderminedeffortsto
enforcecompliancetocodeofpractice,standardoperatingproceduresandqualitystandardsinapiculture
industry,hencetheneedforharmonizationanduniformity.
TheAfricanDevelopmentBankandtheGovernmentofUgandathroughtheFarmIncomeEnhancement
and Forest Conservation (FIEFOC) Project, underApiculture Promotion sub-component embarkedon a
seriesof interventionswhich includeamongothers, standardizationof thenational trainingdocument.
Theprojectthereforeprovidedfundstodevelopanationalbeekeepingtrainingandextensionmanualasa
strategytopromotecompliancetostandardsinbeekeepingindustryinUganda.
Theprocessofdevelopingthenationalbeekeepingtrainingandextensionmanualhadstagesandstarted
inFebruary2009withfieldtripsorganizedforcollectionofliteraturefromvariousregionsanddistricts(see
appendix1).Thiswasfollowedwitha2dayretreat,organizedforselectedentomologistsandprivateservice
providersatUlrikaGuestHouse,Kisubi,7th-8thMay2009(seeappendix2).Theaimoftheretreatwasto
consolidateandanalysetheliteraturecollectedandcomeupwithstandardmodulartrainingmanualfor
usethroughoutUganda.Thefirstdraftmanualwasproducedandseveralconsultativeworkshopsfollowed
tofinalizeit.
Themanualiscategorizedintofour(4)broadchapters,namely:
(1) TheHoneybeeanditsimportanc
(2) ManagementoftheHoneybee
(3) HiveProductsandprocessing,and
(4) Explanationofcommonbeekeepingterms.
ThisNationalBeekeepingTrainingandExtensionManualhavebeendevelopedtostreamlineandharmonize
thebeekeepingtrainingandextensionforthestakeholdersinvolvedintheIndustry.Itwilllaterbetranslated
intomajorlanguagesofUgandainordertopromoteitsusageandadoption.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 20121
CHAPTER ONE
THE HONEY BEE AND ITS IMPORTANCE
MODULE 1: BEE BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR
INTRODUCTIONTherearevarioustypesofbeeswhichincludethestinglessbees,solitarybees,honeybees.Thismanualfocusesonhoneybees.
HoneyBeesbelongtotheanimalkingdom,PhylumArthropoda,OrderHymenoptera,classInsecta,SuperfamilyApoidea,familyApidae,genusApis.ThegenusApisisdividedintoseveralspeciesandsub-species/races but the 5 main species are: Apis dorsata (the giant honeybee),Apis laboriosa (the darker gianthoneybee),Apis florea(thedwarfhoneybee), Apis ceranaandApis mellifera.ResearchneedstobedonetoascertainthemajorspeciesavailableinUganda.
Honeybeesaresocialinsectsthatliveincoloniesof10,000to60,000bees.Acolonyconsistsofaqueen(fertilefemale),afewhundreddrones(males)andthousandsofworkers(sterilefemales).Theypollinatefloweringplantsandcrops.Theyalsoproducehoney,beeswaxandotherbeeproductsofveryhigheconomicvalue.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1) Identifythedifferentcastesofhoneybeecolony.
2) Statetherolesplayedbythedifferentcastesinahoneybeecolony.
3) Explainthelifecycleofthedifferentbeecastes.
Target Participants:Beekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,individualsandorganizations/Institutions.
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:
2hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,beesand/or
picturesofbees,TVs,Projectors,generators,filmsaboutbeesandhandouts.
Methodst Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Fieldexercisetoidentifythedifferentcastesinabeecolony
Steps:
Step 1 Writethetitle“Bee biology and behavior”onthechalkboardorflipchart
2National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonthemeaningofbeebiologyandbehavior.
Step 3Explainbeebiologyandbehaviortotheparticipants
Step 4Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Discusstherolesplayedbythedifferentcastesinabeecolony
Group 2: Describethelifecycleofdifferenthoneybeecastes
Group 3: Discussthebehaviorofthebeeindifferentseasonsoftheyear
Step 5Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifies,summarizesandgivesoutthehandouts.
HAND OUT: Bee Biology and BehaviourTherearevarioustypesofbeeswhichincludethestinglessbees,solitarybees,honeybees.Thismanualfocusesonhoneybees.
HoneyBeesbelongtotheanimalkingdom,PhylumArthropoda,OrderHymenoptera,classInsecta,SuperfamilyApoidea,familyApidae,genusApis.ThegenusApisisdividedintoseveralspeciesandsub-species/races but the 5 main species are: Apis dorsata (the giant honeybee),Apis laboriosa (the darker gianthoneybee),Apis florea(thedwarfhoneybee), Apis ceranaandApis mellifera.ResearchneedstobedonetoascertainthemajorspeciesavailableinUganda.
1. Castes in a bee colony
HoneyBeesaresocialinsectsthatliveincoloniesofabout10,000to60,000bees.Acolonyconsistsofaqueen(fertilefemale),afewhundreddrones(males)andthousandsofworkers(sterilefemales).Theypollinatefloweringplantsandcrops.
Bees:
Fig.1: The honeybee castes in a colony
Queen beeTheQueenbeeisareproductivefemale.Thereisonlyonequeeninthehiveandherjobistolayeggsandproducequeensubstance(pheromones).Whenanewqueenstartslife,shematesonlyoncewithdronesoutsidethehive.Agoodqueenlaysbetween1,500-2,000eggsperdaybutaftertwoyearsshelaysfewer
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 20123
eggs.Shelivesforthreetofiveyears. It isverydifficulttofindthequeenbutshecanberecognizedbyherlongandslenderbodyandshortwings.Sheisfedbytheyoungworkersandisbiggerthantheotheroccupantsduetomassivefeedingespeciallywithroyaljelly.Shehasastingthatisonlyusedagainstrivalqueens.Herpheromonesorscentsservetocontroltheotherbeesandharmonizethecolony’sbehaviour.
TheQueenbeecanbemarkedonthedorsalsurfaceoftheabdomenforeasyidentificationandtoavoidbeingcrushedaccidentallyduringhivemanipulations.
DronesTheDronesaremalesandarebiggerthantheworkers.Theydevelopfromunfertilizedeggsandtheirmajortaskistomatewiththequeen.Theyarestingless,verylargeeyeswhichareusedtospottheQueenduringmating.Droneslooklargeandsquareandmakealoudbuzzingnoisewhentheyfly.Dronesaredependentontheworkersforfoodbecausetheirproboscisisshortandcannotcollectfoodforthem.Therecanbeabout200to500dronesinahivebutintimeoffoodshortagetheworkerschasethedronesoutofthehivetodie.Theirlifespanisusuallynotmorethan2months.
The WorkersMostofthebeesinthehiveareworkers-theyareallsterilefemales.Theworkerbees’changetasksaccordingtoage.Youngworkerbeescleanthehive,feedbothyoungandtheQueenandmakethebeeswaxcombs.Theycontrolthetemperatureofthehivebyflappingtheirwingsandalsoguardthehive.Olderworkersscoutforfoodandcollectthepollen,nectar,waterandpropolis.Theyhaveastingplusspecialglandsandorganstohelpthemtodefendthecolonyagainstenemies.Theworkersarealsoresponsibleforthehoneyformationprocess.
Thelifespanofaworkerbeeis7-8weeksduringthemainfloweringseasonwhentheyworkhard.Theycanlivelongerduringdormantperiods.
2. Life cycle of a bee
Eachbeeinthecourseofitslifepassesthrough4stagemetamorphosis:Egg→Larva→Pupa→Adult.Duringthedevelopmentstages,theeggs,larvaeandpupaeareknownasbrood.
Fig.2: Diagram of the life cycle of the honeybee
Theegglaidbythequeenlookslikeasmallgrainofriceorhairnit.Whetheraneggwilldevelopintoaqueen,droneorworkerdependsonthetypeofcellitislaidin(it is very important to learn the difference between capped brood and capped honey – capped brood is usually dark brown and capped honey is usually white or creamy in colour).
Theeggdevelopsintolarva,whichlookslikeawhitemaggot.Alllarvaearefedonroyaljellyforthefirst
4National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
threedaysafterwhichlarvaeforworkersanddronesarefedonpollen(beebread)andhoneyputintothecellbythenursebees(youngerworkerbees).Thequeenfeedsonroyaljellythroughoutthelife.
Fig.3: Peanut-shaped queen cell Fig.4: Queen cells
Fig.5: Pebbly textured drone cells
Thelarvaearesealedwithawaxcappinginthecombaftersixdayswheretheyturnintopupaeandlateremergeasadultbeesasshowninthetablebelow.
Table 1: Life span of bees
Caste Egg Larvae Pupae Total days
Worker 3 6 11-12 21
Queen 3 6 6-7 16
Drone 3 8-9 12-13 24
3. Communication in bees
Beescommunicatewithoneanotherinanumberofwayssuchasdrummingfeet,flappingwingslikea‘dance’anduseofpheromones.Thedanceperformedbythescoutbeesisonewaythebeesinformeachotherofthelocationoffoodandhowfarawayitis.Thereareseveraltypesofdancesperformedby the bees, but the main ones are the round dance and the waggle dance. The round dance isperformedbybeesthatforagelessthanapproximately100metresfromthehive.Waggledanceisperformedtolocatefoodsourcebeyond100metresfromthehive.Thescoutbeesalsoperformacharacteristicdancetolocatethenewfoundhometowhichbeesintendtoswarm.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 20125
Thequeenreleasesasubstancecalleda“pheromone”(sometimescalledqueensubstance)whichservesdifferentfunctions.Thepheromoneenableshertoidentifymembersofthecolony,toinhibitovarydevelopmentinworkerbees,topreventtheworkersfrombuildingqueencells,tohelpaswarmorcolonytomoveasacohesiveunit,andtoattractdronesduringmatingflights.Theabsenceofthequeensubstance(e.g.whenthequeendies)producesoppositeresponses,i.e.workerbeesbegintodevelopovariesandtobuildqueencells,andaswarmsearchingforaccommodationwillnotclusterbutwilldivideintosmallergroupsthatcannotsupportthenormallifeofabeecolony.
Colonydecisionsaretakenbythecollectivebehaviourofbeeswithinonecolonysharingthesameodour,allowingguardbeestodetectintruders.
MODULE 2: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEEKEEPING
IntroductionBeekeepingisthescienceandartofrearingbees.Itisimportanttokeepbeesfortheproductionofhoney,beeswax,propolis,pollen(beebread),royaljellyandbeevenom;forfood,medicineandincome.Beekeepingisalsoimportantforpollinationandrecreationalactivities.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Understandandappreciatetheimportanceofbeekeepinginthesociety.
2. Describetheimportanceofthevariousbeeproductsandservices.
Target Participants:Beekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,individualsandorganizations/Institutions
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:2hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,beeproducts
andflowersandfruits/theirpictures,posters,TVs,Projectors,generators,filmsaboutbeeproductsandservices,andhandouts.
Methodst Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussions
t Casestudies
Steps:
Step 1Writethetitle“THE IMPORTANCE OF BEEKEEPING”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonwhyitisimportanttokeepbees.
6National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:-Group 1: DiscusstheimportanceofbeekeepingGroup 2: Explaintheimportanceofeachbeeproductorservice
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifies,summarizesandgivesoutthehandouts.
HAND OUT: The importance of BeekeepingBeekeepingisthescienceandartofkeepingbeesusingbestpractices.Beekeepingisveryimportant,fortheproductionofhoney,beeswax,propolis,pollen(beebread),royaljellyandbeevenom;forfood,medicineandincome.Beekeepingisalsoimportantforpollinationandrecreationalactivities.
Therearevariousreasonsforkeepingbees,namely:-
1. For cultural purposes
Honeyisusedforbeveragebrewingandoccasionallyservedatimportantculturalceremoniessuchasweddings.Itisalsoservedtoveryimportantguestsassignofhighregard.TheMajiMajirebellionusedbeesasaweapontodefendthemselvesagainstthecolonialists.HoneywasusedinEgyptascosmeticsandalsoforembalmingtheEgyptiansdeadpharaohs.HoneywasamongthetithesandoffertorygivenbytheJewstotheLevitesintheirculture.InsomeAfricancultureshoneyisalsousedtopaydowry.
2. As source of food
Honeyisdeliciousandnutritious.ItisanimportantfoodformanypeopleinUganda.Itisconsumedwholeormixedwithotherfoodsassupplement.AmongtheLangiandAcholi,honeyismixedwithsimsimandgroundnutpaste.Beebrood(larvaeandpupae)havehighnutritionalvalueandarefedtomalnourishedchildren.Royaljellyandpollenareconsumedfortheirhighproteinvalue.
3. As source of medicine
Beeproductssuchasbeevenom,honeyandpropolisareusedfor treatmentofmanyconditionsfollowingtheantibioticnatureoftheproducts.Theconditions/diseasestreatedusingbeeproductsincludestomachupsets,diarrhea,vomiting,wounds,burns,cough,measles,falseteeth,toothachesandfungalinfections.ItalsohelpstoboosttheimmunityofpeoplelivingwithHIV/AIDS.
4. For income generation
The honeybee products can be marketed locally or abroad to get money, with or without valueaddition. Beekeeping industry also provides incomes to various stakeholders in the value chain.Theseincludebeefarmers,artisans,pharmaceuticalindustry,food,beverageindustry,honeydealersamongothers.
5. Pollination
Thehoneybeesprovidepollinationservices,therebyplayingavitalroleinfoodproductionandoverallagriculturalproductivity.Over75%ofall thecrops insubSaharanAfricabenefitfrompollination.Beesareconsideredthemostefficientpollinatorsbecausetheyhavehairybodieswhicheasilypickuppollengrainsastheymoveaboutinflowers.Duringasingledayonebeemayvisitseveralhundredflowers.Sobeesareimportanttofarmers.Morebeesmeansbetterpollinationandhighyields.Inothercountriespollinationbybeesishiredandfetchesadditionalmoneytothebeekeeper.
6. Conservation of natural resources
Beekeepingisanondestructiveactivitythatcouldbeemployedintheconservationofbiodiversityinprotectedareas.Householdslivingadjacenttheseareascansupporttheconservationeffortsoftheseresourcesbyestablishingapiarieswithinorattheboundaryoftheseprotectedareas.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 20127
Farmersrealizingthatvegetationisasourceofforageforbeeswillguardagainstthedestructionandbeencouragedtoplantmoreplantsforsupplyingpollenandnectar.Intheprocessmanyplantsareconservedandprotectedfromdestruction.
7. Hobby
Otherpeoplekeepbeesasahobby.
8. Api-Tourism and research
Establishmentofbeereservesforpurposesoftouristattractionandresearchholdsabigpotentialforthefuture.
9. Apitherapy
Beeproductsareused in thetreatmentofmanyhumanailments.Forexample,beevenom isanimportantremedyformanyailmentssuchasArthritis,Parkinsondiseaseandotherdiseasesrelatedtothenervoussystem.Thevenomcanbeobtainedthroughbeestings.
10. Beekeeping is a cheap undertaking
(i) Beekeepingdoesnotinvolvemassfeedingofbeesbecauseinmostcasesthebeesprovidetheirownfoodallyearround.
(ii) Allthenecessaryinputsandtechnologiesrequiredforbeekeepingareavailablelocally.Somemaybewastedifbeesarenotkept,e.g.pollenandnectarfromfloweringplants.
(iii) Honeyandbeeswaxcanbeproducedinsemi-aridareasthatareunsuitableforanyotheragriculturaluse.Thebeekeeperrequireslimitedlandtokeepbees.
MODULE 3: POLLINATION
IntroductionPollinationisthetransferofpollengrainsfromtheanthertothestigmaofthesamefloweroranotherflowerofthesameplantoranotherplantbutofthesamespecies.Inotherwords,pollinationisthemixingofthemaleandfemalepartsofaflower.Pollinationisavitalstepinthereproductionoffloweringplantsandisnecessaryforallseedandfruitproduction.
Plantsrequirepollentobetransferredfromoneplanttoanotherandmanydependuponinsectstodothisastheyforage.Beesplayavitalroleinfoodproductionandoverallagriculturalproductivity,aspollinators.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Definepollination
2. Understandtheimportanceofpollination
3. Identifyandlistdownbeeforageplantsintheirareas
4. Constructafloweringcalendarfortheirlocalareas
5. Explainpossibledangerstobeesarisingfromsprayingcropswithpesticides,duringfloweringstage.
Target Participants:Beekeepers,cropfarmers,extensionserviceproviders,individualsandorganizations/Institutions
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:2hours.
8National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,workerbee,
flowers,pictures,posters,videoandhandouts.
Methodt Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussions
t Fieldexercise-observingbeeforageplantsandpollination
t Activity-floweringcalendar
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“Pollination”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonwhypollinationisimportant.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Identifyandlistbeeforageplantsintheirareas.
Group 2: Explainthedangersofagriculturalpesticideuseonbees.
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5
Field exercise:
walkwiththetraineesaroundthelocalareatoseehowpollinationtakesplaceandtoidentifybeeforageplantsinthearea
Step 6Constructafloweringcalendarforthelocalarea
HAND OUT: Pollination
Plants requirepollen tobe transferred fromoneplant to another to aid reproduction. This transferofpollengrainsiscalledpollination.Itcanbetransferfromtheanthertothestigmaofthesamefloweroranotherflowerofthesameplantoranotherplantbutofthesamespecies.Inotherwords,pollinationisthemixingofthemaleandfemalepartsofaflower.Pollinationisthereforeavitalstepinthereproductionoffloweringplantsand isnecessary forall seedand fruitproduction.Over75%ofall thecrops in subSaharanAfricabenefitfrominsectpollination.Otheragentsofpollinationarewind,animals,birds,water,manandreptiles
Insectsincludingbeesforageplantsforfood,theyvisitmanyflowersadayinsearchofpollenandnectar.Many flowering plants depend upon these insects for the pollen transfer (pollination) as they forage.Adequateinsectpollinationimprovesthequalityofthecrop;uneven,misshapedandsmallfruitsareoftenindicationthatpollinationhasbeeninsufficient.
Amongtheinsects,beesareconsideredthemostefficientpollinatorsbecausetheyhavehairybodieswhicheasilypickuppollengrainsastheymoveaboutinflowers.Duringasingledayonebeemayvisitseveralhundredflowers.Furthermore,beesareconsistentforagersandtendtoworkonekindoffloweratatime.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 20129
Scoutbeeswilllocatethebestflowersandthenencouragetheirhivematestousethesamesource.Pollenfromtheanthersistrappedinhairscoveringthebeeandcarriedtothestigmaofthesameplantoranotherfromthesamespecies.Thisisthefirststeptowardsfertilizationandtheproductionofseedsandfruits.
Bees,therefore,playavitalroleinfoodproductionandoverallagriculturalproductivity,aspollinators.Sobeekeepingprovidespollinationservices.
Fig 6: The worker bee visiting a flower, helping to pollinate the plant
Insomecountriestheeconomicvalueofpollinationishigherthanthevalueofhoney.Beekeepersmovetheirhivestodifferentbeeforagesinordertomaximizehoneyflowandtoimprovecroppollination.
InAmerica,IndiaandChinapollinationbybeesishiredandfetchesadditionalmoneytothebeekeeper.Growersarewillingtorenthivesfrombeekeepers.Hivesareplacedneartothebloomingcrops(especiallyfruitandoilseedcrops)andremovedafterflowering.Manybeekeepersmakemoneyinthiswayandstillhavethehoneyfromthehive.Theyendupwithadoubleprofit!
InUganda,examplesoforganizationsthathavepracticedpollinationservicesare:-
t KawereCoffeePlantationinMubendeDistrict.
t J.P.CuttingsinLugaluga,WakisoDistrict.
Beesareknowntoincreaseandimprovetheyieldsofavocado,coffee,cotton,sunflower,mandarin,onion,papaya,beans,mango,bananas,andmanyothercashcrops.
Sobeesareimportanttofarmers.Morebeesmeanbetterpollinationandhigheryields.Ifbeesarekilled,the value of crops is reduced. Therefore it is in everyone’s interest to maintain strong population ofhoneybees.Insecticideskillbeesandcontaminatehiveproducts.Farmerscanhelpbyselectingandusingtherecommendedpesticideswithgreatcareandneverusingpesticideswhenflowersareopen.Foraginginsectsworkonopenblossomsandwillbekilledifsprayedatthistime.Ifpesticidesmustbeused,itisbestsprayedearlyorlateinthedaywhencropflowersareclosedandthereisnowindtodriftthesprayontootherflowersorhives.Farmersshouldalwaystrytochooseapesticidethatattacksthepestbutwillnotharmbees.Beekeepersshouldteachothersthevalueofpollinationbyinsects.Theyshouldalsoeducateneighboringfarmersaboutinsecticidesandtheirnegativeimpactonthebeecolony.
Foresttreesarealsoimportantbeeforageandforestsareessentialforthesurvivalofbees.No trees, no bees:no honey, no money.Conservingforestbiodiversityisthereforeimportantforbeekeepers.ForesttreesnativetoAfricathatareimportantforbeesincludeamongothers:-
t Acaciaspecies
t Coffeaspecies
10National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
t Combretumspecies
t Diospyrusspecies
t Dombeyaspecies
t Julbernardia globiflora
t Pentaclethra macrophylla
t Vernonia amygdlina
t Calliandra callothyrsus
t Eucalyptussp.
t Musasp.
Therearecommerciallyavailableandmajorsourcesofforageforbeestoproduceexcellenthoneys,andcanflowerallyearround.Thefollowingareexamplesofsuchplants:blackberry(Rubus argutus),calliandra(Callindra callothyrsus),Citrus(Citrusspp.)e.g.tangerineandorange,coffee(Coffeaspp.),clover(Trifolium incarnatum), sunflower (Helianthus spp.), cotton (Gossypium spp.), mango (Mangifera indica), cashew(Anacadinaceae),neem(Azadirachita indica),eucalyptus(Eucalyptussp.),banana(Musasp.),bottlebrushandpassionfruit.
Beesforageondifferentflowersindifferentareasdependingonwhatisavailable.Mostplantsfloweronlyatcertaintimesoftheyearbutbeesneedfoodovermanymonths,soavarietyofplantsmustbeavailable.Itisagoodideatoidentifywhichplantsbeesfeedoninyourarea.Itisthenpossibletoplantfloweringplantsaroundapiariestoensurethebeeshaveadequateforagewhentheyneedit.Wildplantsshouldbeallowedtogrowwhereverthereisspace,includingbythesideofroads,nearhousesandinbetweenfields.Produceafloweringcalendarlistingtheflowersthatareavailableeachmonthoftheyear.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201211
CHAPTER TWO
MANAGEMENT OF THE HONEY BEE
MODULE 4: BEEKEEPING SYSTEMS
IntroductionThelongrelationshipbetweenhumansandhoneybeesstartedwithhoneyhunting.Toreducethehardshipandunpredictabilityofharvestingfromwildcolonies,peoplefoundwaystoincreasetheircontroloverbeesthroughtheownershipandmanagementofcolonieskeptinhives.Currently,therearevariousbeekeepingsystemsused,rangingfromthelocal/traditionalmethodstothemodernsystems.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Appreciatetheimportanceofkeepingbeesinhives.
2. Describethedifferentbeekeepingsystems.
3. Understandtheeconomicimportanceofthedifferentbeekeepingsystems.
4. Selectthemostappropriatebeekeepingsystem(thebesthivetype)fortheirareasbasedoncostbenefitanalysis.
Target Participants:Beekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,individualsandorganizations/Institutions
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:2hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,differentbee
hives/theirpictures,postersandhandouts.
Methodt Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“BEEKEEPING SYSTEMS”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonthedifferentbeekeepingsystemsintheirareas.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Explainwhypeoplekeepbeesinhives
Group 2: Explainthedifferentbeekeepingsystemsintheirareas
12National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Group 3: Discusstheeconomicimportanceofthedifferentbeekeepingsystems
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifies,summarizesandengagesthemoncostbenefitanalysisofdifferentbeekeepingsystemsandgivesoutthehandouts.
HAND OUT: Beekeeping SystemsTherearedifferentbeekeepingsystemsusedandtheseinclude:-
(a) Honey hunting and bee-killing
Thelongrelationshipbetweenhumansandhoneybeesstartedwithhoneyhuntinginthewild.Honeyhuntingcontinuesinsomecommunitiestodate.Itinvolveskillingthebeesinthewildcolonysoastoobtaincombscontaininghoneyandbrood(larvaeandpupae).Thisprimitivemethodinvolvesuseofopenfiretokillthebees,eventuallydestroyingnotonlythecolonybutalsotheenvironmentasbushesaresetonfireintheprocessofharvestinghoney.
Advantagest Minimalworkandknowledgeisrequired
t Thereisnoinvestmentorexpenditureinvolved
Disadvantages t Nestsandbeesaredestroyed
t Beesmaybecomeaggressive
t Remainingbeesmayabscond
t Accesstothenestscanbefaranddangerous
t Combsgetmixedupduringharvestinghenceproducingpoorqualityhoney
t Environmentisdestroyediftreesarecutdownorsetonfire.
Toreducethehardshipandunpredictabilityofharvestingfromwildcolonies,peoplefoundwaystoincreasetheircontroloverbeesthroughtheownershipandmanagementofcolonieskeptinhives.Thesebeekeepingsystemsrangefromthelocal/traditionalmethodstothemodernsystems.
(b) Bee-having
Thisisanintermediatestepbetweenhoneyhunting/bee-killingandbeekeeping.Inbee-having,beesarehousedinhollowedsectionsoftreetrunks,claypots,gourds,barkhives,orwoventwigsandmudbaskets.Combscontaininghoneyarefixedandremovedperiodically.Thefarmerprovidesprotectiontothebeecolonyinreturnforperiodicharvestsofhoney,waxandotherbeeproducts.Theideaistomaintainthecolonyforfutureharvestsinsteadofdestroyingitforaone-timeharvest.
Bothbee-killingandbee-havingarecarriedonwithverylittleunderstandingofthebiologyofthebee.Itisnotuncommontofindbee-havingamongfarmerswhohaverelativelysophisticatedequipmentwhichallowsformanagementoftheircolonies.Theyremainbee-haversbecausetheylackthetrainingtomakeoptimumuseoftheirequipment.
Thismethodissometimesreferredtoaslocal/traditional.
Advantages t Beesandnestsareconserved
t Minimumcost(cheaplocallyavailablematerialsandlabor)
t Suitablefordefensivebees
t Lessriskythanhoneyhunting
t Hivescanbeplacednearhomes
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201213
Disadvantages t Combsarefixedandmustbebrokenduringharvesting
t Honeyyieldsaremodest
t Hiveinspectionisdifficult.
(c) Beekeeping
Beekeeping implies themanipulationofabeecolonybasedonsomeunderstandingof thebees.Thisgivesgreateaseofmanagementandharvestingforhigheryieldsandbetterqualityofhoney.Beekeepingthereforecanbelucrativeatanyleveloftechnology,butthelevelusedshouldfittogetherwiththelocalculturalandeconomicreality.
Thereare3categoriesofbeekeepingnamely:-
(i) Local/traditionalbeekeepinginfixedcombhives.
(ii) Transitional(betweenlocal/traditionalbeekeepingandmodernbeekeeping):intopbarhives.
(iii) Modernbeekeeping:inframehives
Advantagest Hivescanbemanagedefficiently
t Beesarelessdisturbedandthereforelessdefensive
t Hivesareeasytovisit,harvest,treat,feed,uniteanddivide
t Hivescanbemadetotherightvolumeandcombsaremovable
t Honeyandbeeswaxcanbeofgoodquality
Disadvantages t Equipmentcanbecostly
t Externalfinancialsupportanddonatedequipmentmayberequired
t Hivemustbemadeverypreciselyinordertoworkeffectively
t Diseasesandpestscanbespreadeasilyduetomovementofequipments.
t Moreknowledgeandskillsarerequired
Choosing the most appropriate hive typeThebesthiveisonethatisappropriategiventhematerialsthatareavailable,andtheskillsandfinancialresourcesofthebeekeeper.Thesimplerandcheaperahiveistomake,themorepeoplewillbeabletotakepartinbeekeeping.Anexpensivesystemdoesnotnecessarilyresultinhigheroutput.Toavoidunnecessarydebtanddependenceonexternalsupport,beekeepersshouldbeabletomakeorbuycheaphivesmadefromlocalmaterials.Thisindependencegivesthemthefreedomtogetstartedinbeekeepingandexpandtheirbusiness.Honeyharvestsareaffectedbytheavailabilityofforageforbees,thestrengthofthecolony,andthesizeofthecontainerusedasahive.Itisnotsimplythetypeofhivethatdetermineshowmuchhoneythebeeswillstorebutalsothesize.
Features of an appropriate hivet Attractive for bees-dry,correctsize,nicescent,easytoprotectfrompestsandpredators.
t Suitable for the beekeeper-affordable,manageable,locallyavailable,sustainable.
Fixed comb (local/traditional) hivesFixedcombhivesarecontainersmadefromwhatevermaterialsarelocallyavailable,suchasgrasses,logs,bark,raffiapalm,clay,etc.Beesbuildtheirnestinsidethecontainer,justastheywouldbuildinanaturallyoccurringcavity.Thebeesattachthecombstotheinsideuppersurfaceofthehive.Thehoneycombsneedtobecutofffromthissurfacetobeharvestedandcannotthenbereplaced.
14National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Fixedcombhivessuchasthehollowedoutlogs,barkhives,claypotsandwovengrasses,etcarecheapto construct, relativelyeasy tomanageand suitable fordefensivebees like in tropicalAfrica, includingUganda.Themaininputsarelocalknowledgeandlocalmaterials,ratherthanexternalfinancialsupportand donated equipment. Fixed comb hives, usually cylindrical in shape, have been used in Africa forgenerations.Avarietyofdifferentstylescanbefoundacrossthecontinent,fromhollowed-outlogsandbarkformedintocylinders,toclaypotsandwovengrasses.Localmethodshaveevolvedoveralongperiodtosuitlocalresourcesandindigenousbees.Honeybeebrooddiseasesarenotobservedtocauseproblemsinfixedcombhives,probablybecauseofthefrequentmovementoftropicalhoneybeecoloniesandtheirrebuildingofcombs,therebythebroodisrearedinfreshcombs,leavingnochanceforthebrooddiseasestopersistandaccumulate.
Fixedcombhivesareaproventechnologythathavestoodthetestoftimeandcanbehighlyprofitable.Thereplacementoffixedcombhiveswithotherhivetypesshouldnotbeconsiderednecessarilyinevitableordesirable.Cost-benefitanalysesprovethatfixedcombhivesaremoreprofitablethanotherhivetypesintropicalAfrica.MosthoneyharvestedintropicalAfricatodaycomesfromfixedcombhivese.g.intheNorthWestProvinceofZambia,beekeepersharvesthighqualityhoneyandbeeswaxfromfixedcombandexporttheseproductstotheEuropeanUnion.
Top bar (transitional) hivesTop-barhivesareboxeswithaseriesofbarsarrangedsidebysidealongthetop.Beesareencouragedto construct their combs from theundersides of these top-bars. Top-bars enable thebeekeeper to liftindividualcombsoutofthehiveforinspection.Combscontainingunripehoneyorbroodcanbereplacedandthosecontainingripehoneycanberemovedforharvest.
Harvestinghoneyandbeeswaxfromtop-barhivesissimpleandcanbeachievedwithoutdamagetothecolony.Top-barhivesareparticularlysuitableforbeginnerbeekeepersbecauseitisofteneasiertolearnhowtomanageandharvestfromatop-barhivethanfromafixedcombhive.Installedatwaistheightandkeptclosetohome,top-barhivesareoftenpopularwithwomen.Alltheequipmentneededfortop-barhivebeekeepingcanbeboughtormadelocally.Top-barhivesareoftenintroducedbyprojectskeentopromotenewandseeminglymodernideas,yettheyfunctionwellonlyifthebeekeeperunderstandsthebees,thebenefitsandlimitations.Pooruseoftop-barhivescanleadtodisappointmentandabandonment.
Frame hivesFramehiveisaboxwithmovableframes.ThistypeofhiveisappropriateintropicalAfricabutisexpensivetobuyandmaintain,machineryisrequiredtoextractthehoney.Beeswaxyieldsfromframehivesarelowcomparedtofixedcombhives.
MODULE 5: BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT
IntroductionManydifferenttypesofequipmentareusedinbeekeepingindustryrightfromtheapiarythroughharvestingandprocessingtotransportingandstorageofhiveproducts.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Identifythedifferentbeekeepingequipmentandtheiruses
2. Demonstratetheoperationanduseofthevariousbeekeepingequipment
Target ParticipantBeekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,artisans,individualsandorganizations/Institutions
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201215
Suggested Number of Participants:Maximum30
Duration:4hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,beekeeping
equipmentand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Methodt Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Demonstrations
t GroupDiscussions
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonthedifferentbeekeepingequipmentintheirareas.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Identifythedifferentbeekeepingequipmentandtheiruses
Group 2: Demonstratetheoperationanduseofthevarioustypesofbeekeepingequipment
Group 3: Discusstheeconomicimportanceofthevarioustypesofbeekeepingequipment
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifies,demonstrates,summarizesandgivesoutthenotes.
HAND OUTS: Bee Keeping Equipment
IntroductionBeekeeping equipments include beehives, harvesting gear, processing gear, storage and transportationfacilities.
1. Bee hivesTypes of beehives
1. Traditional hives (fixed comb hives)
a. Woven basket hive
l Theyvaryinshape,sizeandtypeofmaterialsusedforexampletheycanbeconicalorcylindricalinshape,thecylindricalonemeasuresapproximately90cminlengthand30cmindiameter
l Materials:papyrus,bamboo,fibre,twigsorsticks,cowdungorsoilforsmearing,grassorbananafibreordrybananaleavesascover.Durabilityofthehivedependsonthematerialsusedandmanagement.
l Oneendcompletelyclosed,Oneendbearing5-6holesofdiameter8-10mminarow
16National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Basket hive
± 30 cm
90 cm
Standardized dimensions:
Frontcover
5-6 Holes Ø 8-10 mm
Ø 30 cm Ø 30 cm
Backcover
Hivebody
Fig 7: Measurements for Woven basket hive
Fig 8: Woven basket hive
Advantagest Cheap
t Materialsarelocallyavailable
t Doesnotrequirealotofskillsandtechnology
t Highpropolisproductivity.
t Highwaxproductivity
Disadvantagest Difficulttoinspect
t Combsbreakwhentransportedoverlongdistances
t Productionislimitedsincehivecannotbeextended
t Difficulttoharvestandalotofsmokeisneeded
t Difficulttodetermineharvestingcapacityorvolumebecauseofdifferencesinlengthanddiameter.
t Swarmingandabscondingarecommon
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201217
b. Log hive
l Cylindricalinshape.
l Oneendclosedbutoneendbearstheentranceholeforthebees
Fig 9: The log hive
Advantagest Cheap
t Materialsarelocallyavailable
t Doesnotrequirealotofskillsandtechnology
t Highwaxproductivity
t Durablewithgoodpractices
t Highcolonizationrate.
Disadvantagest Difficulttoinspect
t Combsbreakwhentransportedoverlongdistances
t Productionislimitedsincehivecannotbeextended
t Difficulttoharvestandalotofsmokeisneeded
t Difficulttodetermineharvestingcapacityorvolumebecauseofdifferencesinlengthanddiameter.
t Swarmingandabscondingarecommon
c. Clay hive:
l Madefrombakedclaysoil
l Cantakethecylindricalorovalshapes
l Thecylindricalhasentrancesatoneend
l Theovalshapehasentrancesatthebottomwiththetopcoveredaplankofwood.
18National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Fig 10: Clay hives
Advantagest Cheap
t Materialsarelocallyavailable
t Doesnotrequirealotofskillsandtechnology
t Highwaxproductivity
t Highcolonizationrate
Disadvantagest Difficulttoinspect
t Delicatetotransportasitmayfallandbreak
t Productionislimitedsincehivecannotbeextended
t Difficulttoharvestandalotofsmokeisneeded
t Difficulttodetermineharvestingcapacityorvolumebecauseofdifferencesinshape.
t Swarmingandabscondingarecommon
d. Johnson hive
l MadefromwellseasonedtimberofMusizi,Nkago,NkuzanyanaandMuvulemeasuring12x1inches.
l Doorsmeasure30X30cm
l Sidesmeasure91cmX30cm
l Topboardmeasures97cmX30cmwithironsheetcover
l Bottommeasures91cmX26cm
l Withaqueenexcluderinthemiddle
l Withentrancesoneithersideoftheexcluder
l Wireloopsforhanging
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201219
Fig: 11: Picture of Johnson hive
Advantages:t Separateshoneyfrombrood
t Highwaxproduction
Disadvantagest Theremaybetwocoloniesinthehivecreatingconfusion
t Acolonymaysealoffthequeenexcluderwithpropolisandremainononesideofthehive.
t Combsbreakwhentransportedoverlongdistances
t Productionislimitedsincehivecannotbeextended
t Swarmingandabscondingarecommon
2. Improved hives (movable top bar hives)
a) Kenyan Top Bar Hive
Fig 12: KTB hive showing how the comb attaches to the bar inside the hive
20National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Fig 13: A top bar lifted from a KTB hive
Fig 14: A KTB hive being opened
NB:
1. Alltopbarhivesshouldhavetopbarswithdimensionofwidthof3.2cmandalengthofapproximately48cm.
2. Kenya top bar hive can bemade out of bricks, timber, bamboo,papyrus,basketandclay.
3. Thecovercanbefabricatedprovideditiswaterproofmateriale.g.Plasticsheets,grass,bananafibers,andmats
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201221
Advantagest Colonysplittingandmultiplicationeasy.
t Controlofswarmingispossible.
t Easytoinspecttoknowtheconditionofthecolony
t Harvestingiseasyandpossibletoselectsealedcombed(ripe)honey
t Materialsforconstructionareavailable
t Durable
t Highcolonizationratewhenbaited.
Disadvantagest Itrequireshighskillsandtechnologytomanufacture
t Expensiveforanordinarypersontoafford
t Productionislimitedasitcannotbeexpanded
t Combscaneasilybreakwhileintransit
b) KTB Catcher box:
TheKTBcatcherboxisusuallyaquarteroftheactualKTBhive.Itisusedfortrappingpassingbeeswarmsinthewild.
Fig 15: Catcher box for a KTB hive
3. Modern hives (Movable frame hives):
Examples:LangstrothandDadant
Framesarrangedverticallyrightontopofthebroodchamber(super)
22National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
a) Langstroth hive:
Langstroth hive
A modern hive consists of:
A brood chamber
An inner cover
An outer cover12 framesper super
A honey superA queenexcluder
12 framesper chamber
A bottom board
Fig 16: Langstroth hive showing the different parts of the hive
Fig 17: Langstroth hive
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201223
Fig 18: Langstroth hive- brood chamber, empty frame, honey chamber, combed frame, queen excluder, cover
Fig 19: Catcher box for a Langstroth hive
Advantages of Langstroth / Dadant hivest Transportable
t Highhoneyyield
t Easytoinspectandharvest
t Easytocontrolswarming
t Beebreedingandqueenrearingpossible
t Longlasting
24National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Disadvantages of Langstroth / Dadant hivest Veryexpensive
t Someofthematerialsforconstructionneedtobeimported
t Requireshighskillsandtechnology
t Productionofotherhiveproductsisveryminimal(waxandpropolis)
t Requireshighmanagementskills.
t Itispronetopestanddiseaseattack.
b) Brick frame hive
l Themainbodyofaframebrickhiveismadeofbrickswith2sides,afrontwithholesforbeestoenterandaback.
l 28frames
l Acoverforprotectionagainstrain
Frame brick hiveStandardized dimensions:
62cm
53cm
115cm
Fig 20:Frame brick hive
Advantagest Highhoneyproductivity
t Easytomanage,inspectandharvest
t Longlasting
t Breedingofbeespossible
t Notexpensive
t Materialslocallyavailable
t Havingnaturalinsulationproperties
Disadvantagest Theframesrequirehighlevelofskillstoconstruct
t Nottransportablet Morepronetopests,diseasesandfloods
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201225
2. Bee harvesting gear
a) Smokers
Thebodyconsistsofagalvanizedmetallicsheetofgauge28canonandpumpingbellow.
Thecanonhasachamberwith2holes-oneforincomingairandtheotheronetoletoutsmoke.Insidethechamberisplacedasievetoprotecttheinletfrombeingblockedwithash.
Thepumpingbellowconsistsof2piecesofwoodofsize12cmX20cm,returnablespring,leatherorcanvasmaterial.
Fig 21: Bee smokers
Recommended materials for smokingt Semidrygrass
t Woodshaving
t Coffeehusks
t Maizecomb
t Beanhusks
t Millethusks
t Drycactus
t DrypawpawstemEtc.
Recommended procedures in lighting a smokert Putglowingcharcoalonthesieveinthecanonchamber,followedbyanyofthesmokingmaterials
mentionedabove,fillingthechamber3quarterway.
t Beforeclosingthesmokerfillthecanopyi.e.thelastquarterwithfreshgreengrassorleaves.
t Gently,startpumpingthebellowandsmoking
b) Bee suit
Consistsofanoverallandaheadveil;theoverallismadeofwhiteoryellowkhakimaterialwithaheadveilattachedtoit.Thenetoftheheadveilismadeoutofstrongblacknylonmaterialinorder tohavegoodvisionandventilation.Thehatof theveil consistsof thesamekhakimaterialoftheoverallwitharoundstretchingstiffringofapproximatediameterof42cm.Theveilisattachedtotheoverallwithadoublezipandcanbedetached.Theoverallshouldcoverwholebodyrightfromthelegs,armsuptotheneckwithalongjacketzipperfromthefryuptotheneck.Theoverallshouldbefittingloosely(nottight)withprovisionofpockets;atleast
26National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
4pockets-2atthechestand2aroundthethighs.Thereshouldbeelasticofcode16atthewristandankles.
Fig 22: Bee suit
c) Bee gloves
Canbemadeofsoftleathermaterialorsoftlatexgloves,joinedwithapieceofclothofthesamekhakimaterialandcolourofwhiteoryellowasthatoftheoverall,reachinguptotheelbowfixedwithanelasticofcode16.
Fig 23: Soft latex gloves
d) Gumboots
Gumbootstobeusedbyabeekeepershouldbewhiteincolourandofhis/herownsize.Onecaninnovateagumbootoutofpolythenesacksusedforcarryingmaize,beans,sugarandusedasovershoesandtieovertheoverallneartheknee.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201227
e) Hive tool set
Consistsofabeebrush,hiveopenerandstainlesssteelknife:
l Thebeebrushshouldbemadeofsoftnaturalfibree.g.sisalfibre.Onecanalsousebirdquillfeatherorverysoftleavesorgrassprovidedtheyareclean.
l Thehiveopenerismadeoutofflatironbarof6mmthickness,widthof25mmandlengthof24cm.Thehiveopenerissharpenedatbothendsbutcurvedatoneendandshouldbepaintedwithrustproofpainttoavoidcontaminationofhoneywithcorrosionandrustingwithhoney.
Fig 24: Bee brushes
Fig 25: Hive openers
Fig 26: Knife
28National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
3. Bee processing Equipment
a) Air-tightbuckets
Theyshouldbewhiteoryellowincolourandoffoodgradematerialofcapacitynotmorethan25kgsforeaseoftransportation.
Fig 27: Airtight Bucket (food grade)
b) Food grade drums
Thedrummustbemadeofstainlesssteel,air-tightandrestedonwoodenpallets.
Fig 28: Food grade drum
c) Refractometer
Itisamachineusedtodeterminethepercentageofmoistureinhoney.Itisimportedreadymade.
Fig 29: Honey refractometer
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201229
How to use a refractometerOpentheslidecoverandputadropofhoneysampleandcover.Holdagainst light,viewfromtheeyepieceandadjustaccordinglyuntilyougetadarkborderline;whereitmarksisthepercentageofthewatercontentofthatsample.Then,cleantheslidethereafter.
d) Weighing scale
It is a device used to weigh honey, beeswax and other bee products. There are 3 types ofweighingscalescommonlyusedinUganda,namely:-
(i) Platform Weighing Scale.
l Itcomprisesofaplatformandascaledarm.
How to use a platform weighing scalePut the containerwith thebeeproduct inquestionon theplatformandadjust the scaledarmuntil itbalances.Thereadingwhereitbalancesgivesyoutheweightoftheproductinthecontainer.
ii) Clock Face Weighing Scale
Ithasascaledclockfacewithapointer,2hooksandre-settingnut.Theseweighingscalesvarywithmaximumweighingcapacityrangingfrom25kgsto200kgs.
How to use a Clock Face Weighing Scale1. Re-setthepointerto0’markusingare-settingnut.
2. Useupperhookforsuspendingthescaleinaropetiedtoahorizontalbar.
3. Hangthecontainerwiththeproductontothelowerhook.
4. Takethereadingfromthescalewherethepointerendsandrecord.
iii) Clock face-with- weighing bowl-and-base weighing scale
Ithasascaledclockfacewithapointer,abowl,abaseandre-settingnut.Theyvarywithmaximumweighingcapacityrangingfrom1gramto2kgs.
How to use a Clock face-with- weighing bowl-and-base weighing scale1. Re-setthepointerto0’markusingare-settingnut.
2. Putthecontainerwiththeproductonthebowl.
3. Takethereadingfromthescalewherethepointerendsandrecord.
4. Usedtoweighsmallquantities
e) Straining cloth:
Fig 30 (a): Straining cloth Fig. 30 (b) Straining cloth tied around a bucket ready for straining honey
30National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
f) Centrifuge extractor
Itisamachineusedtoextracthoneyfromcombsandframedcombs.Itcomesreadymade.Somearemadeof foodgradeplasticwhileothersmadeof foodgradestainlesssteel.Theyhaveextractingcapacityrangingfrom2framesto18.Thecombsorframesarearrangedeitherradially,triangularlyorrectangularlyinordertoextracthoney.Therearemanualextractorsaswellastheelectricalones.
Alltypeshaveaspoutfordrainingthehoneyoutofthetank.Thebottomisconvexinsidetoallowallthehoneytodrain.Theyarefittedon3stands.Themainbodyiscylindrical.Theyhave2transparentplasticcovers.
Fig 31: Centrifuge extractor
g) HoneysettlingTank
Thereare2types;foodgradeplastictanksandstainlesssteeltanks.Theyvaryincapacityfrom25,50,100,200andthen400kgs.Ithasacoverandaspoutwithaconvexbottominside.Somecomewithinbuilthoneystrainerwhileotherscomewithseparatedoublestrainers.
Fig 32: Honey settling tank
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201231
h) Honey Press:
Fig 33: Honey Press
i) Honey jars:
Fig. 34: Honey jars
j) Bee house:
Fig 35: Bee house
32National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
k) Honeycollectionandprocessingpremises:
1. Thehoneyprocessingenvironmentshouldbefreeofpests,contaminantsandpollutantsi.e.itshouldbefreefromfilth,fumes,stagnantwater/breedingplacesformosquitoes,swampyareas,agrochemicals,humanoranimalwasteorgarbage.
2. Thepremisesshouldbesuitableinsizeforthepurposeofhandling/processingfood
3. Itshouldbespacioustoallowsmoothflowofprocesses
4. Adequatelightingshouldbeprovided
5. Itshouldbeverminandbeeproof
6. Havegooddrainage
7. Havehighroof-theceilingsshallbesmooth,imperviousandeasytoclean
MODULE 6: MAKING BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT
IntroductionMostbeekeepingequipmentcanbemadelocallyorsimplyusingthelocalmaterials.Itisthereforeimportanttoknowtherecommendeddimensionsandhowtomakesomeofthekeyequipmentrequiredforprimaryproductionattheapiary.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Explainthedimensionsofbeekeepingequipment
2. Makedifferentbeekeepingequipmentsandtools.
Target Participant:Artisans,beekeepers,serviceproviders,individualsororganizations
Suggested Number of Participants:Maximum20
Duration:2hours(classroom),3daysforpracticalsessiononmakingbeekeepingequipment.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,equipment
plans, materials and tools for making equipments and finished pieces of the equipment fordemonstrationandhandouts.
Methodt Lectures
t Practicals
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“MAKING BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT (Specify Equipment)”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Askoneortwoparticipantstohelpyouindemonstratingandmodelingthedifferentbeekeepingequipmentspecifiedinstep1above.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201233
Step 3Give out the equipment plans. Go through the plans carefully. Explain using the finished piece of theequipment.
Step 4Thetraineraskstheparticipantssomequestionstochecktheirunderstandingandclarifyongaps.
Step 5Practicalsessionsformakingtheequipments
HAND OUTS
(i) Kenya Top Bar Hive Plans
Theonlyexactmeasurementsrequiredintheconstructionarethoseofthetopbaritself.Othersarenottoocritical,sothesizeofthehivecanvarytosuitlocalconditions.Givetheseplanstoalocalcarpenterandexplainthefollowingdimensions:
Dimensions for body
Lid:94cmx52cm
Side:26cmx87cm
Bottom:24cmx87cmorto90cmmaximum
Ends(2):25cminheight,42cmwideattopand20cmwideatbottom
52cm
94cm
TOP LID
87cm
26cm
87cm
26cm
25cm
Fron
t si
de
24cm
87cm - 90cm
BOTTOM
Side A
Side B
20cm
42cm
Back side
25cmEntr
ance
hol
es8m
m -
10m
m
Fig 36: Dimensions for the body of a Kenya Top Bar hive
Dimensions for top bars:-
Length:45.5cm
Width:3.2cm
34National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Types of top bars:T-shaped,V-shaped,Grooved-topbarandhalfroundtopbar
(i) V - shaped top bar
2cm
3.2cm
1.6cm
(ii) T - shaped top bar
2cm
3.2cm
1.35cm
0.5cm
1.5cm
(iii) Grooved top bar
2cm
3.2cm
1.4cm0.4cm
1.5cm
(iv) Round top bar
2cm
3.2cm
Note: AllshapesMUSTberebatedatbothendstostopslideofffromthehive.
2cm
1cm
1cm
48cm
3.5cm
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201235
MaterialsAnytimberforthebodyandthetopbarsmustbesuitable,wellseasonedwood.
Instructions
t Cutthesides,endsandbottomtotherequiredsize.
t Thesidesofthehiveshouldbeatanangletoapproximatethecurveofthecombsthatthebeeswillnaturallymake(thislimitstheinclinationofthebeestoattachthecombtothesidewalls).
t Allsurfacesneedtobesmoothandalljointsfreefromcracksandgaps.
t Make6-8smallroundortriangularshapedholesatoneendofthehivenearthebottomastheentrance:8-10mmindiameter.
t Thetopbarsrequirecriticalmeasurementsanduniformityandmustbe32mmor1.24incheswide.
t Putastriporgroovealongthecentreofthetopbars,ontowhichbeeswaxisplacedtoencouragecombformationandbait.
t Thishiveshouldholdbetween20to33topbarspackedtightlyinthehivewithnogaps.
Note:Tryandmakethetopbarstheexactsamemeasurement(32mm)inallyourtopbarhives(thestandardtopbar is19inchesor48cmlong)toallowbeestobetransferredfromonetypeofhivetotheother.
(ii) Mud and Stick Hive
Thebodyofatopbarhivecanbemadeupoflocallyavailablematerialsprovidedthatthestandardmeasurementsofbarsarefollowed.
Sothefollowingdimensionsaregivenonlyasaguideandcanvaryaccordingtolocalneeds.
Howeverthemeasurementsforthetopbararecriticalandmustbe32mmwide.
Internal Dimensions for body
Length:900mm Width:440mm Height: 300mm
Dimensions for top bars
Length:480mm Width:32mm
(ThelengthisjustaguidebutitMUSTbe32mmor1.25incheswidefortopbar).
3.2cm
0.5cm
COMB SPACE GUIDE
0.5cm
1.5cm
Fig 37: Top bar measurements
Materialst Longandshortsticks
36National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
t Wire,stringoracaciabarkfibre
t Mudordung(mudfromatermitemoundworksthebest)
t Material(wood,tinorpolythenetocoverthehive
t Timberforthetopbars
Instructionst Forthebodyyouwillneedapproximately50longand30shortstraightsticks.
t Makeaframeofsticksfirsttoformthebottomorbaseofthehive.
t Tieonotherstickstotheframetoformthesides.Makeslightlyslopedsidesifpossible.
t Usewire,twineorfibretotieallthestickstogether.Ifyoubindthemtightlythenyoucanhaveaverystrongframethatdoesnotwobble.
t Plasteroutsidetheframewithmudandcowdungandleavetodry.Make6-8smallholesof8-10mmindiameteratoneendofthehiveastheentrance.Theseshouldbeclosetothebottomofthehivetomakeiteasyforthebeestokeepthehiveclean.
t Experimentwith any available low costmaterial to cover the hive.Usetin or timber if available(approx57cmsx97cms).Butdon’tputatinroofdirectlyonthetopbarsasitmightgettoohotinthesun–leaveagapbetweenthetopbarsandthetincover.Youmayalsouseaplasticsheetoverthelidtostopthehivegettingwet.
t Constructthetopbarsfromtimberandputastripofwoodalongthecentre,ontowhichbeeswaxisplacedtoencouragecombformationandbait.Thisiscalledacombguide.
Tryandmakethetopbarstheexactsamelengthinallyourtopbarhivestoallowbeestobetransferredfromonetypeofhivetotheother.
iii) Langstroth bee hive plan:
¾”externalplywoodcoverwithtin
¼”externalplywood
Inner cover Hole
Cleatforhandhold
Hive frames(insideshallowsuper)
Framed Queen excluder
Brooder Hive frames(liftedtorevealinsideconstructionofsuper)
Boards to support frames inside super
Cleatforhandhold
Movable bottom board
¾”externalplywood
Hive stand
Deep super
(deephivebody)
55cm
40cm
40cm
47.5cm
15cm
47.5cm
47.5cm
40cm
40cm
45cm 52.5cm5cm
7.5cm
Stailesswireof0.47mmdiameter
Outer cover
Fig. 38: Langstroth hive dimensions
LANGSTROTH HIVEAllwoodusedshouldbeof2cmthickness.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201237
(1) Cover
l Frame57cmx50cmofwidth4cmandthickness2cm
l Fittedwithplywoodtopofsize57cmx50cm
l Thencoveredwithplainironsheetgauge32.
(2) Inner cover
l Plywoodcuttosize48cmx48.5cm
(3) Supper / Honey box
l Size42.5cmx50.5cmandheightof14cm
l Ithasatoprebateinsideonthesidesof42.5cm.Therebatesizeis2cmindepthand1cminlength.
2cm
1cm
l Fittedwithframespacerstoaccommodate11frames
(4) Queen excluder
l Coffeetraywirecuttosize42cmx50cm
l Framedwithbindingsattheedges.Thesizeofthebindingsis2.5cmwidthand2mmthickness
Binding
Coffee tray wire
(5) Brood box
l Size42.4cmx50.5cmx28cm
l Fittedwithbottomboardwhichleave1cmgapfrombottomline
l Ithasatoprebateinsideonthesidesof42.5cm.Therebatesizeis2cmindepthand1cminlength.
38National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
2cm
1cm
l Fittedwithframespacerstoaccommodateframes
(6) Supper frame
12cm
39.5cm 1cm
1cm
1cm
48cm
Sides
Bottom 1cm
4cm
Stainless wire
(7) Brooder frame
20cm
Stainless wire
Allotherdimensionsarethesameasofsupperandbrooderframeexceptthesides
l Toppiecesaremadeofsizes2cmx2.5cm
l Toppieceisfittedwithagroove
l Sideandbottompiecesaremadeofsizes1cmx2.5cm
(8) Stainless wire
l Superframeisfittedwith2stainlesswiresofgauge0.47mml Brooderframeisfittedwith3stainlesswiresofgauge0.47mm
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201239
(9) Waxfoundationsheet
l Superframeisfittedwithcombfoundationsheet
l Broodframeisfittedatleast½ofthecombfoundationsheet
(iv) Solar wax melter plans
Asolarwaxmelterprovidesasimpleandsafemethodtoextractwax.Itisaglassorplasticcoveredboxthatusestheheatofthesuntomeltbeeswax.
Sun raysDouble skin of glass or plastic
sheet
Collecting container for melted wax
Wire mesh to hold back
debris
Metal tray shaped to
direct wax into container
Insulating material
Fig 39: Solar wax extractor
The dimensions of the body depend on the materials and space available.
Materialst Woodandblackpaintforthebody(insideandoutside)
t 2Glasssheetof2mmgaugewithaspaceof4mminbetween
t Stainlessmetalsheetsfortray(unpainted)
t Container(plasticwithslopingsidesworksbest)
t Wiremeshoverthecontainertostrainwax
Instructions1. Makeabox
2. Makethecollectingcontainer
3. Makethemeltingtray
4. Puttheseparatingmesh
5. Constructadoubleclearglassorclearplasticlid.The2sheetsshouldbeaboutoneinchandaquarter(1¼”)or4cmaparttohelpincreaseandretainabsorbedheat.Theentireboxshouldbepaintedblackfromoutsideformaximumheatabsorption.
40National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Using the solar wax extractor1. Themelterisplacedinasunnyspot.Theboxistiltedatanangletocatchthesun.
2. Combsareplacedonthemetalsheet.Thesheetshouldnotbepainted,aspaintcontainslead,whichcancontaminate thewax.Themeltercanbeused to renderoldcombs,cappingsandotherhivescrapings.
3. Thewaxmeltsandrunsintoacollectingcontainerthroughawiremesh,toformwaxblocksaccordingtotheshapeofthecollectingcontainer.
(v) Bee veil
Themostimportantpieceofthebeesuitistheveilforcoveringthehead.
Veil 1 - Dimensions for body:-
l Thelengthwillvarydependingonthesizeofthehat.
l Thetotalfinisheddepthoftheveilshouldbe70cm(20cmofcloth,30cmofscreen,and20cmofcloth).
Materialst Clothx2pieces
t Elasticx1piece
t Blackscreenx1piece
t Ahatwithabrim
Instructionst Theclothusedfortheveilneedstobeacoolmaterialsotheheaddoesnotgettoohot.
t Cutandsewtheclothandscreenaccordingtothesizeofthehat.
t Placedrawstringsaroundthebottomandtopoftheveil.
t Placetheveiloverahatwithawidebrim.Ensuretheveiliskeptclearoftheskin.
Alternativelyinsertstiffwireorflexiblesticksthroughtheveilandmakearingtokeepitstiff.
Theloweredgeoftheveilmustbefixedtightsothatbeescannotgetin.
Fig 40: Bee veil
Veil2–Analternativeveilcanbemadeasfollows:-
Materialst Clothx2piecest Blackscreenx1piece
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201241
Fig 41: Dimensions of Bee veil
Instructions1. CuttheclothandmarkthepointsA–Gonthematerial(seeabove).2. SewthescreenandfirstclothfromAtoB1(seebelow).3. SewthescreenandclothfromBtoC(seebelow).4. AttachthesecondclothandsewfromAtoB,andtoCandtoD(seebelow).5. SewthebackoftheveilfromAtoGandfinishthehem(seebelow).
Fig 42: Bee veil parts
Bee veil and Overall plan:
BEE VEIL
(1)(i). Cut2roundpiecesofmaterialsofdiameter18cmforthetopofhat(ii). Cut4piecesofmaterialfortheofthehat
(2)
35cm
27cm
12cm
Fig 43: Bee veil plan:
(iii) Cut2roundpiecesofmaterialforthehatbase(circularandholeof17cminthemiddle)
42National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
(3)
45cm
17cm
Sewtogether1roundtopNo.1,2piecessidesNo.2and1basetomakeahat.
Fit2hatstogetherandfoldthebaseoveraringwireof125cmcircumferenceandsew.
(4)
(i). Cutablacknetofsize63cmx31cm
(ii). Cutamaterialofsize67cmx31cm
(iii). Sewthematerialandthenetateithersideof31cmtomakeitround.
67cm
31cm
Material
31cm
Net
(iv). Cutmaterialofsize160cmx11cm.Folditinto2tomake160cmx5.5cmandsewallroundtheabovenetandcloth.
(v). Thenfix2selflockingjacketzipsof56cmstartinginthemiddlebackoneithersides
(vi). Thensewthewholepieceonthehat.
(vii). Putanotherringwire15cmfromthehatandsewoveritamaterialof160cmx5cm.
OVERALL
1. Getapieceofmaterial160cmx90cmthenfolditinto2toget45cmx160cm.160cm
45cm
23cm 47cm
25cm 40
cm
29cm
Fig 44: Overall plan:
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201243
Youhavetoget2piecesonefortheleftandanotherfortheright.
2. Getapieceofmaterialofsize80cmx76cmandfolditinto2toget80cmx38cm.
80cm
76cm
27cm
19cm51cm
Youget2piecesforbothhands.
3. Cut2piecesofsize26cmx29cmforthedownpockets
4. Thencut1pieceofsize13cmx18cmfortheupperpocketandcutacoveringflapof18cmx19cmandfoldinto2toget9cmx19cmandfixastick-on(kamatta).
5. StartsewingtheleftandrightpiecesinNo.1atthebackandthighsandthenfixazipof76cmatthefront.
6. Fixacollaraccordingtothesizeoftheoverall
7. Thenfixthe2downpocketsandoneupperpocket.
8. Putlasticattheendofthearmslegsandback.
9. Fixthecoveringflapontheupperpocket
10. Sewthesecondpartofthezipfromtheveil.
11. Putflapwithstick-on(kamatta)atthefrontandbackwhenthezipstartsandends.
vii) Bee glove plan:
Gloves
28.5cm
38cm
BC
A
D
(i) Buylatexgloveswithcottonlininginside(toabsorbsweatandeasytoputonandoff)
44National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
(ii) Cut2khakimaterialsaspersizeabove(thatis38cmx28.5cm)
(iii) JoinsideBtoCandmakeitround.
(iv) PutaprovisionforaelasticatsideA
(v) ThensewsideDtotheglovesofleftandrightsothatitbecomeslongeruptotheelbow.
A
B
C
D
Fig. 45: Measurements of Bee glove
viii) Measurements of Bee Smoker:
Fig 46: Measurements and making of a bee smoker:
Steps:(1)
(i) Cutthepylonwireaspersizeabove
(ii) Makeholesaandbwithdiameteroftherivettobeused
(iii) Cutoffcorners
(2)
(i) Cutaspersizeaboveplainsheetgauge28.
(ii) Joinsidesaandbtomakeaconewithahole.
(iii) Foldoutthebase2mmatright-angletothebaseofthecone
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201245
(3)
34cm
W
X
b aFold
2.5cm
(i) Cutplainsheetgauge28aspersizeabove
(ii) FoldtoremovethesharpedgeatsideW.
(iii) Joinsideaandbandmakeitround
X
W
ab
JointFold
(iv) Fold3mmatrightangleallroundatX.
(4) Fix No. 2 to No. 3 and join firmly the base of the cone to the ring at X.
X
W
2
3
46National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
(5)
33cm
W19
cm2cm
2cm 2cm
6cm
5cm
a
X
6cm
4cm
c
2cm
5cm
b
4cm
2cmd
TS
(i) Cutplainsheetgauge28aspersizeabove.
(ii) Makeaholeof2cmdiameter.
(iii) Makeholesa,b,canddasthesizeoftherivettobeused.
(iv) JoinsideStoTandformacylinderof10cmdiameter.
(v) Fold1mmtoremovethesharpedgeatsideX.
(vi) Fold1mmatrightangleatsideWnearabighole.
1cm
Ridge
19cm
X
W
(vii) Put a ridge 1 cm from side X.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201247
(6)
11.5cm
2mm
(i) Cutacircularplainsheetofgauge28withadiameter11.5cm.
(ii) Fold2mmatrightanglefacingupwardallround.
11.1cm
2mm
(7) Place side W No.5 on No.6 and fix firmly the bottom
W
5
6
X
48National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
(8)
(i) Cutplainsheetsgauge24aspersize
1cm
1cm
1cm
3cm
7.5cm
3cm
A
a
a
1cm
1cm
1cm
14cm
8.5cm
1cm
B
a a
1cm
2.5cm
(ii) Foldthe2tonguesaroundarivet.
A
Rivet
(iii) Putholesasthesizeofrivets.
(iv) FoldthetongueofBaroundtherivetwhichwasfixedinpartAandformahingeasbelow.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201249
BA
Rivet
(9) Fix the part of No. 4 to part of No. 7 with a hinge above.
A
B
Hinge
4
7
(10)
1cm
1cm
1cm
4.5cm
8cm
2cm
6.5cm
(i) Cutplainsheetgauge28aspersize
50National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
(ii) Foldthebiggestpartonaroundbarof16mmdiameter.
(iii) Bendthe2tonguesat3cmatarightangle.
16mm
3cm
(11)
17cm
2.5cma b
c
2cm
10mm
(i) Cutplainsheetgauge24aspersize(2pieces).
(ii) Make2holes(aandb)toaccommodaterivetsandholeCtofit10mmbolt
(iii) Bendtheaboveinsmall‘n’letterlike.
6.5cm
4cm
(iv) Fixthe2pieceonpartNo. 9usingholea,b,canddwhichweremadeinNo.5
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201251
A
B
Hinge
(12)
a
21.5cm
10.52cm
(i) Cut2piecesofplyanwireandmakearivetholeinthemiddle
(13)
9.5cm
Holes
9.5cm
(i) Cutplainsheetofgauge28ofdiameter9.5cm
(ii) Putabout40airholesatrandomintheabovepieceofabout8mmdiameter.
52National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
(14)
(i) Crossthe2piecesofNo.12andfixthemonNo.13witharivetasbelow.
Ravet
1213
6cm
(ii)ThenfoldthefourpointsofNo.12at6cmtoformstandinglegs.
(15) Put No. 14 inside No.7 with legs standing down.
14
(16) Put No. 10 into a big hole of 2cm diameter when its tongues touch the lower of No.11
(17)
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 201253
b
20cm
12cm
a
8mm
8mm
11mm
(i) Cut2piecesofwoodaspersizeabovewithathicknessof1cm.
(ii) Drill3holesinthemiddleline.
(a) holesshouldcorrespondwithholesofNo.11tofix10mmbolt.
(b) holes‘b’shouldbedirectedtotheairpipeNo.10asfixedinNo.16.
(iii) Fixthedrilledpiecewith10mmboltsusingholesofNo.11.
(iv) Fixareturnspringattheupperpartofwoodenpiece.
Return spring
54National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
(v) Cutacanvusaspersize.
9cm 4cm
25cm 25cm13cm
9cm
(vi) Fixthecanvusaroundthewoodstartingfrombottomwithtaxinails.
(vii) Fixthesecondwoodenpieceagainstthespringandnailthecanvusaroundit.
(viii) Fixthelacearoundthetwopiecesofwoodoverthecanvuswithchairpinsatleast1cmaparttosealanyairleakage.
MODULE 7: APIARY MANAGEMENT
IntroductionAnapiary is the locationofbeehivesorbeecolonies inhives.Apiarymanagement is thesetofroutineactivities inanapiarydependingonweatherorseasonalchangesandthe initialobjectivesofsetup. Itis important for a beekeeper to knowanduseGoodAgricultural Practices (GAPs) in his/her apiary formaximumyieldsandqualityproducts.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Identifyagoodapiarysite
2. Demonstratehivehangingandplacing
3. Demonstratehowtoattractbeesintoanewemptyhive,catchawildswarm,transferbeesintoahive,divisionofanexistingcolonyandunitesmallercolonies.
4. Keepcleanandhygienicapiary
5. Carryouthiveinspection
6. Keepgoodrecords
Target ParticipantBeekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,artisans,individualsandorganizations/Institutions.
Suggested Number of Participants:Maximum30
Duration:3hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,protective
wear,hivetoolset,films,video,generator,projector,apiaryand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Methodt Lectures
t Brainstorming
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t Demonstrations
t Groupdiscussions
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“Apiarymanagement”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonthecharacteristicsofgoodapiarysite.
Step 3Dividetheparticipantsinto3groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:-
Group 1: Describehivehanging,hiveplacingandhowtoattractbeesintoanewemptyhive
Group 2: Describecatchingawildswarm,transferringbeesintoahive,multiplyinganexisting colonyandunitingsmallercolonies
Group 3: Describehiveinspectionandrecordkeeping
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifies,summarizesandgivesoutthenotes.
HAND OUT: Apiary ManagementThelocationofhoneybeecolonies(beehives)iscalledanapiary.Beehivesarehollowcontainersthatcanbeclosedandarepurposelymadetohousebees,andtheseinclude:
a. Traditionalhiveswithfixedcombse.g.loghivesandwovenhives.
b. Topbarhiveswithmovablecombse.g.KenyaTopBar(KTB)hives.
c. Modernframehiveswithmovablecombse.g.Langstroth.
Apiary siting Agoodapiarymanagementstartswithchoosingagoodsitetohangorplacehives.Ifyouchooseapoorsitepeopleandanimalsmaybestung.Ifthesiteisinsecurehoneyandhivescanbestolen.Thefollowingarerecommendedpracticesforagoodapiarysite:-
t Thesitemustbeeasytogettoandfrominorderforyoutocheckthehivesregularly.
t Anapiarycanhouseupto20hivesdependingontheavailabilityoffloweringtreesintheareaasbeesforageupto3kmfromtheapiary.
t Ahighhedgeorfenceshouldbeputaroundtheapiarytoseparatethebeesfrompeopleandanimals,asbeescanbeaggressive.Theapiaryshouldbeawayfromhumanandlivestockdwellingareas,roadsandpublicareas.
t Itshouldbesafefromstrongdirectsunshine,beshadedduringthehotpartofthedaybuthavesuninthemorning.Shademustbeconstructedifnoneisavailableatthesite.
t Itshouldbesafefromstrongdirectwindandallowgoodaircirculation.
t Itmustbenearafreshwatersupply;thiscanbeariver,pondorevenadrippingtap.
t Itmustbenearfoodsourcessuchastrees/nectarbearingcrops,andcashcropsthatneedpollination.Puttinghivesinabeehouse/shed,whichcanbelockedtopreventthievesstealingthehoney,isoneoption.Buttheremustbeholesinthewalltoallowthebeestogetenoughfreshairinandoutoftheirhives.
t Itisbetteriftheapiaryisawayfromareaswherechildrenplayoranysourceofcontinualnoise.Noisecandisturbthebeesandmakethemdefensive.
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t Theapiaryshouldbeonhigherground,awayfrommarshorlandliabletopossibleflooding.Humidconditionsencouragefungalgrowthandpreventhoneymaturingandbeesfromforaging.
t The apiarymust not be close to areaswhere pesticides are used as theymay kill the bees andcontaminatethehoney.
t Thebeeswillalsoappreciatebeingawayfromsmoke,fireandunfriendlyneighbours.
t Thereshouldbegoodwaternotcontaminatedone.
t Shouldnotbeneartheroad.
t Shouldbeneargoodplantationlikecoffeeplantations.
Rememberthatoncethebeesenterthehivesitwillbemoredifficulttochangethingssochoosingagoodsitetobeginwithismostimportant!
Hive Hanging t Hanghivesusingstronggreasedgalvanizedwirestoprotectthebeesfrompests.
t Hanghivesinorunderwell-shadedtrees.
t Suspendhivesfromwiressothatpredatorssuchasthehoneybadgercannotpushthemover.
t Rememberalwayswhenhanginghivesthatitisimportanttoallowforeaseofharvesting.Honeyqualityisimprovedbycarefulharvestingwhichiseasierwhenthehiveiswithineasyandcomfortablereach.
t Usetreesorsolidpolestohangthehive.
t Thehivesshouldbehungatwaistheightabovetheground.Thisisimportantinmodernbeekeepingas thebeekeeperwearsabeesuitmakingclimbingdifficult.Traditionalhivesareusuallyhung intrees.
Alternativelyahivecanbesuspendedonaropewithapulleythatcanbeloweredforharvesting.
Hive Placingt Placehivesonsturdystandsespeciallyhives,whicharenotstrongenoughtohang.
t Placehivestoallowyoutoapproachthehivesfrombehind.
t Placinghivesonstandsmakesthemaccessibleandeasytoharvestandmanage.
t Rememberthestandshouldbesturdyandhighenoughforthehivetobeatwaistheight.
t Thelegsofthestandmustbeplacedincansofusedengineoiltopreventpestssuchasantsgettingintothehive.Alternativelyputbandsofgreasearoundthelegsandspreadashesaroundthestandtodiscouragegrassgrowth.
t Thelegsofthestandmustbefittedwithratguards.
Alternativelyhivescanbeputunderashelterorinabeehouse.Thiscanbeasimplehutwithholesinthewallsforbeestogetinandout.Abeehouseisusefulbecauseitcanbelockedtopreventthievesstealingthehoneyorthehives.
Whichevermethodischosen,itisalwaysimportanttoremember
t Toavoidlongstraightrowsofhivestoreducedriftinganddiseasetransmission.
t Tocutthegrassshortaroundthehives.
t Toremovesmallstonesordebrisintheapiaryasthebeekeepermaystumbleoverthem.
t Positioningtheapiaryshouldcomplywithallconditionsofbeekeeping.
Itoftenhappensthatbeesdonotenterthehiveforquiteawhile.Itisdisturbingtoseethatthenewhivethatyouhaveworkedsohardtobuildstaysemptyandtheemptyhivedoesnotproduceanyhoney!Thereisthereforeneedtoattractbeestothenewemptyhive.
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Howtoattractbeestothenewemptyhive
t Keepthehivescleanandpestfree–nodirt,spiders,cobwebsorinsects.
t Placehivesalongtheswarmingroutesofbees.
t Use bee attractants or baits such as beeswax, propolis and lemon grass (wax the top bars forexample).
t Usebaithivesandcatcherboxestocatchaswarm.
t Transferbeesfromafixedcombhiveorfromawildnest.
t Divideanexistingcolony.
t Buybees
Catching a wild swarm of beesSwarminghappenswhenthecolonygetstoobigandthebeeswanttoreproducethecolonybymakinganewqueen.Theold,experiencedqueenandmostoftheadultworkersleavethehivewiththeswarmandflyoutoftheoldhivelookingforanewhome.Newqueenlaterhatchesoutandtakesovertheoldcolonyandtheremainingbees.Thebeekeepercancapturetheswarmandplaceitintoatemporaryorpermanenthive.Theswarmhasabetterchanceofstayingintothenewhiveifitiscapturedduringanectarflowseason.
Transferring bees into the hiveIt is possible to transfer bees fromawild nest or froma traditional hivewithfixed combs in order tocolonisethehive.
How to divide an existing colonyChoosethestrong,productiveandlessdefensivecolonytomakedivisionstoincreaseyourcolonies.Youcanmakeadivisionofanexistinghealthycolonyinordertocoloniseanewhive.Makedivisionafterthehoneyflowtoincreasecolonynumbers.Thebesttimetodivideacolonyiswhenthebeesaregettingreadytoswarm.
Avoidmakingdivisionsduringthehoneyseasonbecauseitwillreducetheamountofhoneytobeproduced.Between the beginning and the peak of the flowering seasons, strong colonies can suddenly becomeovercrowdedwithclustersofbeesneartheentrance,andlargenumbersofdrones.Tocheckifacolonyisgettingreadytoswarmlookforsignsthatthecolonyisovercrowdedandthequeenhasrunoutofcellstolayeggsin.Acolonycanfillbetween9and15broodcombswithbroodofallstages,includingalotofdronebroodandsometimesthereisevenlittlesurplushoney.Alsothebeeswillbeproducingqueencells.
Dividing controls swarming and saves the beekeeper from losing the bees or the trouble of catching aswarm.Butalwayschoosethemostproductiveandlessdefensivecolony.Bydividingityouarespreadingitsgoodgeneticcharacteristics.Todivideacolonyyoumust:-
I. Prepareyournewhivefirst–cleanandrubitwithsomebeeswaxorpropolissothatitsmellsfamiliarforthebees.Putitnexttotheovercrowdedhive.
II. Useyoursmokerandsuitandkeepyoursmokeralightnearbyincaseyouneedit.
III. Chooseabighealthycolonytodivideandcheckithasbrood,eggs,pollenandhoney.
IV. Selectacombwithqueencells,remove it fromthehiveandbreakall thequeencellsexceptthebiggestcappedtwo.Youneedtwojustincaseonegetsdamaged.
V. Nowtransferthecombwiththe2queencellsintothenewhive.
VI. Alsotransferoneortwoothercombswithalotofsealedbroodandalittleunsealedbrood.Morebroodmeansadultbeeswillemergeveryquicklyinthenewhive.
VII. Alsotransferoneortwocombsoffoodcombwithlotsofsealedhoneyandpollen.
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VIII. Youcanmakeadivisionwithcombsaslongasthenewcolonyhasfemaleworkereggsoflessthatthreedaysoldandlarvaeinthecombstransferred.Fromtheveryyounglarvaetheywillbeabletomakenewqueencellswithinafewdaysandraiseanewqueen.
IX. Includebeesonallthecombsyoutransferandbrushorshakeinbeesfrom2or3othercombsaswell.
X. CheckverythoroughlythatyouDONOThavetheoldqueenonthecombsyoumoveorbrushoff.Shemustremainundisturbedintheoldhiveormothercolony.Ifyouareindoubtthenmakesureyouleaveeggsandatleastleaveonebigcappedqueencellintheoldhiveincaseyouhavetakenherbyaccident.Thebeeswilldestroythequeencellifthequeenispresent.
Remembertoputthebroodcombsinthemiddleandthehoneycombsoneithersidetoinsulatethebroodnest.Theframingcombsfeedandhelpthebeestokeepthebroodwarm.Wherethereisnohoneysupplementaryfeedingcanbedone.
XI. Thesebeeswillbecomeanewcolony.Mostoftheadultbeeswillremainintheoldhiveandcontinuetomakehoney.
XII. Thebeeswilllookafterthequeencellsinthenewcolonyandanewqueenwillhatchout.Thefirstqueentohatchoutwilldestroytheotherqueencell.
XIII. Waituntildarkthenmovethenewhivetoasiteatleast2kmsfromtheoldsiteifpossible.
XIV. Ifyoudon’thaveaplacetoputthenewdividedcolony2kmsawaythenyoumustmovebothhives1meithersideoftheoldlocation.Thiswillensurethatsomereturningbeesgointotheoldhiveandsomeintothenew.
XV. Youwillneedtofeedthebeesinthenewhive,astheywillnotknowwheretogoandgetfoodintheirnewplace.Asmallcolonycanbecomeweakveryquickly.
XVI. Ifyouseethequeenorbroodafter4weeksthenthishasnowbecomeanestablishedcolony.
XVII. Ifyouobservebeescollectingpollenafter twoweeks, this isan indicationthatanewqueenhasemergedinthathive.
Uniting coloniesBeekeepersunitecoloniesinordertoenlargeacolony,improvetheiryieldofhoneyorcontrolaworker-layingproblem.Acolonycanproducesurplushoneyonlyifitisstrongenoughandcontains6-8combswithplentyofbroodandsealedhoneyandcoveredwellbybees.Thisverymuchdependsonthecolonyhavingaproductivequeen.Ifacolonyfailstoproducesurplushoneyfor2seasons,orifitisweakenedbyrepeatedswarming,thenitcanbestrengthened.Twoweakcoloniescanbecombinedtomakeonestrongcolony.Onelargecolonycollectsmorehoneythan2smallercolonies.Acolonycanbeunitedwithanothercolonyorwithaswarm.Touniteacolonywithanother:-
I. Removeandkillthequeenfromtheweaker,mostdefensiveorleastproductivecolony.
II. Catchandcagethequeenfromtheothercolonyinamatchboxandplacethehiveneartotheoldcolony.
III. Smokebothhivesthoroughlysothattheirfamiliarsmellsarecovered.
IV. Topreventbeesfightingalsodust themwithflouror spraywith sugar syrup– theywill bebusycleaningthemselvesandwillnotfight!
V. Placethequeeninhercageintheoldhivenexttothebroodnest.Thebeeswillchewthematchboxtoreleasethequeen.
VI. Transferallthetopbarswithcombsandbeesintotheoldhive.Alternatecombsfromthedifferentcoloniesasyoudosountilallthebroodcombsareunitedandthenaddthehoneycombs.
VII. Closethehiveandleavetheunitedcolonyundisturbedforthenextfewdays.
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Touniteacolonywithaswarmyoumust:-
I. Catchaswarmandifyoucanfindthequeenthencageher.
II. Openthehiveandremovetheoldqueen(undesiredqueen)inacageandkillherlater.
III. Smokethebeesandplacethenewcagedqueennearthebroodnest.
IV. Shaketheswarmintoanemptypartofthehive.
V. Ifyoudidnotfindeitherqueenthendonotworry.Leavebothqueensinthehiveandthestrongeronewillkilltheweakerone.
Note:Intheprocessofunitingthecolony,youmayexperienceswarmingorabsconding.
Asthenewcolonyhaseggsandlarvaeinthecombstheyneedtobeprotected.Whileunitingthecolonythequeenshouldnotbekeptawayformorethan1hour.
Buy bees Buypestanddiseasefreebeesonlyfromlicenseddealersincolonymultiplicationandqueenrearing.
Hive InspectionOncethehiveisoccupiedandthebeesarebusy,itissaidtobecolonizedanditisimportanttoinspectthecolonytomonitoritsperformance.Observethefollowingsimpleguidelineswhilecarryingoutinspection:
I. Donotstandintheflightpathofthebees.
II. Workgentlywithoutexcessivetalkingorbangingnoises.
III. Puffsmokegentlyaroundtheentranceofthehiveandremovethelidcarefully.
IV. Removeafewemptybarstocreateagapatoneendofthehive.Thisshouldnotdisturbthebees.Thereafter,removeonebaratatime.Smokethegapgentlyandholdthebarverticallysoasnottobreakoffthecomb.
V. Useahivetoolorknifetoseparatebarsthataregluedtogetherbypropolis.
VI. Keepthebarsinthesameorderandtrynottosquashanybeeswhenreplacingtheminthehive.Squashedbeesreleaseasmell(alarmpheromone)thatsetsotherbeesontheattack.
VII. Donotvisitthehiveinthewarmpartoftheday-aboutsixo’clockintheeveningisagoodtime.
VIII. Donottryandworkwithtoomanyhivesatatime,atleastnotmorethan45minutesinanapiaryasbeesfromthefirsthiveworkedonwillbecomeagitatedandattack,leadingtofurthercommotionamongstallthebees.
IX. Alwayswearlightcolouredclothes.Ideally,protectiveclothingshouldbeworn,especiallyaveiltoprotecttheeyesandface.
X. Makesurethetopbarsarepushedtogetherastheyarereplaced,sothatnogapexists.Finally,gentlyreplacethelidonthehive.
XI. Alwayskeepthegrasscutandtheareaaroundthehivestidy.
XII. Alwaysextinguishthesmokerifnotinuse.
Note the following during inspection:
1. Checkonthestrengthofthecolonybyobservingthebrood:eggs,larvaeandpupae.
2. Isthequeenpresent?Ifsheishiding,thenewlylaideggscanprovethatsheispresent.
60National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
3. Isthequeenprolific-layingenougheggs?
4. Isthecolonyhealthy?Checkonanyindicationofbeediseases.
5. Checkonfoodstores(honeyandpollen).
6. Is honey ready for harvesting? Indication is the capping of thehoney cells. The comb should becapped/sealedonbothsides.
7. Istheroomenoughforthebees?Ifnot,removesomeofthebroodcombsandunitewithaweakercolonyandreplacewithemptybars.
8. Are there indicationsof swarming?This iswhen they constructmanyqueen cellsordrone cells.Destroysomeandprovidemoreroom(aslongasthequeenispresent).
Itisrecommendedtokeepsimplebutaccuraterecordofeachhive.Tomonitorthedevelopmentinthecolony,itisveryusefultotakenotesinanotebook.Afterinspection,youshouldmakenoteofwhatyouhavefoundinthecolonyandanyadjustmentyouhavemade.Forexample,notethesizeorstrengthofthebeecolony,thenumberofharvestedcombsetc.
Insummary,keepnotesonthefollowing:-
t Dateofinspection
t Colonystrength,i.e.numberofbroodcombs,istherenectar,pollen,honeyetc.
t Characteristicsofthecolony,calm,defensive,verydefensive(sometimessomecoloniescanbesodefensivethatnoinspectionmaybecarriedoutonthatday).
Record keeping Goodrecordskeptbythebeekeeperwillhelphim/hertofollowthegeneralprogressofhis/heroperations.Tworecordsareparticularlyimportant:colonyandoperationalrecords.
Why should we keep records?t Itisagoodideatokeeprecordsduringeachhiveinspectionsothatyoucanfollowtheprogressof
eachcolonyandmonitortheircondition.Butbearinmindthateachinspectionshouldhavesomepurposeandroutineexaminationsshouldbeplanned.
t Recordscanbekeptsothatyouknowwhatwasdonelasttimeandwhattodonexttimeandwhatequipmentyoumightneed.
t Keepingrecordsallowsustoidentifywherewehavemademistakesincolonyhandling.
t Managementrecordsareforthebeekeeper’sindividualbenefit.Somepeopleliketokeeprecordsofalltheirfinancialoutgoings.Fromthesetheycanworkoutwhentheymightrecuperatetheircostsfromthesaleofthehoneyorworkouthowmuchprofittheywillget.
t Mostofuscanrememberwhatisgoingonifwehaveonecolonybutwhatabout5or10?
t Allthedatacollectedisusefulwhenthenumberofcolonieshasgrownconsiderablyandyouwanttostartselectingthebestones.
t Youneed records tohaveany chanceof success in selectinggoodqueens tobreedor in rearingqueens.
Types of records
a) Colony Records
l Date/timeoflastinspection,forageandweatherconditions.
l Dateofoccupation/colonization
l Ageofqueen
l Dateoflastharvest
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l Honeyyieldperhive.
l Colonystrengthandgrowthrate(numberofcombscontainingbrood)
l Timelymanipulation(swarmprevention,feeding)
l Amountofhoney/storesinhive
l Characteristicsofhive(defensive,calm,productive,poor)
l Swarmingrecord–howoften,whenandwhy.
l Pestsanddiseases.
l Hivesnameandnumber
l Typeofhive
l Remarks
b) Operational Records
l Visitstotheapiarysite
l Cashflow–howmuchmoneyspentorearned.
l Purchases
l Labour
l Transportcosts
l Servicingofequipment
l Otherexpenses
l Income
How to keep recordsl Asimpletablecanbedrawninahard-coveredbookandstoredathome.Alternatively,youcanwrite
theinformationoncardandattachittotheundersideofthecoverofthehive(notinsidethehiveorthebeeswillchewitup).
l Thecolumnheadingswillvaryaccordingtowhatyouthinkisessential.Mostthingscanberecordedinthecommentscolumn.
l Foradministrativepurposesitisusefultonumberthehives.
l Therecordshouldbereadbeforeopeningthecolony.
l Theyshouldbefilledoutwithessentialinformationimmediatelyaftereveryhiveinspection.
l Recordsshouldbebrief.
l Youwilldevelopyourownmethodofrecordinginformation.Withpracticethewritingofrecordswillsoonbecomeanintegratedpartofeveryinspection.
l Acashflowrecordandotheroperationalrecordsshouldbeseparaterecordfromthehive/colonyrecord.
Goodrecordkeepingdenotesaseriousbeekeeper.
Remember the wise saying:-“The shortest pencil is better than the longest memory”
62National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Table 2: An example of a hive/colony record sheet
Hive number
Date of colonization
Date of last inspection
Date of last harvesting
No of kgs (yield)
Date of current
inspectionComments Action
0001 24/10/2001 24/4/2002 --- --- 02/09/2002 Layingqueenpresent.
4broodcombs.
24honeycombs.
Colonyveryaggressive.Honeyreadyforharvesting.
20honeycombstobeharvested
0002 05/04/2004 01/10/05 01/10/05 8Kgsofcombedhoney
02/06/2006 Manybees,strongcolony.Queenpresent.2broodcombs.1honeycomb
Examples of Operational Records:-Table 3: Visitors’ Book
Date NamesContact address/
TelephonePurpose of
visitComments Signature
Table 4: Cash Book
Date Particulars Debit Credit
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MODULE 8: THE FLORAL CALENDAR AND BEE KEEPING
IntroductionBeekeeping follows seasonal cycles. The seasonal weather impacts upon the bee population and hiveproducts.Reducedfoodmeansthatthequeenlayslesseggsandthepopulationofthehivefalls.Increasedfoodmeansincreasedlayingandthepopulationincreases.Thisknowledgeisveryimportantinmodernbeekeeping.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Constructafloweringcalendarfortheirlocalities
2. Identifyandexplainthe4keyseasonsofacolonycycleinayear.
3. Managecoloniesduringthedifferentseasonsinayear
4. Tellsignsofharvestingperiod
Target Participant:Beekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,individualsandorganizations/Institutions
Suggested Number of Participants:Maximum30
Duration:2hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,dummyboard,
queenexcluderand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Methodt Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“FLORAL CALENDAR AND BEEKEEPING”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormontheseasonsinayearintheirareas.
Step 3Dividetheparticipantsin3groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:
i. Identifytheplantsbeesvisitduringfloweringandtheirmonthsoffloweringinaparticulararea.
ii. Constructafloweringcalendarandshowhoneyflowmonthsofthearea
iii. Describeindicatorsofhoneyharvestingseasons
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifies,summarizesandgivesoutthenotes.
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HAND OUT: Floral Calendar and Bee Keeping Seasonalweatherimpactsuponnectarandpollenresources,whichinturnimpactonthecolonypopulation(performance).Reducedfoodmeansthat thequeen lays lesseggsandthepopulationof thehive falls.Increasedfoodmeansincreasedlayingandthepopulationincreases.Sincemorebeesmeansmorefoodcan be collected the colonies with small populations will emphasize brood rearing. It is important tounderstandhowthebeecolonychangesthroughouttheyearbecausethebeecolonycanbemanipulatedtoproducemorehoney.
Conditionsforbeescanvarywidelythroughoutthecountryandthemanagementofthebeesdependsonwheretheyarefound.Nevertheless,whenmanagingbeesforhoneyproduction,theaimistohavethemaximumcolonypopulationduring thenectarflow.Provided thenectarflow isgoodand theweatherconditionsarerightagoodhoneycropcanberealized.
Answeringthefollowingquestionswillgiveyouagoodoverviewofthehoneyyearandhelpyouprepareforthehoneyflow:-
t Whataretheplantsandtreesthatbeesuse?
t Whendotheyflowerandforhowlong?
t Whenistheswarmingseasons?
t Whichtreesorplantsgivethebesthoney?
t Whentheright istimesoftheyeartoexpecthoneyandwhicharethesignsofhoneyharvestingseasons?
t Whatfactorsaffectplantflowering?
Iftheaboveinformationisrecordedcarefullyasintablebelow,itiseasytolookaheadandpredictwhichplantswillflowerwhen.
Table 5: Floral Calendar
Plants/trees Month Pollen/nectar
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Thebees’behaviourisverysensitivetotheirenvironment.Whenthereisplentyoffood,beesmakehoneytoeatlateronwhenthereislittlefood.Thebeekeepersharesinthisstockoffood.
Manipulatingthecolonytobeatthepeakstrengthattherighttimeisfundamentaltogoodbeekeeping.Goodflyingconditions(dryweather)forthebeesarealsoimportantduringthenectarflowtogetmaximumyields.Thereforeallmanagementpracticesarerelatedtothebeecolonycycleandunderstandingwhichstagethecolonyisin.
Therearefourseasonsduringacycleandthesemayoccurmorethanonceinayear:
1. Dearth–notmuchnectarisbeingcollectedduetobadweatherandpoorforage.
2. Build-up–therearemanybeeforageplantsandtheweatherisfavourablethecolonyexpands.
3. Honey flow–manyplantsprovidenectarandfloweratthesametime
4. Harvesting seasons -mostplantshavestoppedfloweringandhoneyisreadyforharvesting.
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Fig 47: Floral Calendar
Honeyflowandharvestingseasonfollowoneanother.
Managing the bees during deartht Weakcoloniescanbeunited.
t Ifcombsaredryormovementfromthehiveentranceisveryslowthenbeesshouldbefedwithsugarsyrup.
t Alternatively,donotharvestallthehoneyfromthecombs.Leaveenoughforthebeesinthedearthperiod.
t Decreasethenumberofcombswhenthecolonygetssmaller.A‘dummyboard’canbeplacednearthecombstomakethehivespacesmallerandmorecomfortableforasmallcolony.Thisisamovablepartitionmadeofhardboardorsimilarmaterial.Theflightentranceofthisemptypartofthehiveshouldbeclosed.
t Iftheweatheriscoldthenthehivecanbeinsulatedwithasackordrygrassatnight.
t Checkforanyattacksbyants,waxmothorotherpestsastheycancausealotoftroubletoweakcolonies.Closetheflightentrancewithcoarsemeshandnailssothatmiceandlizardscannotgetinbutbeescangetout.Removeallunoccupiedcombsasthebeeswillnotdefendtheseagainstwaxmoths.
Managing the bees during build-upt Aimtogetcoloniestobestrongandaboutthesamesize.Astrongcolonyshouldhaveaminimumof
6-8combsthatarefullycoveredwithbees.Combsofsealedbrood(withoutbees)canbetakenfromverystrongcoloniesandplacedinthehivesofweakercolonies.
t Feedthecolonyifitisweakandcannotbestrengthenedbygivingitbrood.
t Build-upcostsenergy,sofeedthebeesifthehoneyflowispoor.
t Checkthatthereisenoughdrinkingwaterinthesurroundings.
t Uniteveryweakcolonies.Alternativelyweakcoloniescanbeallowedtobuildupandhoneycanthenbeharvestedatamuchlaterdate.
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t Providemorespaceasnecessary.Itisimportanttokeepadjustingthesizeofthehivetothesizeofthecolony.Thebeesshouldbeabletooccupyalltheframes.Onlythencanthetotalcombsurfacebeprotectedfromintrudersandkeptattherighttemperature.
t Topreventbroodfromdevelopinginthehoneycombs,placeaqueenexcluderbetweenthebroodandthehoneypartsofthenest.Howeverthisisnotimperativetohoneyproduction.
t Checkforbeediseases.
Managing the bees during honey flowt Givethebeespaceandventilationwhencoloniesbecomestrong.Provideextraroombymovingthe
‘dummyboard’andaddingmoretopbars.
t Checkforqueencells (afterdronesareseenflying)bytryingtostopanyswarmingbydestroyingqueencellsordividingthecolony.
However,itisbettertodividecoloniesduringthebuild-upandnotthehoneyflowasanylossofpopulationcandecreasethehoneyproduction.
The main principles of floral calendar and beekeepingt Knowingthearea,theplantsthatbeeslikeandwhentheyflowerandforhowlong.
t Understandingthecolonycycleandaimingforstrongcoloniesatthesametimeasthenectarflowformaximumhoneyyield.
t Leavingfoodforthebeeswhenharvestingtokeepthemduringtimeoffoodscarcity(dearth).
t Providingspaceforthebeesandexpandingandcontractingthebroodnestasneeded.
Management during harvesting seasont Inspecthiveswhicharedueforharvesting
t Prepareenoughcontainersforhoney
t Haveprotectives,smokersandhelpersready.
MODULE 9: BEE STINGS AND MANAGEMENT
IntroductionBees are feared not only inAfrica but all over theworld. They sting painfully, but the tropical bee, inaddition,cankillbothmanandhisanimals.Howeverbeesshouldnotbeconsideredextremelydangerous.Thestingscanbesuccessfullyavoidedandmanaged.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Explainwhatcausesbeestosting
2. Explainhowtoavoidbeestings
3. Describehowtomanagebeestings
Target Participant:Existingbeekeepersinterestedingainingmoreknowledge,orindividualsororganizationswantingtostartkeepingbees
Suggested Number of Participants:Aminimum10,maximum30
Duration:1hour.
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MaterialsFlipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,notes,liveworkerbees,protectivewearand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
MethodMethodsshouldincludebrainstorming,groupworkandpresentation.
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“BEE STINGS AND MANAGEMENT”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormontheirexperiencesandbodyreactionstobeestings.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:
i. Whatcausesbeestosting
ii. Describebodyreactionstobeestings
iii. Howtoavoidandmanagebee
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthenotes.
HANDOUT: BEE STINGS AND MANAGEMENTBees are feared not only inAfrica but all over theworld. They sting painfully, but the tropical bee, inaddition,cankillbothmanandhisanimals.BeesintheforestareasandthoseinthetemperateregioninthesoutharelessaggressivethanthoseinthesavannahvegetationandintheSahara;theleastdisturbancemayprovokethedesertbeetoabscond.Eventhoughstingscankill,beesshouldnotbeconsideredasextremelydangerous.Thebeekeeperwhoisafraidofhisbeesislikealorrydriverwhowillnotdriveforfearofanaccident,orafarmerwhowillnotgotohisfarmforfearofasnakebite.Itisinterestingtonotethatthebeestingscantreatdiseaseslikearthritisandthatbeevenomisusedasadesensitizerforpeoplewhoareallergictostings.Thusafewstingsthatadministersmalldosesofvenommaybehelpful.Buttoomuchcanbedangerous,andpeopleallergictobeestingsshouldnotkeepbees.
Ifastingisinsertedintotheskin,itmustbescrapedawaywiththefingernailoraknife.Donotpullitout,ormorepoisonwillbeinjectedintotheflesh.Iftheresultisitchingandswelling,donotrubthespot,asthisactionwillcausegreaterpainandswelling.Treatbeestingsbyapplyingcoldcloths.Inextremecases,victimsshouldbesenttothehospital.Ephedrinemaybeadministeredwhenadoctor’shelpcannotbeobtained.
What causes bees to sting?t Visitingahiveduringthewarmpartoftheday;
t Disturbingthemwithoutsmoke;
t Breathingintothehive,especiallyifthebeekeeperhasbeendrinkinganyalcoholicbeverage,includingbeer;
t Wearingacosmeticitemwhichcontainsbeeswax;
t Talking,drummingormakinganyothernoisewhenbeesarebusynearby;
t Standingintheirflightpath;
t Wearingdarkclothesnearthehiveduringthedaytime;
t Makingjerkymovementsnearthehive;
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t Crushingabeenearahiveorsquashingabeebodyandsmearingthejuiceonone’sbody;
t Swattingwiththehandtodriveabeeaway.
t Grazingwithintheapiary
t Poorselectionofthesite
How does the bee attack?Itissafetoworkaslongasnobeesattack.However,thefirstbeestingattractsotherstostrike.Ifthevictimstandsquietlywithoutmovinghisbody,allotherattackerswillstingonthesamespotasthefirststrike.Everybeethatstingsputsmorealarmpheromoneonthespot,thuscausingmoreandmorebeestostrike,andtheresultingpainmakesthevictimswatroundandround,causingotherattackerstostingotherpartsofthebody.
How to avoid stingsRememberthataqueenlesscolonyisveryaggressiveduringitsearlydays.
Rememberthateverybeethatstingsdiesafterwards.Thustheapiaristwhocauseshisbeestostrikeinfactkillsthem.Areductionofthefieldforcemeansareductionofoutputofworkwhichresultsinlesshoneyproduction.
Ifunprotected,oneshouldrunawayafterthefirststing.Theattackermaychasethebeekeeper,butheshouldnotbeafraidofasecondstingbythesamebee.Thisbeecanbekilledsothatshecannotreturntothecolonyandpassoninformation.
Thestingoftheworkerbeeisdesignedtoperforatetheskinofherenemiesandtopumppoisonintothestingsite.Ithasabouttenbarbs,sothatwhenitisthrustintoflesh,thebeecannotpullitbackagain.Itbreaksoffwiththepoisonsacalwaysattachedtoit,enablingmorepoisontopenetrateforaslongasitremainsintheflesh.Thebee’sstingislodgedinaspecialsheathandisreleasedonlywhentheneedarises.Thestingofthequeenbeeislongerthanthatoftheworker.Itisusedonlytofightandkillrivalqueensinthehive.Thedronehasnostingandistotallydefenseless.
Management of bee stingIfyouworkwithbees,onethingiscertain,atsomestageyouwillgetstung.Butmostbeekeepersaretrulyamazedbythegentlenessofbeesandeventhoughstingscankill incertainsituationsandwithcertainindividuals,beesshouldnotbeconsideredextremelydangerous.Oftenpeoplegetstungpurelybecausetheyswatatorkillabee.Beesdieaftertheysting,andwillgenerallystingonlywhentheyperceivethatthecolonyisthreatened.Beesawayfromthehiverarelystingunlessprovoked.Beestingscanrangefromnothingmore thanaminor irritation to life-threateningallergic reactions. It is very important toknowthedifferencebetween a normal and a life threatening reaction.An initial reaction especially for newbeekeepersislocalredness,swelling,painanditchiness.Thisisknownasanormalreaction.Life-threateningsystemicallergicreactionsaffectthewholebodyespeciallycirculatorysystems(movementoftheblood)andrespiratorysystems(breathing).Symptomsarenotlocalizedjustaroundthesingsite.
Firstsymptomsofasevereallergicreactionoccurringwithinthefirst5minutesofbeingstunginclude:
t Nausea/sickness
t Dizziness
t Anurgetousethetoilet
t Generalweaknessandaneedtoliedown
t Itchypalms,soles,eyesandthroat.
t Heartfailure
Theabovesymptomsofsevereallergicreactiontobestingsareveryrare.Apersonshowingthesesymptomsshouldbetakentoahospitalimmediately.Aseverereactionlikethiswillonlyhappentoapersonwhohas
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hadseveralstingsinthepastandapreviousbadreaction.
Severe allergic reactions can be treated by:-
t Using an epinephrine inhaler that can be purchased in some pharmacies in the event that anunexpectedallergicreactionoccurs.
t UsinganEpipeninjector,thiscontainsepinephrine.Thisisanintramuscularinjectionofadrenalinebutisonlyusedinveryextremeconditions.
Normal bee stings can be treated immediately by:-
t Applyingcoldclothsoracoolingagentsuchascoldcleanwater,verydilutevinegarorice.Plasteringathinlayerofclaysoiloverthestungareaorapplyingthegelofthealoeveraplantcanalsosootheandcoolswelling.Ifnothingelseisavailablethenalittlehoneycouldbeappliedtothearea.
t Takinganantihistaminewhichcanreduceswelling.
But to reduce the chances of being stung use a smoker. Bees exchange chemical signals or smells tocommunicate.Ifonebeeisspreadingasignalofalarmbystinginganattackerorintruder,thensmokingthebeeswillcoverthesesmells.Thisstopsthebeescommunicatingandcanpreventanattack.Becauseofthesmokethreatmanyofthebeeswillrushtothehoneycellsandfilltheirstomachsreadyforanemergencyabsconding.Oncethebeesarefulltheyarelessinclinedtostingbecauseitisharderforthebeestobend.Smoking can reduce the risk of dangerous situations but it should be remembered that nobeekeeperwouldavoidstingscompletely.
If you are stung then:
1. Staycalm:putthecombsbackinthehiveandclosethehive.Iftheattackerbeechasesthebeekeeperitisbettertokillthebee,soshecannotreturntothecolonyandpassoninformation.
2. Remove the sting as quickly as possible: The longer the sting is in the skin themore venom istransferred! It isnecessary to remove thestingerbyscrapingunderneath thevenomsackwithafingernailorasharpobject.Thevenomsacmustnotbesqueezedorpulledout,asitwilldischargevenomintothestingsiteincreasingthepain.Donotrubthespot,asthisactionwillcausegreaterpainandswelling.
3. Smokethestingsite:Thesmellofthepoisoniscalled‘alarmpheromone’.Thissmellirritatesotherbeesandattractsthemtostrikeonthesamespot.Thereforethestingsiteandfingernailmustbesmokedquickly.
4. Runavoidhuman,animalandbusydwellings.
Avoid stings or reduce the number of bee stings by doing the following:-
t Hivesshouldbesitedsoasnottocauseanuisancetoneighborsandanimals.
t Makesurethehivesarenotbeingbotheredbypests.
t Workhivesondayswhenbeesareflyingwell. If it iswindy, rainyor cold all thebeeswill be athome.
t Siteyourhivesoutofthemiddaysunandworkbeesatmidday.
t Avoidworkingthehiveinthreateningweathersuchasextremeheat,strongwindsandapproachingstorms.
t Harvesthoneylateinthedayjustbeforedark.
t Beescanbecomeentangledinhairandclothing.Wearappropriateprotection.
t Washyourbeeclothesthoroughlyperiodicallyespeciallyifbeeshavebeenstinging.
t Wearwhiteorlightcolouredclothes;howevertheveilitselfshouldbeblacktoenablethebeekeepertoseemoreclearly.
t Avoidstrongsmellssuchasperspiration,alcohol,soapandperfume.
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t Smokeyourfaceandarmsrepeatedlybeforeyoustartworkingwiththebees.
t Don’tstandinfrontofthehiveentranceorinthebee’sflightpath.
t Light2smokersincaseonegoesoutduringtheinspection
t Workthehivewith2people.Onedoingthesmokingandonethehandling.
t Haveenoughfuelforthesmokerathand.Makesurethesmokeisthick,cool,whitesmokeandthatnosparkscomeoutofthesmoke.
t Useyoursmokerwisely–don’tover–smokethebees.
t Keepcalmandmoveslowlyanddeliberatelyaroundthebees.Don’tswatatflyingbees,flapyourarmsaboutorrunaway.
t Avoidbangingagainstthehiveorsqueezingandcrushingbees.
t Smokeanystingsiteandtryrubbingscentedherbsonthespot
t Rememberthataqueenlesscolonyisveryaggressiveduringthisearlydays,sobeextracareful.
Commonsenseandexperiencegoesalongwaytowardhelpingthenovicebeekeeperavoidorreducethenumberofstingingincidents.
MODULE 10: HIVE INSPECTION
Introduction Itisimportantforabeekeepertoundertakehiveinspectionintheapiary.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Understandtheimportantstepsinhiveinspection,
2. Carryoutsystematichiveinspection.
Target Participants:Existing beekeepers, extension service providers, individuals and organizations interested in pest anddiseasecontrolandqualityhoneyharvesting.
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:3hours.
MaterialsFlipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,colonizedbeehive(s)and/ortheirpictures,beesuits,smokersandhivetoolset(hiveopener,beebrushandstainlesssteelknife)andhandouts.
Methodst Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Fieldorpracticalexercisetoinspectahive
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HAND OUT: Hive Inspection Importancethingstonoteduringhiveinspection
t Checktheweatherandproceedtotheapiaryinthelateafternooniftheweatherisgood.
t Allthetraineesmustputontheirbeesuitsoradjusttheirclothingappropriately.
t Thereareanumberofthingsyoucancheckintheapiaryandthehive.
t Thefirstimportantthingistoknowhowtoprepareandopenthehive.
Steps in hive inspection1. Lightthesmokersusingcharcoalanddrycowdung.Makesureyouhaveplentyoffuelathandforthe
inspection.Checkforcoolwhitesmokeandsmokeyourhands,headandarmsifyoudonothavethefullprotectivegear.
2. Nowcheckyourclothing.Pushyourveilinsideyourt-shirtandtuckyourtrousersintoyoursocksifyoudonothaveafullbeesuit.
3. Gotothehiveandsmoketheentranceholesofthehivebutdonotstandinfrontofthehiveentrance.Waitforhalfaminuteandsmokeitagain.Repeatthis8times.
4. Removethelidgentlyandslowly.Knockthetopbarsgentlywithyourhivetoolorknife.Youwillhearwhenthecombsbegin.
5. Loosenandliftatopbarwithyourknife6-8barsawayfromthelastcomb.
6. Blowsmokeinsideimmediately.
7. Takeoutafewtopbarstogiveyouroomtowork(workinggap)anduseyourknifeifbarsarestucktogether.Shakeanybeesintothehivefromthecombsbyhittingyourarmbehindthewrist.
8. Movetheemptytopbarstowardstheemptysideofthehiveonebyone,leavingnogapsbetween,wherebeescancomeup.Dothisgently,smokebetweeneachstepandbecarefulnottosquashanybeesbetweentopbars.Ifabeegetssquashed,smokeitandputitintoyoursmoker.Ifyoudogetstung,don’tpanic,moveawayandremovethestinger.
9. Whenyouarenearthefirstcomb,smokethebeesuntilyouhearthembuzz.Toomuchwillirritatethem.Thesmokewilldrivethemfromthehoneycomb.
10. Beforeyou liftthecombout,makeagapsothenextcombisvisibleandblowsmokeinthegap.Nevertouchthebeesandcombswiththesmoker.Liftthecomboutandlookifthehoneyisripethenreplaceittowardstheemptysideofthehive.Alwaysholdcombsinaverticalpositionortheymaybreak.
Continue in thisway, smoking thebees, checkingeach comband shifting eachone along to theemptysideofthehive.
Replaceeachcombinthesameorder.Covertheworkinggapwithaclothasoftenaspossible.
Largeportionsofpollenindicatethatthebroodnestisnear.
Nowinspectthebroodnest(seediagram)butdonotdisturbitforlongerthanisnecessary.
11. Whenyouhavefinished,pushthetopbarscarefullybackintotheiroriginalposition.Shift2topbarswithcombsinonego.Asyouclosethegaps,drivethebeesbackinsidewithsmoke.Donotleaveanygaps.
12. Closethehiveandpassthroughsomebushestoridyourselfofanybeesfollowingyou.
Duringthishiveinspectionandinspectionofthebroodnestcheckthefollowing:-
Check for surplus sealed honey.
Beesstorehoneytoeatduringtimesofhardship.Ifyouseecombswithlargeareasofsealedwhitecappingsthenthehoneyisreadyforharvesting.Thebeekeeperwillshareinthisstore.Anyhoneycombyouwanttocropmustbemorethanhalfsealedoneitherside.Somehoneyshouldbeleftinthehiveatalltimesor
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thebeesmaystarveorabscond.Ifyoudonotseelotsofwhitesealedcombsthenthismeansthereisnosurplusandnohoneyshouldbeharvested.
Checkifthebeesaredisturbedoraggressive.Itisimportanttoknowthatsomebeesaremoreaggressivethanothersandmaystingorswarmwhenbeingworked.Alsoifbeesarehungrytheycanbeangryoriftheyhavelotsofhoneytheycanbedefensive.Aggressivenessmayalsobeduetoqueenlessness,diseaseorpestharassment.Rememberpestdisturbancecanalsomeanhumans!Naturalaggressivenesscanbecontrolledbytheselectionofagentlerqueen.
Check for queenlessness.
Ifyoufindnoeggs,larvaeorcappedbrood(andthehiveisaggressive)thenitmaybequeenless.
Check for sealed and unsealed brood.
Sealedbroodorlarvaisthetinybabybee.Thislookslikeamaggotandisinanuncoveredcell.Thesealedbroodorpupaisthemoredevelopedbeeandisinacoveredcell.Ifyoucanseebotheggsandlarvaethenyouknowthequeenispresent.Ifyoudon’tseepupabutseeeggsthenmaybethequeenisnew!
Check the brood pattern.
Whenthequeenlayseggsineveryemptycellandfillsupthecomb,sheissaidtobeagoodlayingqueen,showingagoodbroodpattern.Ifyoufindspottyegglaying,toomanydronesoraslowqueeninthehive–thenitisagoodideatoreplacethequeen.
Check for honey and pollen.
Whenthereisnohoneyorpolleninthehive,beesmaybemoreaggressiveandstopproducingwax.Ifyoudonotseeanystoredhoneyorpollenthenthebeesmayneedfeedingwithsugarsolution.Itisveryimportanttolearnthedifferencebetweencappedbroodandcappedhoney.Youdonotwanttoharvestthebrood.
Honey is always at the top and brood below.
Cappedbroodisusuallydarkbrown(butcanbepaleronnewcombs)andlocatedinthemiddleofthecolonyandatthebottomofthecomb.Youcanseethedistinctoutlineofeachcellwithitsthicksealbutyoucannotseethebrooditself.
Fig. 48: Comb
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Cappedhoneyisusuallywhiteorcreamyincolorandlocatedateithersideorabovethebroodcomb.Itishardertoseetheindividualcellsandwithitsthinsealyoucanseetheshinyhoney.
Remember:-NEVER harvest a brood comb even if it contains large portions of sealed honey.
Check for old brood combs and black combs.
Afteranumberofseasonsthebeeswilldecidetoshiftthebroodnestfromthedarkcombstothelightcombsofthehoneysection.Movethenewbroodtotheoriginalpositionofthebroodnestandcropthedarkcombs–thiswillalsohelptocontroldisease.
Oldblackcombsmayalsomeanthatthebeesareunabletomakenewcombsandthisisnotagoodsign.Thebeesmaybehungry.Itisbettertomovetheoldcomboutofthehiveortotheoutsideofthenest.Putnewercombsinthemiddleoraddatopbarwithawaxstarterstrip.
Check for queen cells.
Whenthebeesmakenumerouspeanutshapedwaxcellsandthehiveispopulousthenthebeesmaybestartingswarmpreparation.Thisisanaturalinstincttodividethecolonyinhalf–theoldqueenleaveswithhalfthebeesandnewqueenhatchesintheoriginalhive.
Check the hive arrangement.
Thebroodnestshouldbecompactandnotspreadout.Itshouldbeinthecenterofthecolonyinordertoincubatetheeggs.Combsofbroodshouldbeplacedtogether.Donotputcombsofhoneybetweencombsofbroodbecausethiscouldpreventthequeenfromexpandingthebroodnestproperly.
Check for faulty combs.
Sometimesyoumayfindpartsofcombsbeingcross-builtorattachedtoothertopbarsorcombs.Correctthisbycuttingpartsoff,changingpositionsorevenremovingcombs.Neverleaveanywaxpiecesonthehivebottom.Replacewarpedtopbarsanddamagedorloststarterstripswithcleanwax.
Check for diseases and pests.
Hivesaresubjecttoattackbypestssuchasmites,antsandwaxmoth.
Sealanysmallcracksandgapswithpiecesofwoodgluedwithwaxorpropolis.
Check for drone brood.
Transferanycombsfullofdronebroodtotheedgeofthebroodnest.
Thiswillsecurethebroodnestspaceforthemoreproductiveworkers.
Finally check the location of the hive.
Ifbeesareplacedinadampplacethehoneywillbeverywateryandunripehoneywillferment.Hivesinahotplaceorinthedirestsunwillforcethebeestocarrywatertocoolthehive.Whentheyaredoingthistheywillnotbeproducinghoney!Thisstressesthecolonyanditmayleaveordie.Theapiaryshouldbeclean.Thegrassshouldbecutshortandanybranchesthatreachthehivestrimmedtopreventpestscrawlingin.Thewiresholdingthehiveshouldbegreasedtoalsopreventpests.
Close the hive.
Beekeepersmustaimforastrongcolonywithnewcombs,eggs,unsealedbrood,sealedbrood,honeyandpollen.
Abeekeepershouldinspecthivesregularlytomonitortheprogressofthebees.Whenthebeesaremakinghoneyyoushouldopenthehivesonceaweek.Atothertimesopenthehiveseverymonth.Simplylookingatthehiveswithoutopeningthemcanbedonealmostdaily.Observingthebeesforafewminutescantell
74National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
youalot.Simplycheckifthebeesarecollectingpollenontheirlegs.Iftheyarethen,itindicatesthatthebeesarefeedingtheyoung.Itshowsthatthebeesarehealthyandhavealayingqueen.Asmellofhoneywillindicatethatthebeesarestoringitandthataharvestmaynotbefaroff!
MODULE 11: POPULATING THE HIVE
Introduction Itoftenhappensthatbeesdonotenterthehiveforquiteawhile.Thenewhivethatyouhaveworkedsohardtobuildandinvestedmoneyinstaysempty-andanempty hivedoesnotproduceanyhoney!
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Defineaswarm
2. Describethemethodsinvolvedinpopulatingahive
Target participant:Existingbeekeepersandextensionserviceproviders.
Suggestednumberofparticipants:
Amaximumof30
Duration:
2hours.
Materials:
Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,aswarmofbees,aswarmbagorcontainer,beesuit,smoker,smokerfuel,Beeattractantorbait,aqueencage,apreparedhive,catcherboxand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Method:t Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Groupworkandpresentation
t Fieldexercise
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“POPULATING A HIVE”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engage theparticipants tobrainstormon theirexperiencesandsuccesseswith thevariousmethodsofpopulatingahive.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:
Group 1:: Listdownallthematerialsrequiredineachmethodtodosuccessfulhivepopulating
Group 2:: Describestepsofeachmethodofpopulatingahive
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
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Step 5Fieldexercise-engagetheparticipantsintopracticalhivebaiting.
HAND OUT: Populating a HiveWhatshouldwedotogetbeestoenterthebeehive?
t Chooseagoodsiteforthehive
t Waxthetopbars
t Keepthehivecleanandpestfree
t Catchawildswarmofbees
t Transferbeesintothehive
t Makeadivisionofanexistingcolony
t Buybees
Important things to notet Ahivemustbesitedinanappropriateplace.
t Toencouragebeestoenterahiveyoumustmakeitattractive.Oftenbeekeepersputwaxonthetopbarsandwax,propolisorlemongrassinsidethehive.Butthewaxshouldbefreshandhaveastrongsmell.Beesareverycleaninsectsanddonotlikeadirtyhive.Thereshouldnotbeanydirt,spiders,cobwebsorinsectsthatmightcaptureascoutbeeandpreventitreturningtofetchtheswarm.Ifthereareanyants,lizardsorratsnestinginit,youmustcleanitoutandre-greasethewires.
Swarming t Swarming happens when the colony gets too big and the bees want to reproduce the colony by
makinganewqueen.
t Theold,experiencedqueenandmostoftheadultworkersleavethehivewiththeswarmandflyoutoftheoldhivelookingforanewhome.Sheneedstofindasecureplacetomateandstartlayingeggs.Aswarmingcolonydoesnothaveanycombs.
t Anewqueenlaterhatchesoutandtakesovertheoldcolonyandtheremainingbees.Duringtheswarmingseasonitiseasierforhivestobeoccupiedquickly.
t Insomeareas,swarmingseasonscoincidewithrainfallwhentherearealotofflowersforthebeestofeedon.Itisagoodideatoaskexperiencedbeekeepersinyourareawhentheswarmingseasonis.
t Aswarmisacolonyofbeesclusteredintheopenandlookingforanewhome.Aswarmingcolonyiseasytocatch.Thebeekeepercancapturetheswarmandplaceitintoatemporaryorpermanenthive.Theswarmhasabetterchanceofstayinginitsnewhiveifitiscapturedduringanectarflow.
Catching a swarmVerysimplythestepsinclude:-
t Preparinganewhivefirst.
t Usingasmoker,beeveilandsuit.
t Lookingforaswarmofbeesclusteringonabranchoraplacewheretheycanbeeasilycaught.
t Sprayingthebeeswithsugarwatertowettheirwings.
t Catchingtheswarminacontainerthatiseasytoclose,easytocarryandbeventilated-suchasacardboardbox,awidemouthedbasketorevenabagmadefromcloth.
t Smokingthebees.
t Holdingthecontainerundertheswarmandshakingtheswarmdirectlyintothecontainer.
t Findingandcagingthequeen.
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t Placingthecagewiththequeenintheupperpartofthecontainer.
t Leavingthecontainerinashadyplaceuntileveningcoveredwithadampcloth.
t Shakingthebeesintoyouremptyhivewheneveningcomes.Placingthecagedqueeninthehive.
t Givingthebeesacombwithsomeuncappedhoneyandabroodcombwitheggs(butwithoutbees!)fromanotherhive.
Fig. 49: Catching a swarm
t Fixingqueengatesorincludersinfrontoftheentranceholes.
t Releasingthequeenafterafewdayswhenthebeeshavesettleddown.
t Feedingthebeesinthefirstfeweveningstohelptheswarmtosettleduringthenights.
t Checkingthatbeesareenteringandleavingthehive.
Youcanalsotrapswarmsinaswarmboxorbaithive.Youcanalsousespecialbaithivesorcatcherboxes(minitopbarhives)tocatchswarms–butboxes,basketsorgourdsmayalsobeusedasbaithives.Thebestcatcherboxeswillhavetopbarsfromwhichthebeescanbuildcombs.Ifsothesebarsshouldbethesamesizeasthosefoundinyournewpermanenthivetomaketransfereasy.
Verysimplythestepsinclude:-
t Preparingthebaithivewithemptycomb,propolisoraromaticplants.
t Sitingthebaithivealongaswarmorinagoodapiarylocation.
t Inspectingthehiveeveryfewdays.
t Transferringthenewcolonytoyouremptytopbarhive,combaftercomb,inthesameorder.
t Adding2broodcombsandafoodcombfromanotherhive.
t Brushingtheremainingbeesintothehiveandlettingthebeessettleundisturbed.
t Feedingthebees.
Anotherwaytopopulateyourtopbarhivesisbytransferringbeesfromawildnestorfromatraditionalhivewithfixedcombs(combswhicharenotmoveable).
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Transferring beesStepsinclude:-
t Transferringthecolonyshortlybeforesunset.
t Usingalotofsmoketodrivethebeesawayfromthecombs.
t Takingcombsoutofeitherwildnestsorfixedcombhivesbycuttingthemalongthetopwheretheyjointhecontainerandwithoutbreakingthem.
t Tyingcombswithlargeareasofbroodandpollenonebyoneontothetopbarsofthenewhivewithstripsofnaturalfibre.
t Puttingthecombswithbroodtiedontotopbarsbackintothenestingchamberoftheoriginalnestandsmokingthebeesontothecombs.
t Placingthecombs,coveredinbees,intothenewtopbarhive.
t Scoopingtheremainingbeesverygentlyintothehive.
t Placingthehiveclosetotheprevioussiteorhivesothatforagingbeeswillreturntoit.
t Closingtheentrancetotheoriginalsitesecurelyorremovingtheoldhive.
t Checkingifthequeenispresentorcapturingthequeenandintroducinghertothehivewhentherestofthetransferiscomplete.
Fig. 50: Transferring bees
Dividing coloniesStepsinclude:-
t Choosingthemostproductive,docilecolonywithbrood,eggs,pollenandhoney.
t Makingdivisionsafterthehoneyflowtoincreasecolonynumbersor
t Dividingacolonywhenthebeesaregettingreadytoswarm.
t Preparingyournewhivefirst.
t Usingasmokerandbeeveilandsuit.
t Selectingacombwithqueencellsandbreakingallthequeencellsexcepttwo.
t Transferringthecombwiththequeencellsintothenewhive.Transferringoneortwocombswithsealedbroodandalittleunsealedbrood,plusoneortwocombsofhoneyandpollen.AnewQueenwillhatchoutinthenewcolony.Thefirstqueentohatchoutwilldestroytheotherqueencell.
t Includingbeesonallthecombsyoutransferandbrushinginbeesfrom2or3othercombs.Mostoftheadultbeeswillremainintheoldhiveandcontinuetomakehoney.
t CheckingthatyoudoNOThavetheoldqueenonthecombsyoumoveorbrushoff.
t Rememberingtoputthebroodcombsinthemiddleandthehoneycombsoneithersidetoinsulatethebroodnest.
t Waitinguntildarkthenmovingthenewhivetoasiteat2kmsfromtheoldsite.Alternativelymovingbothhives1meithersideoftheoldlocation.
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t Feedingthebeesinthenewhive.
Fig. 51: Dividing a colony
Wecanalsopopulateahivebybuyingbeesfromabeekeeper.Beekeepersbuyandsellbeesasabusinesssuchas:-
t Swarms.
t Laying queens only with eggs-thoughyoumusthaveaqueenlesscolonyoracolonywithabadqueen.
t A nucleus hive-withasmallpopulationofbees,4or5combsandalayingqueen.
t Full hives–thisislesscommonanddifficulttotransport.
Catching a swarm
Advantagest Free
t Common
t Plentifulinseason
t Easytocapture
t Givesthebeesahome
Disadvantagest Don’tknowthebeesstock
t Beesmaybeaggressive
t Beesmaybediseasedinfestedwithpestsorofinferiorstock.
Transferringawildcolonyintothehive:
Advantagest Free
t Plentifulwithextrawaxandhoney
Disadvantagest Establishedcoloniescanbeaggressiveandbeesmaysting
t Queencouldbekilled
t Theprocesscanbedifficultfornewbeekeepers
Making a division of an existing colony
Advantagest Free
t Nearbyandavailable
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t Candividethebestcolonieseasilyandwhenyouwant
t Cansupplythebeeswitheverythingtheyneed
t Canquicklymultiplyyourbeepopulation
Disadvantagest Needtoalreadyhaveabeepopulation
t Canbecomplicated
t Needstechnicalknowledgeandexperience
Buying beesAdvantagest Easy
t Allagesandbroodcanbeobtained
Disadvantagest Mightbecostly
t Queenmaybeoldorofpoorquality
t Waxcombmayhavediseasesorpests
MODULE 12: CATCHING A SWARM
IntroductionAswarmisacolonyofbeesclusteredintheopenandlookingforanewhome.Aswarmingcolonyiseasytocatch.Abeekeepercancaptureaswarmandplaceitintoatemporaryorpermanenthive.Theswarmhasabetterchanceofstayinginitsnewhiveifitiscapturedandintroducedbetweenthebeginningandthepeakofamainnectarflow.Otherwisetheywon’tsettleeasilyandmayabscondsoonaftertheintroductionintoahive.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Defineaswarm
2. Describethestepsinvolvedincatchingaswarm
Target participant:Existingbeekeepersandextensionserviceproviders.
Suggested number of participants:Amaximumof30
Duration:2hours.
Materials:Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,aswarmofbees,aswarmbagorcontainer,beesuit,smoker,smokerfuel,aqueencage,apreparedhive,catcherboxand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Method:t Lectures
t Brainstorming
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t Groupworkandpresentation
t Fieldexercise
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“Catchingaswarm”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormontheirexperiencesandsuccesseswithcatchingaswarm.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:
Group 1:: Listdownallthematerialsrequiredtodosuccessfulswarmcatching
Group 2:: Describestepsofswarmcatching
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5Fieldexercise-walkwiththetraineestothesiteofaswarmwithinthelocalareatoparticipateinswarmcatchingexercise.
HAND OUT: Catching a SwarmAswarmisacolonyofbeesclusteredintheopenandlookingforanewhome.Aswarmingcolonyiseasytocatch.Abeekeepercancapturetheswarmandplaceitintoatemporaryorpermanenthive.Aswarmhasabetterchanceofstayinginitsnewhiveifitiscapturedandintroducedbetweenthebeginningandthepeakofamainnectarflow.Otherwisetheywon’tsettleeasilyandmayabscondsoonaftertheintroductionintoahive.
Forthisoperationitisbesttoseekhelpfromanexperiencedfriendratherthantryingtodoitalone.
Steps of catching a swarm and putting the swarm inside a hive
Catching a swarm(i) Prepare your new hive first–cleanitandbyrubitwithsomebeeswaxorpropolissoitsmellsfamiliar
forthebees.Bothpropolisandbeeswax,canbesoftenedinhotwater,nearfireorinthesunbeforeusingthem.
(ii) Useyoursmokerandbeeveilandsuitwhencatchingaswarm,assomeswarmsmaybehungryanddifficulttomanage.Generallyswarmingbeesaredocileastheyhavenobroodtoprotectbutalwaysbecarefulwithstrangebees,astheymaybeaggressive!Keepyoursmokeralightnearbyincaseyouneedit.
(iii) Checkwheretheswarmislocated.Beesclusteringonabranchwhereyoucancatchthemareeasy.Anaturalswarmhangingfromatreeisnormallydocileandcanbeeasilyremovedandhived.Iftheswarmisinanawkwardplacethenuseyoursmoker(oranysmelltheyinstinctivelymoveawayfrom,suchassquashedmarigoldleaves)tomovetheswarmtoaplacewhereyoucangetunderneathandcatchiteasily.
(iv) Checkthesizeoftheswarm.Don’twastetimewithverysmallswarms(smallerthanaperson’shead),astheyaremoretroublethantheyareworth.
(v) Sprayorsprinklethebeeswithwater(preferablywithsugaradded)towettheirwings.Thiswillstopthemflyingawayandtheywilllickeachotherandbecomemoresatisfied.Alsoblowsmokegentlyandrepeatedlyovertheswarmwithoutarousingit.
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(vi) Youcancatchaswarminacontainersuchasacardboardbox,awidemouthedbasketorevenabagmadefromcloth.Thecontainerneedstobeeasytoclose,easytocarryandbeventilated.Donotuseaplasticbagasthebeeswillsuffocate!Beeveilsthataretiedatthebottomcanalsomakegoodswarmcatchers.
(vii) Holdthecontainerundertheswarm.Nowshakeorbrushthewholeswarmofbeeswithafeatherorbrushmadefromsoftleaves,directlyintothecontainer.Butneverbrushbeeswithoutsmokingbeforehand.Iftheswarmishangingfromabranchthenafirmblowonthebranch(oroneortwohardshakes)willmakethebeesdropintothecontainer.Alternativelyyoumaycutthebranchifitisthinandcarrytheswarmtothecontainer.
(viii) Nowobservethebees,ifmostofthebeeshaveentered,youcanbecertainyouhavegotthequeen.Ifyouhavethequeen,youautomaticallyhavetheswarm.
(ix) Closethecontainerandquicklybutgentlyturnitupsidedownsotheentranceisatthebottom.Thebeeswillsitorhangfromthetopoftheinsideofthecontainer.Waitforabout20minutesforallthebeestosettle.
(x) BUTifyouarenotsurethatyouhavethequeenandwanttobeonthesafeside,thenshaketheswarmontoawhitesheetorclothandfindthequeenbee.Seizehergentlybythechestorwings(NEVERherabdomen)-shewillnotsting.
(xi) Placeherinaqueencagesuchasamatchbox.Youcanalsouseanoldhairrollerblockedateitherendbywaxorwoodorarollofwiremesh(queenexcludersize).Slightlyopenthematchboxsothebeescancommunicatewithherandfeedherbutshecannotescape.
(xii) Placethecagewiththequeenintheupperpartofthecontainer.Thebeeswillfollowthequeenandclusteraroundthecage.
Putting the swarm in a hive(i) Onceyouhavetheswarmofbees,leaveorhangthecontainerinashadyplaceordarkcorneruntil
evening.Makesurethebeesdonotbecomehotinthecontainer-coveringitwithadampclothcanhelp.
(ii) Wheneveningcomes,takethebeestotheapiary.
(iii) Removehalfofthetopbarsfromanemptyhive,withtheremainingtopbarscoveringoneendofthehive.
(iv) Ifyouhaveotherhivesgivethebeesacappedbroodcombandabroodcombwitheggs(butwithoutbees!)toencouragethemtostay.Theswarmwillfeelathomewithbroodtolookafter.Alsogivetheswarmacombwithsomeuncappedhoneyandpollenandframethebroodcombswiththese.
(v) Ifyouhavecagedthequeenthenfixthecagetoatopbar.
(vi) Lowertheswarmintothehiveandwithasuddenjerk,shakethebeesintoyouremptyhive.Theywillgatherunderthebarsnearthequeen.
(vii) Ifthequeeniscagedthenreleaseherafterafewdayswhenthebeeshavesettleddown.Pushthematchboxopennearaclusterofbeesandthequeenwillquicklycreepamongtheotherbees.Donotcagethequeenforlongerthan3days.
(viii) Ifnobroodcombandfoodcombsareavailableforyournewlyhivedswarmyoucanfixqueengatesorincludersinfrontoftheentranceholeswithsoftwax.Usepaperclipswiththeinnermeasurementsof4mm.Thispreventsthequeenandtherestoftheswarmescaping.(Butonlyusequeenexcludersifyouaresurethequeenhasmated).
(ix) Initialfeedinginthefirstfeweveningswillhelptheswarmtosettleduringthenights.Itisbestnottoopenthehiveduringthenext4weeks,asthecolonyhastosettleundisturbed.Butrememberifyoucaughttheswarmduringapoorfloweringseasonitisbettercontinuefeedingsugarwaterfor2weeks.
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(x) Checkthatbeesareenteringandleavingthehive.Ifthebeesarecarryingpollenthisisagoodsign,asitmeanstheyaremakingandfeedingnewbroodandarehappyintheirnewhome.
Trapping swarms in catcher boxesYoucanalsousespecialbaithivesorcatcherboxestocatchswarms.Thesearelikeminishorttopbarhiveswithabout4bars-butboxes,basketsorgourdsmayalsobeusedasbaithives.
The steps of trapping a swarm in a swarm box:-(i) Afewpiecesofemptycomb(withoutbroodordeadbrood)takenfromanestablishedcolonyand
stuckinthecatcherboxincreaseitsattraction.Rubbingbeeswax,propolisoraromaticplantssuchaslemongrass,canalsomakethemmoreattractive.Lemongrasshasasimilarsmelltothequeenbee.Honeyshouldnotbeusedasthiswillattractantsandwaxmoths.
(ii) Theideallocationstositebaithivesarethesameasthosewhereanapiarycouldbesetup.Itshouldbehunginatreeclosetotheplacewhereyouwanttoputthetopbarhive.Insomeareas,swarmsflyalongthesamerouteduringthesameseasoneachyear.Theseroutesmakegoodlocationsforbaithives.Youmayfindouttheroutesbyaskinglocalpeopleorbeekeepers.
(iii) Thebestcatcherboxeswillhavetopbarsfromwhichthebeescanbuildcombs.Thesebarsshouldbethesamesizeasthosefoundinyournewpermanenthivetomaketransfereasy.
(iv) Catcherboxesmustbeinspectedeveryfewdaysasanewswarmquicklybuildscombandbecomesestablished.Itisthendifficulttotransferitintoamorepermanenthome.
(v) Intheeveningtaketheswarmboxnexttotheemptytopbarhivethatyouwanttopopulateandsmokethebees.Avoidbreakingcombs!
(vi) Puttheswarmboxnexttoyourhive,smokethebeesandtransferthenewcolonytoyouremptytopbarhive,combaftercomb,inthesameorder.
(vii) Add2broodcombsandacombwithopenhoneyandpollenfromanotherhivewithastrongcolonyifyouhaveone.Smokeandbrushtheremainingbeesintothehive,closethehiveandletthebeessettleundisturbed.Therewillprobablybeenoughfoodinthecombs.
(viii) Suspendtheswarmboxagainasitshouldalwaysbereadytohelpyoutoincreaseyourcolonies!
Why bees abscondt Useofinsecticidesandchemicals.
Howyoumayavoidabsconding
t Useofchemicalswithshortresidualeffectse.g.pyrethroids.
t Shiftinghiveswithcoloniesfromanareatargetedforsprayingandreturningthemafterflowering.
t Demarcateareasforbeekeeping.
t Encouragethoseneargazzetedarease.g.nationalparkstositetheirhivesthere.
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MODULE 13: TRANSFERRING BEES
IntroductionItispossibletotransferbeesfromawildnestorfromatraditionalhivewithfixedcombs(combswhicharenotmoveable)inordertopopulateahive.Transferringisnoteasyforthebeginner.Transferringbeesfromafixedcombhiveismucheasierthantransferringbeesfromawildnest.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Explainthepurposefortransferringbees
2. Describethestepsinvolvedintransferringbees
Target Participant:Existingbeekeepersandextensionserviceproviders
Suggested number of participants:Amaximumof30
Duration:2hours.
Materials:Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,anexistingtraditionaloccupiedhiveorwildcolony,anemptypreparedhive,topbars,naturalfibre,beesuit,smokerandsmokerfuel,aqueencageand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Method:t Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Groupworkandpresentation
t Fieldexercise
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“Transferringbees”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormontheirexperiencesandsuccesseswithtransferringbees.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:-
Group 1:: Listdownallthematerialsrequiredtodosuccessfultransferofbeestopopulateahive
Group 2:: Describestepsoftransferringbees
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5Fieldexercise-walkwiththetraineestothesiteofacolonyoranapiarywithinthelocalareatoparticipateintheexerciseoftransferringbees.
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HAND OUT: TRANSFERRING BEESItispossibletotransferbeesfromawildnestorfromatraditionalhivewithfixedcombs(combswhicharenotmoveable)inordertopopulateanewhive.
Transferring isnoteasy for thebeginner.Transferringbees fromafixedcombhive ismucheasier thantransferringbeesfromawildnest.
Steps of transferring a colony:-(i) ThebesttimetodothistransferisshortlybeforesunsetNOTinthemiddleoftheday.Inthemiddle
oftheday,manyworkerbeeswouldhavebeenoutofthehiveforagingbutintheeveningtheywillhavecomeback.
(ii) Insomecaseswildcoloniesmaynotbeeasilyaccessibleandmaybedifficulttotransfer.Holesmayhavetobecarefullycutintrees.
(iii) Usealotofsmoketodrivethebeesawayfromthecombs.Harvestthehoneycombsintoabucketforprocessing.Makesurethebuckethasacover!
(iv) Itisessentialthatcombsbetakenoutofeitherwildnestsorfixedcombhivesbycuttingthemalongthetopwheretheyjointhecontainerandwithoutbreakingthem.
Combswithlargeareasofbroodandpollenaretightlytiedonebyoneontothetopbarsofthenewhive.Thecombsshouldbetouchingthetopbar.Stripsofnaturalfibresuchascloth,cottonstring,bananastemfibreoracaciabark,canbeusedintoholdthecombsinplace.Tiethecombstothetopbarsin2placesforsecurity.Thebeeswilljointhecombtothetopbarandthenbreakthesedownintime.Rubberbandsandplasticstringcanbeusedbutmaycauseproblemsbecauseitisverydifficultforthebeestocutthemandtheymaydamagethecomb.
(v) Putoneortwocombswithbroodtiedontotopbarsbackintothenestingchamberoftheoriginalnest,fromwhereyoucutthecomb.Leaveitfor20minutes.Smokethebeesontothecombsandletthemsettle.
(vi) Nowplacethecomb,coveredinbees,intothenewtopbarhive.Ifthebeesarenotstingingscooptheremainingbeesverygentlybyhand(orusingapot)andputtheminthehivewiththecombs.
(vii) Itisgoodtoplacethehiveascloseaspossibleto,oronthepreviousnestsiteoroldhivesite,sothatforagingbeeswillreturntoit.Butclosetheentrancetotheoriginalsitesecurelywithrags,sackingornewspapertostopanybeesreturningthere.Orremovetheoldhive,closeitandputitindoorswherethebeeswillnotbeabletofindit.
(viii) Check the bees. If the bees have their tails in the air showing their white stripe then they arecommunicatingtotheotherbeesthatthequeenisthere.Ifthebeesaresittinginoneplaceinthenewhivethenitislikelythatyouhavethequeen-itisnotinthenewhive.
(ix) Ifthebeesaredoingthisfanningbehaviourwiththeirtailsintheairintheoldsitethenyoumustcapture the queen in queen cage and introduce her to the hive when the rest of the transfer iscomplete.Placeherclosetothebrood.Anyremainingbeeswillcometothenewhiveifthequeenispresent.
(x) Alternatively is to takeseveralbroodcombswithsealedbrood,eggsandpollen to thenewhive.Takeasmanybeesasyoucanscoopinyourhandsalsotothenewhive.Takethenewhive3kmsorsoawayfromtheoldnestsite.Thisisagoodmethodifyouhavetroublefindingthequeenasthenewhivewillsimplymakeanewqueencellandformanewcolony.Thismethodisbesttriednearswarmingseasonwhendronesareavailable.
Itmaynotbenecessarytotakethenewhive3kmsaway,justchangethedirectionoftheentrancesoftheoldhive180°,whilemaintainingthenewhiveintheformerpositionoftheoldhive.
(xi) Alternativelyyoucanmakewildbeesswarmbysmokingorhittingthetreeinwhichtheyarenesting
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withahammercontinuously.Thebeeswillleaveandclusteroutside.Theycanthenbecaughtinaswarmbagandinstalledasaswarm.Youmayalsoplaceabaithivenearthesiteatswarmingtimeandcatchtheswarmattherighttime.Howeverthemainproblemwiththesemethodsisthatthehoney,pollenandcombsfromthenestwillbewasted.
Youcanalsouse theabovemethodto transferawildcolony intoaboxorother traditionalhive.Afterremovingthebroodcombfromtheoldsiteyousimplyleanthecombsagainsttheinsideofyournewhiveorpropitupwithastick.Youmustbecarefulthatbothsidesofthecombareaccessible-thebroodontheundersidewillrotifthecombislyingdownandthebadsmellwillcauseabsconding.
MODULE 14: DIVIDING AND UNITING COLONIES
IntroductionYoucanmakeadivisionofanexistinghealthycolonyinordertopopulateanewhivebutalwayschoosethemostproductiveanddocilecolony.Bydividing ityouarespreading itsgoodgeneticcharacteristics.Sometimeswemayalsoneedtounitecolonies.Beekeepersunitecoloniesinordertoenlargeacolonyandimprovetheiryieldofhoneyortosurvivethedearth.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Explainthepurposefordividingandunitingcolonies
2. Describethestepsinvolvedindividingandunitingcolonies
Target participant:Existingbeekeepersandextensionserviceproviders.
Suggested number of participants:Amaximumof30
Duration:3hours.
MaterialsFlipchartorchalkboard,maskingtape,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,anexistingoccupiedhive,anemptypreparedhive,beesuit,smokerandsmokerfuel,and/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Method:t Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Groupworkandpresentation
t Game(ofdividingacolony)
t Fieldexercise
STEPS
(a) Dividing colonies
Step 1 Writethetitle“Dividinganovercrowdedcolony”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormontheirexperiencesandsuccesseswithdividingcolonies.
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Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:-
Group 1:: Listdownallthematerialsrequiredtodosuccessfulcolonydivision
Group 2:: Describestepsofdividingcolonies
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes.
(b) Uniting colonies
Step 1 Writethetitle“Unitingacolonywithanothercolony”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormontheirexperiencesandsuccesseswithunitingacolonywithanothercolony.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:-
Group 1:: Listdownallthematerialsrequiredtodosuccessfulunitingofacolonywithanother colony.
Group 2:: Describestepsinvolvedinunitingacolonywithanothercolony
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5Fieldexercise-walkwiththetraineestothesiteofanapiarywithinthe localareatoparticipate intheexerciseofdividingandunitingcolonies.
HAND OUT: Dividing and Uniting ColoniesA- Dividing a Colony
Youcanmakeadivisionofanexistinghealthycolonyinordertopopulateanewhive.
Youshouldavoidmakingdivisionsduringthehoneyseasonbecauseitwillreducetheamountofhoneyproduced and to be harvested.Make divisions after the honey flow to increase colony numbers. Thebesttimetodivideacolony iswhenthebeesare ready toswarmand thebeesare tryingnaturally toreproduce.
How to know if the bees are getting ready to swarmBetween the beginning and the peak of the flowering seasons strong colonies can suddenly becomeovercrowdedwithclustersofbeesneartheentrance,andlargenumbersofdrones.
Tocheckifacolonyisgettingreadytoswarmandwantingtodivideitselfwemustlookforsignsthatthecolonyisovercrowdedandthequeenhasrunoutofcellstolayeggsin.Acolonycanfillbetween9and15broodcombswithbroodofallstages,includingalotofdronebroodandsometimesthereisevenlittlesurplushoney.Therewillbeclustersofbeesoutsidethehiveandlotsofdronesflying.Alsothebeeswillbeproducingqueencells(thelongthumbshapedcellsprotrudingfromtheedgeofthecombs).
Dividingstopsthemfromswarmingandsavesthebeekeeperfromlosingthebeesorthetroubleofcatchingaswarm.
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Ways of preventing bees from swarmingt Makingsurethatthequeenhasenoughroomtolayeggs.Makeextraspacearoundthebroodnest
byremovinghoneycombsandputtinginemptycombsnearthebroodnest.
t Weakeningthestrongcolonycanpreventitsurgetoswarm.Destroyallthequeencellsinthecolonythenswitchthehivelocationwithaweakercolony.Theforagingbeesfromthestrongcolonywillreturntotheoriginalsiteofthehiveandstrengthentheweakcolony.Youmayalsogivebroodcomb(withoutbees)fromthestrongcolonytoaweakercolonyandthusweakenthestrongone.Artificiallyswarmingthebeesforswarmcontrolbymakingadivision
t Makingdivisionsisalsoagreatwaytoincreaseyourcoloniesbutalwayschoosethemostproductiveanddocilecolony.Bydividingityouarespreadingitsgoodgeneticcharacteristics.
The steps of dividing a colony:-(i) Prepareyournewhivefirst–cleanitandbyrubitwithsomebeeswaxorpropolissoitsmellsfamiliar
forthebees.
(ii) Putonprotectivegearandhavethesmokerlit.
(iii) Alwayschooseabighealthycolonytodivideandcheckithasbrood,eggs,pollenandhoney.
(iv) Putthenewhivenexttotheovercrowdedhive.
(v) Fromthebighealthycolony,selectacombwithqueencells,removeitfromthehiveandbreakallthequeencellsexceptthebiggestcappedtwo.Youneedtwojustincaseonegetsdamaged.
(vi) Nowtransferthecombwiththe2queencellsintothenewhive.
(vii) Alsotransferoneortwoothercombswitha lotofsealedbroodanda littleunsealedbrood.Thenumberwilldependonhowmanyyouhaveintheoriginalhive.Thesealedbroodisveryimportantbecausemorebroodmeansadultbeeswillemergeveryquicklyinthenewhive.Alsosealedbroodarestrongerandcansurvivebetterthanunsealedbrood.
(viii) Alsotransferoneortwocombsoffoodcombwithlotsofsealedhoneyandpollen.
(ix) Youcanmakeadivisionwithoutqueencellsaslongasthenewcolonyhasfemaleworkereggsandlarvaeinthecombstransferred.Fromtheveryyounglarvaetheywillbeabletomakenewqueencellswithinafewdaysandraiseanewqueen.
(x) Includebeesonallthecombsyoutransferandbrushorshakeinbeesfrom2or3othercombsaswell.Includethebeessittingonthebroodcombsasthesearenursebeesthatwillsoonproduceroyaljellyforthenewqueen.Theseareveryimportanttofeedandwarmthebroodalso.
(xi) CheckverythoroughlythatyoudoNOThavetheoldqueenonthecombsyoumoveorbrushoff.Shemustremainundisturbedintheoldhiveormothercolony.Ifyouareindoubtthenmakesureyouleaveeggsandatleastleaveonebigcappedqueencellintheoldhiveincaseyouhavetakenherbyaccident.Thebeeswilldestroythequeencellifthequeenispresent.
(xii) Remembertoputthebroodcombsinthemiddleandthehoneycombsoneithersidetoinsulatethebroodnest.Theframingcombsfeedandhelpthebeestokeepthebroodwarm.
(xiii) Thesebeeswillbecomeanewcolony.Mostoftheadultbeeswillremainintheoldhiveandcontinuetomakehoney.
(xiv) Thebeeswilllookafterthequeencellsinthenewcolonyandanewqueenwillhatchout.Thefirstqueentohatchoutwilldestroytheotherqueencells.
(xv) Waituntildarkthenmovethenewhivetoasiteatleast2kmsfromtheoldsiteifpossible.
(xvi) Ifyoudon’thaveaplacetoputthenewdividedcolony2kmsawaythenyoumustmovebothhives1meithersideoftheoldlocation.Thiswillensurethatsomereturningbeesgointotheoldhiveandsomeintothenew.
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(xvii) Youwillneedtofeedthebeesinthenewhive,astheywillnotknowwheretogoandgetfoodintheirnewplace.Asmallcolonycanbecomeweakveryquickly.
(xviii)Ifyouseethequeenorbroodafter3-4weeksthenthishasnowbecomeanestablishedcolony.
(xix) Alternatively,placeonehiveontopoftheotherbutwithdifferentdirectionofentrances.
Game: Inordertocheckyourunderstandingofdividingacolony,youwillplayasimplegame.Usethefollowingpapercombsprovided:5combswithhoney,pollenandbrood;3combswithsealedbrood,unsealedbroodandhoney;4combsofhoneyalone;2combswithhoney,pollenbroodandqueencells;1combwithhoney,pollen,broodandqueen.Thesecombswillbestuckontoasheetofpaperwithblutackandtapedontothewallofthetrainingroomtorepresenttheovercrowdedcolonythatneedsdividing.Anotherblankpieceofflipchartwillbetapedupontothewalltorepresentanewhivethatiswaitingtobecolonized.
Twopeoplearerequiredtoplaythisgame.Thetaskistodividethecolonyandplacetherightcombsintotherighthivesintherightorder.
Ensurethatthenewcolonyhascombswithqueencellsplusmoresealedbroodcombsframedbyplentyoffoodcombs.Thequeenshouldhaveremainedintheoldhivewithenoughbroodandfood.Thecombsshouldberoughlydividedequallybetweenthehivesorwithmorecombsleftintheoldhive.Youmustalsoshakeofflotsofyoungbeesintothenewhive-theywillgiveroyaljellytothenewqueen.
B- Uniting Colonies
Wehaveseenhowtodivideacolonybutsometimeswemayalsoneedtounitecolonies.
Beekeepersunitecoloniesinordertoenlargeacolonyandimprovetheiryieldofhoneyorsurvivingthedearth.Acolonycanproducesurplushoneyonlyifitisstrongenoughandcontains6-8combswithplentyofbroodandsealedhoneyandcoveredwellbybees.Thisverymuchdependson thecolonyhavingaproductivequeen.Ifacolonyfailstoproducesurplushoneyfor2seasons,orifitweakenedbyrepeatedswarming,thenitcanbestrengthened.
Twoweakcoloniescanbecombinedtomakeonestrongcolony.Onelargecolonycollectsmorehoneythantwosmallercolonies.Acolonycanbeunitedeitherwithanothercolonyorwithaswarm.
Uniting a colony with another colonyThestepsofunitingacolonywithanothercolony:-
(i) Inthelateafternoon,checkwhichcolonyhastheyoungestandhealthiestqueen.Removeandkillthequeenfromtheworst,mostaggressiveorleastproductivecolony.
(ii) Leavethiscolonyfor24hrs,theywillnowbemissingthequeenandreadytoacceptanewone.Theywillalsobelesslikelytofightastherewillbenosmellonthemofthedeadqueenafter24hours.
(iii) Intheeveningcatchandcagethequeenfromtheothercolonyinaqueencageandplacethehiveneartothequeenlesscolony.Youwillhavetomoveitslowlyandgraduallyoveranumberofdays(1mperday)soasnot to loseany foragingbees.Alternativelyalwayschoosethe locationof thestrongercolony.
(iv) Smokebothhivesthoroughlysothattheirfamiliarsmellsarecovered.
(v) Thecagewillprotectthequeenshouldanyfightingstart.BUTtopreventbeesfightingalsodustthemwithflourorspraywithsugarwater–theywillbebusycleaningthemselvesandwillnotfight!
(vi) Placethequeeninhercageinthequeenlesshivenexttothebroodnest.
(vii) Transferallthetopbarswithcombsandbeesintothehive.Smokeeachcombasyoudoso.Alternatecombsfromthedifferentcoloniesasyoudosountilallthebroodcombsareunitedandthenaddthehoneycombsatthesides.
(viii) Completelyremovetheemptyhive.
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(ix) Releasethequeenwhenyouseethatthereisnofightingbetweenthe2unitedcolonies.
(x) Closetheoccupiedhiveandleavetheunitedcolonyundisturbedforthenextfewdays.Anyfurtherdisturbancesmaycausethebeestoabscond.
(xi) Ifyoudidnotfindeitherqueenordonotwhichoneisthebestthenyoucanstillunitethecolonies.Leavebothqueensinthehiveandthestrongeronewillkilltheweakerone.Butrememberfightsarelikelytohappenandbeesmayflyaway,sosmokeheavilyandflickthebeeswithwatertoseparatethem.Watchthemandkeepsmokingthemforanhourorsountiltheysettledown.
Beekeepersmayalsouniteacolonywithanotherbecauseonequeenhasdiedorhasgotlost.
Ifacolonybecomeslazywhenothersarebusythentheyoungqueenmaybelostduringhermatingflight.Therewillbenobroodtoraiseanewqueenandworkerswillstarttolayunfertilizedeggs.Youwillnoticethatmanybroodcellsarecrammedwitheggs-thisiscalled“WorkerLaying”.
It is often too late to give thebees somebrood fromanother colony so they canmakeanewqueen.Workerswilloftenbetoooldtoproducemilktoraiseher.Sounitethecolonybyremovingallthecombs,brushingoffthebeesandaddingthecombstoahealthycolony.Smokethebeesoutoftheoldhiveandcarryitaway.Mostofthehomelessbeeswillbewelcomedbythecolonyastheyhavehoneytooffer.
Uniting a colony with a swarmThestepsofunitingacolonywithaswarm:-
(i) Intheeveningtimecatchaswarmandifyoucanfindthequeenthencageher.
(ii) Openthehive,removetheoldqueeninacageandkillherlater.
(iii) Smokethebeesandplacethenewcagedqueenfromtheswarmnearthebroodnest.
(iv) Shaketheswarmintoanemptypartofthehive.
(v) Youmayleavebothqueensinthehivetofightandthestrongeronewillsurvive.
Youcanalsoincreaseahoneyproducingcolonybypartiallyunitingit.Topbarswithcappedbrood(withoutbees)canbeaddedfromothercoloniesbutthereceivingcolonymustbeabletooccupythecombsandkeepthebroodwarmortheywilldie.
Fig. 52: Opening an old weak colony for uniting with a swarm
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Fig. 53: The appearance of Queen Cells and Queen cups
MODULE 15: FEEDING OF BEES
IntroductionIngeneralfeedingbeesisnotrecommendedunlessyouaresureofwhyyouaredoingit.Beesdonotneedtobefedregularlylikeotherlivestock.Aslongasthereareflowersthenbeeswillfeedthemselves.Youcanwastealotofmoneybuyingsugartofeedbeeswhenyouneeditforyourselfandyourfamily.Feedingbeesistimeconsuming,messyandexpensive.Oftenpeoplefeedwhenitisunnecessaryandgetnoreturnfortheirmoney.Furthermoreifthebeescanflyawayorabscondthenyourmoneyiswasted.Buttherearesomeoccasionswhenitisimportanttofeedbees.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Explaintheoccasionswhenitisnecessarytofeedbees
2. Describethestepsinvolvedinfeedingbees
Target participant:Existingbeekeepersandextensionserviceproviders.
Suggested number of participants:Amaximumof30
Duration:2hours.
MaterialsFlipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensandchalk,anoccupiedhive,afeederboxorjamorplateorlidofamilktinorbowl,water,sugar,drysticksorgrassand/ortheirpicturesandhandouts.
Method:t Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Groupworkandpresentation
t Fieldexercise
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STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“Feedingbees”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormontheoccasionswhenitisimportanttofeedbees.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassigneachgroupthefollowingtasks:-
Group 1:: Describehowtopreparethefeedforthebees
Group 2:: Describethemethodsforgettingthefeedreadytogointhehive
Group 3:: Describehowtoputthefeedinthehive
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5Field exercise-walkwiththetraineestothesiteofanoccupiedhivewithinthelocalareatoparticipateintheexerciseoffeedingbees.
HAND OUT: FEEDING OF BEESBeesdonotneedtobefedregularlylikeotherlivestock.Aslongasthereareflowersthenbeeswillfeedthemselves.Youcanwastealotofmoneybuyingsugartofeedbeeswhenyouneeditforyourselfandyourfamily.Itistimeconsuming,messyandexpensive.Buttherearesomeoccasionswhenitisimportanttofeedbees:-
(i) Beesshouldbefedintimesoffoodshortagewhentherearenoflowers.Theyshouldalsobefedduringdroughtorexcessivelywet,windyandcoldperiodswhenthebeescannotgetoutside.Feedbeeswhenactivityislowandinpoorflyingweather.Ifyouseethattraffictoandfromthehiveisslowthenthebeesmightneedfeeding.Ifthecombsaredryandthereisnohoneythenthebeesarehungry.
Feedingatsuchtimesmaypreventthebeesabscondingandmigratingawayfromtheareaorevenpreventstarvation.
(ii) Beesshouldbefedtoreplacethehoneyharvestedfromthemattheendoftheseason,especiallyifalotofhoneyhasbeenharvested.Rememberthatacolonyfromwhichyouhavealreadyremovedalotofhoneycannotbridgeadearthperiodwithoutbeingfedwithsugarsolution.Acolonyisfedtostimulatedevelopmentduringdearthperiodsandinpreparationforthehoneyflow.
(iii) Regular feeding with very small quantities of sugar solution (or diluted honey) stimulates thedevelopmentofbrood.Beesshouldbefedforabout6-8weeksbeforeanectarflowwhenflowersareplentiful.Thequeenwillthenlayhereggsandthecolonywillbuildupinnumbersbeforethehoneyflow.Ittakes6weeksfromeggtoadultforagingbee,whichisreadytoflyoutsidethehiveandcollectnectar.Therewillthenbealargenumberofbeesreadytogooutandcollectnectarthusmorehoneytoharvest!
(iv) Beescanbe fed toassist themwhenestablishinganewcolony. Initial feedingwhenestablishinganewcolonywillhelpaswarmordividedtosettledownduringtheirfirstnights.Thiswillhelptopreventthemfromwantingtoabscondduringtheirfirstfewdays.
(v) Bees should also be fed at times of stress such as disease, sickness or after spray damage frominsecticides.Ifthebeeshavebeensick,removeanyrotten,dryanddeadlarvaefromthehiveandthenfeedthebees.
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(vi) Ifyoucansellhoneyforagoodpricethenitisgoodtobegenerouswithfeedingintimesofpoorhoneyflow.Itispossiblethentorecoverthecostofthesugar,andmakeagoodprofit,becausethecolonyandhoneyyieldswillincreaseduetothefeeding.Butbeawarethatifyoufeedveryclosetothetimeofharvest,sugarsyrupmaybemixedintothehoney,whichspoilsitsquality.Howmuchyoufeedthebeesandhowoftenwilldependonthebees,thesite,thenumberofcolonies,theavailableforageandtheweather.Themostconvenientfoodtogivebeesisstoresofsealedhoneycombsandpollen.Thesecanbetransferredatanytimeintheactiveseasonfromprosperouscoloniestothoseinneed.Ifyouhavemanycoloniesthenyoucantransferacofromonehivetoanother.Howeverhoneystoresarenotalwaysavailableandsugarsyrupisthefoodthatmostpeopleassociatewithfeedingbees.
Preparing the feed:-(i) Takesomesugar,somehotboiledwaterandacontainer.
(ii) Dissolveonepartqualitywhitecrystalsugarandoneparthotwatertogether.Useboiledwatertoavoiddiseasebutdonotboilthemixture.
(iii) Itisbetternottouserawsugarorbrownsugarasitmaycausesicknessamongthebees.
(iv) Stiruntilthesugarisdissolved,asitisdifficultforthebeestoeatiftherearewholecrystals.Addateaspoonfullofhoneyifavailable.
(v) Neverpreparemoresugarsolution than thebeescan takeup in2days tominimize intrusionbyrobberbeesandfermentationofthefeedinsidethehive.
Method 1t Placethesolutioninasmallcontainerandcoverwithalargelid.Youcanusealargejamjarforthis.
t Quicklyturnthejarupsidedownandwaitforittocool.
t Pushamatchcarefullybetweenthejarandlid,sothatthesugarwatercantrickleoutforthebeestodrink
t Alternativelyuseanailtoknockalargenumberoftinyholesinthelidofalargejamjarandturnitupsidedown.
Method 2Putthesugarsolutionintoabowlorjarandplacesomebrokentwigs/grasstofloatonthesurfaceofthesyruptopreventthebeesfromdrowning.Thebeeswillsitonthegrasstodrink.
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Method 3Useaspeciallydesignedfeederboxforatopbarhive.
Putting the feed in the hive:-(i) Removeoneortwotopbarsorframesfromthehiveandputthefeederintheplaceclosetothe
clusterofbeessothattheywillfinditquickly.Removethefeederbottleassoonasitisempty.
(ii) Placethefeederbottleclosetotheclusterofbeessothattheywillfinditquickly.Oncethefirst2or3beesfindthesyrupthewordsoongoesaroundandtherewillbeasteadymovementofsyrupoutofthefeeder.Removethefeederbottleassoonasitisempty.
(iii) Itisbettertoplacethefeedattheoppositesideofthehivefromtheentrancewhichwillmakeiteasier for thebees toprotect fromrobberbees.Ensuresure thatonly thebees in thehivehaveaccesstothesyrup.
(iv) Avoidspillagesofsugarsyruporhoneyaroundtheapiaryasthiscanattractantsorstartrobbing.Robbingiswherebeesattackeachothertorobstoresofhoney.Weakcoloniesarepronetorobbingbythestrongandhundredsofbeescanbekilled.Trytokeepallcoloniesequalinstrengthandunitesmallunitstostrongcolonies.
(v) Hiveentrancesshouldbereducedandallotherentrancesandholespluggedsothehiveiseasiertodefend.Beekeepersshouldmakesurethattherearenoopeningsthroughwhichbees,wasps,antsetccanstealthesugarandNEVERofferfoodoutsideofthehive.
(vi) Feedbeesintheeveningsothebeescangetusedtothepresenceoffoodduringthenightandwillhavesettleddownbymorning.Neverfeedinthemiddleoftheday.Ifyouhaveseveralcoloniesalwaystakethefoodoutofthehiveduringthedaytopreventrobbingandreplaceitatnight.Alternativelyfeedallthecoloniestogetherduringaone-timefeed.
(vii) Stopfeedingassoonasthebeesnolongerimmediatelytakeupthesugarorifitremainsuntouchedforaday.Thismeanstheyeitherdon’tneedthefoodoraretooweaktoeatit.Howmuchthebeeswilleatwilldependonhowmanybeesthereareinthehive.
MODULE 16: BEE PESTS, PREDATORS AND DISEASES
IntroductionAnumberofbeepests,predatorsanddiseasesoccurandaffect toa significantdegree thehealthandproductivityofbeecoloniesworldover. It is thereforevery important toknowthedifferentbeepests,predatorsanddiseasesthatmayoccurinyourareaandhowtocombatthem.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Identifydifferentbeepests,predatorsanddiseases
2. Explaintheeffectsofpests,predatorsanddiseasesonbeekeeping
3. Suggestmethodstocontrolvariousbeepests,predatorsanddiseases
Target Participants:Beekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,artisans,individualsandorganizations/Institutions
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:3hours.
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MaterialsFlipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,picturesofdiseasesymptoms,samplesofpestsandpredators,TVs,Projectors,generators,filmsaboutbeepestsanddiseases,handouts.
Methodst Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Fieldorpracticalexercisetoidentifythedifferentbeepestsanddiseases
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“Beepests,predatorsanddiseases”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engageeveryparticipant togiveexamplesofbeepestsandpredatorsand their controlwithin in theirlocality.
Step 3Guidetheparticipantsindescribingthecommonbeediseasesaffectingbeesandtheircontrol
Step 4Thetrainerclarifies,summarizesandgivesoutthehandoutonbeepests,diseasesandpredators.
Step 5Fieldorpracticalexercisefortraineestoparticipateinidentifyingthedifferentbeepests,predatorsanddiseases.Feedbackonfieldexcursion.
HANDOUT: Bee Pests, Predators and DiseasesExamplesofBeepestsandpredators
t Waxmoth t Antsincludingsafariants t Honeybadgers
t Hawkmoths t Man t Cattle
t Baboons t Termites t Hivebeetles
t Birds t Waspsandhornets t Louse
t Spiders t Lizards t Mice
t Robberbees t Pesticides t Mouldandfungus
t Acarine(tracheal)Mite t VarroaMite t TropaelaelapsMite
t Cleptoparasiticdroneflies(flies that look like bees)
Man:Peoplecancausea lotofdamagetohivesandareusuallyconsideredtheworstenemyofbees.Honeyhuntersandthievesdestroycountlessbeecoloniesandhives.Childrenoftenantagonizebeesbythrowingstonesatbeehives,whichoftenresultsinpeopleandlivestockbeingstung.
However,alwaystryandkeepyourhiveswheretheycanbesupervised.Hivesmustbemaintainedandprotectedagainstharshweather,naturalenemiesandfires.Hivescanbeplacedinabeehouseorastrongfenceplacedaroundtheapiary.
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Wax Moth (greater and lesser):Thismothlookslikethemoththateatsgrainanddestroyswoolenclothes.Itlayseggsinthehiveandthelarvaelookslikeawormormaggot.Boththelarvaeandadultfeedonthecombs.Thegreatermoth’slarvaefeedonthebrowncombsanddestroythewax.Itburrowsthroughthecombsandleavesawhitewebormeshinalonglineinthecomb.Thelessermothtendstoattackprocessedwaxsoalwaysusecleanwaxonstarterstrips!Scrapeawayanyeggs,waxmothfaecesorpupa.Killanylarvaeoradultwaxmoths.Sealanyholesandcracksinthetopbarsandthehivebody.Removeoldcombsduringtimesoffoodscarcitywhenthecolonysizeshrinks.Keepthehivecleanandfreefrombitsofcombanddebris.
Control of wax mothWaxmothcanbecontrolledbyastrongcolony.Uniteweakcolonieswithstrongerones.Smokingthehiveswillexpeladultwaxmothsfromhives.Avoidlitteringofapiarieswithbeeswax.
Safari and other ants:Antsgoforbees,broodandhoneyduringanyseasonorwhenthehivessmellofhoney.Itisadvisablethatyouhanghivesandgreasehangingwiresregularly.Ifhivesareonstands,placethelegsofthestandsintinsofoldengineoil.Alternativelytieragssoakedindieselaroundthesupportsorsmearthepostswitharingofgreaseorcreosote.Clearthegroundunderthehivestandandspreaddryashesaroundtheposts–theantswillnotwalkontheashes.Keepthegrassshortandstopthebranchesfromtouchingthehives.Makehivepartsfittogetherwithoutgaps.Alsokeepthehivebottomcleanandbecarefulnottospillhoneyorsugarsyrupwhenfeeding.
Termites:Termites will not attack the bees themselves but will destroy your hives, hive stands and equipment.Suspendhivesbetweentreesinsteadofpoles.Alternativelytreatthepostswithusedengineoilandplacethesupportsintinsofoldoil.Alsoavoidusingunburntbricksashivesupports.
Hive beetles (large and small):Beetlesmayenterthroughgapsandcracksbutalsothroughlargeentranceholes.Thelargeblackbeetlefeeds on brood and is most numerous during the rains. Others with distinct markings feed on smallamountsofhoneyandpollen.Thesmallerhivebeetleslayeggsinpollencells,whichcanbeturnedintoastinkingmessbythemaggotswithinafewdays.Topreventthebeetle,useholesinsteadofslitsfortheentranceandreducethesizeoftheentranceholes(8-10mm).Handpickordestroythemiffoundinthehive.Disinfectingthegroundinapiarieswillhelpkillthepupae.Smokingisequallyveryeffectiveinthecontrolofhivebeetles.
Honey Badger or horr:Thehoneybadgercanbreakintohivestoeathoneyandbrood.Hangthehivessecurely1.5metresfromthegroundtopreventthebadgerknockingthemdown,tielidsonsecurelywithwireandputheavystonesonthecovers,topreventthebadgerbreakingthemopen.Alternativelyuseapulleysystemandsuspendhivesover2metersfromthegroundbymeansofarope.
Pirate Wasp (lion of the honeybee):Theseareslenderwasps,yellow-brownwithblackcrossstripes.Theywillmolestcolonies,attackandeatworkerbees.Fillanygapsandholesinthehiveandmaketheentrancesmallenoughforthebeestodefend.Cutabottlewithanarrowmouthinhalfandinvertthetop,putsomewaterandjamin,thewaspswillenteranddrown(donotbaitwithhoney).Theycanalsobecontrolledbysettingawatertrapbythehiveentrance.
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Moulds:These are fungi that grow on the inside of the hive and are caused by excess moisture. Moulds mayindicatethatthehiveissitedinadampplace.Thisisaproblemmainlyduringandshortlyaftertherainsbutisgenerallynotamajorproblem.Topreventthis,avoidsitinghivesindampplacesandremoveanyunattendedemptycombsfromtheedgesofthenestifbeesfailtofananysurplusmoistureoutofthehive.Increasethenumberofentranceholestoimprovehiveventilationandairpassage.
Birds, such as honey guides and bee eaters:Somebirdssitonthehiveandeatworkerbeescomingout.Otherse.gwoodpeckersmakeholesinthehivewhilethehoneyguideseatbeesandbeebrood.Honeyguidesontheotherhandleadotherpredatorstothehive.Don’tleaveanybroodcombsexposedandscarethebirdsawayorusetraps.Alternativelyplaceyourhivesinabeehouse.Donotusesoftwoodtomakebeehives.Doproperhangingofthehives.
Bee Louse:Thisisasmalllightbrowninsectwith6legs(3pairs).Itisseenonthebacksofthebeebutcausesnegligibledamagetothecolony.Smokethehiveregularlytocontrolthem.
Varroa mite:Thisisaflat,reddishbrownmiteandisarelativeofthespiderwith8legs(4pairs).Itissimilartothebeelousebutsmaller.Thismitefeedsonthebee’sblood,makingthebeeweakerandweaker.Itismainlyfoundonthedevelopingdronebeepupaeandemergeswiththeadultbee.Varroacausesdeformityonbeesandslowlykillsthecolony.ItisamajordevastatingparasiteforApis melliferabeesthroughoutEurope,NorthAmericaandelsewhere.Itshouldnotbeconfusedwiththebeelouse.Thisisaparasiticmitecausingwidespreaddamageworldwide.Ugandabeekeepersshouldbeonthelookoutforvarroaasitisanextremelyseriouspest.Knowthedifferencebetweenbeelouseandvarroa!DonotimportbeestoavoidthespreadofVarroaandotherpests!
Acarine mites (Acarapi woodi):Theseliveinthebreathingtubesofyoungbeesandpreventbreathing.
Tropilealaps:Thesearesmallerthanvarroabutalsofeedonthebee’sblood.
Lizards:Theysitbythehiveentrancesandeatworkerbeesastheymoveinandout.Unoccupiedhivesoftenattractsquirrels,mice,dormiceandlizards.Thesmelloftheirdroppingswilldiscourageswarmsfromoccupyingthehiveandmayevendamageit.Protectunoccupiedhivesagainstpestsandkeepthemcleanandbaited.Avoidhavinglandingboardsonhiveentrances.Putratguardsonhivestands.
Bee diseases:t AmericanFoulBrood
t Sacbrood
t Nosema
t Chalkbrood
t Paralysis
Brooddiseasesaffectthedevelopingbrood.Abeekeepermustalwayscheckthebroodforabnormalities.Larvaeshouldbefat,shinyandwhiteandthesealedbroodshouldbeeven.
Chalkbrood:Afungusinfectingandkillinglarvaethatthendriesandshrinkstoachalklikemummy.Thehousebeesexposeandthenremovethesemummies.Onlyoccasionallydoesthediseaseaffectsomanylarvaethat
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themummiesareseen.Itweakensbutdoesnotusuallykillthecolony.Removetheinfectedcombs,controlthediseaseandkeepstressesonthecolony(insecticides,pests,etc.)toaminimum.Unitethecolonywithastrongerone.ThisdiseaseisfoundinUganda.
European Foul Brood:Thisbacteriumaffectstheunsealedbrood.Itcauseslarvaetodieandseemto‘meltdown’inthecells.Theyturnbrownandcauseasoursmellinthehive.Combsareremovedandnewcombsareaddedfromunaffectedcolonies.Thequeeniscagedforafewdayssoworkerscanremovediseasedlarvaeandthenreleased.
American Foul Brood:Thisbacteriumcausesbeestodieinthelarvaeorpupastage.Itisveryseriousandverycontagious.Cappingsareindented,thesealedbroodbecomessunkenanditlookslikethereisglueinthecells.Thebroodnestbecomesirregularandthereisasmellofglueinthehive.Allbeesandtopbarsmustbeburntandthehivescorchedandwashed.Donotfeedhoneyorexchangetopbarsandcombs.RememberdonotimportbeesandusedbeekeepingequipmentsintoUganda.
Sacbrood:Thisdiseaseaffectsbroodattheprepupaestage.Thesealedbroodwillhavelotsofholesandpupaemaybeunsealed.Thepupaewillbefounddead,pointedandunderdeveloped.ItissimilartoEuropeanFoulBroodbutwithoutsmell.
Ifyoususpectthatyouhaveabrooddiseaseyoushould:
t Removeanddestroyalltheaffectedbroodcombs.
t Cagethequeenfor7daystostopthediseasecycle
t Feedthebeeseachday.
t Useaqueengateafterreleasingthequeentopreventabsconding.
t Neverexchangecombsandtopbarsbetweenhives.
Otherdiseasesthataffectadultbees.Theseareeasiertodetect,asyouwillfinddeadbeesinandoutsidethehiveandincludethefollowing:
Nosema:This isadiseaseofadultbees that causespoorbroodnestdevelopmentand isoftenaccompaniedbydiarrhea.Youwilloftenseeyellowdiarrheaoutsideandattheentranceofthehive.Ithastobedetectedbymicroscopeandtreatedwithmedicines.
Paralysis:Avirusthatcausesdeath.Thebeesshakewhentheyarebornandcannotfly.Sometimesinfectedbeesexhibitnospecificsignsandspecialisttechniquesareneededtoidentifyit.
Black Queen Virus (BQV) disease (reported in Uganda):Itmostlyaffectshousedapiariesand those indampplaces.PreventionofBQV isby removing thebeecolonyfromtheapiaryandremovingthedeadbee.Avoidsitinghivesindampplaces.
Insecticides and pesticides:Pesticidespoisonbees.Acolonycandiewithin3hoursofexposuretoinsecticidesastheyquicklypassitinthenectartootherbeesandbroodinthehive.Abeespinningonthegroundoutsidethehiveisasignofinsecticidepoisoning.Alsobeesoftendiewiththeirtonguesstickingout.Keepintouchwithotherfarmersandknowwhentheyarespraying.Askthemtosprayatnightwhenthebeesarenotflying.Whensprayingistakingplacecloseyourcoloniesusingmeshwiretoallowventilation.NEVER totallyblockuptheholesorthebeesmaydieofsuffocation!Feedthebeeswithsugarsyrupwhilsttheyareenclosed.Researchand
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suggestalternativelesstoxicalternatives,suchastobaccoinsoappowderorneemleavescrushedinwater.Asalastresortmovethehivesfromtheareaeithertemporarilyorpermanently.
Note:
1. Wemustalwaysbeonthelookoutfordiseasesastheycanspreadquickly
andmayadverselyaffectbeekeepinginthearea.
2. The apiary should be kept clean as a general control strategy for most
pestsanddiseases.
3. Foreffectivecontrolandmanagementofpestsanddiseases,anintergrated
approachshouldbeused.
MODULE 17: MAKING BIO-PESTICIDESBiopesticidesareorganicsubstancesusedasalternativestopesticidestodeterandeliminatecroppests,especiallyinsects.Farminginvolveswideuseofpesticidesthatalsokillbeesandmakebeekeepingimpossibleiftheyaresprayedheavilyinbeeforageareas.Itisthereforeadvisablethatfarmerslookforalternativeinsecticidessuchasbiopesticides.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Understandwhatbiopesticidesare.
2. Explaintheimportanceofusingbiopesticides
3. Demonstratetheuseandapplicationofbiopesticidesinpestanddiseasecontrol
Target Participants:Beekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,farmers,individualsandorganizations
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:4hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,biopesticide
materials,videos,picturesandhandouts.
Methodst Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Fieldorpracticalexercise
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“biopesticides”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
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Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonwhatbiopesticidesareandtheirimportance.
Step 3Dividetheparticipantsinto2groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Discussthedisadvantagesofinsecticides
Group 2: Theimportanceofusingbiopesticides
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifies,demonstratesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
HAND OUT: Making Bio-pesticidesBiopesticidesareorganicsubstancesusedasalternativestopesticidestodeterandeliminatecroppests,especiallyinsects.Farminginvolveswideuseofpesticidesthatalsokillbeesandmakebeekeepingimpossibleiftheyaresprayedheavilyinbeeforageareas.Itisthereforeadvisablethatfarmerslookforalternativeinsecticidessuchasbiopesticides.
Mostcommonmaterialsusedformakingbiopesticidesincludethefollowingamongothers:-
t Lantana camara-‘Kapanga’
t Redpaper
t Solanum incanum-Sodomapple
t Phytoloca dodecandria -‘Omuwoko’
t Gynodropsis gynandra-‘Ejobyo’
t Ash
t Neemtree
t Mexicanmarigold
The dangers and disadvantages of inorganic insecticides.t Insecticidespoisonbeesandreduceproductionfrombeekeeping.
t Insecticideskillbeneficialinsectslikepollinatorsandpredatoryinsects.
t Asaresultofyearsofinsecticideapplication,fruitandvegetableyieldsmaysufferbecauseoflackofpollinators.
t Insecticides kill micro-organisms in the soil, reduce soil quality andmake plants more prone toattack.
t Insecticidesaretoxictohumansandlivestockandcouldresultindeathifconsumedinlargequantitybyaccident.
t Manyinsecticidesareavailableinthemarketbutoftenthehealthwarningsandinstructionsforusearenotprintedinalanguagethatpeopleunderstand.Thismeansthereisahighriskofmisuseandwrongdosages.
t Traderssellinsecticidesinsmallquantitiesinunlabelledcontainersincreasingthedangerofmisuseevenfurther.
t Insecticidescanadverselyaffecthumanhealthevenwhenconsumedinsmallquantitiesinourfoodorinhaledwhenwearespraying!Insecticideshavebeenshowntoaffectchildhooddevelopmentandhavebeenlinkedtocancersandotherdiseases.
t Insecticidesareexpensiveandmaynotbeavailablejustatthetimeyoumostneedthem.
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Note:Application of inorganic pesticides should be restricted toeveninghoursandduringnonfloweringperiod.
Since insecticideskillbeestheirusecanmakebeekeeping impossible if theyaresprayedheavily inbeeforageareas.Anentirecolonyofbeescanbedestroyedinaslittleas3hoursifforagersbringinsecticidecontaminatedhoneyloadsbacktothehive.Beespoisonedwithinsecticideareoftenfounddeadoutsidethehivewith their tonguesstickingout.Theymightbehavestrangelyflying roundand round incirclesonthegroundbeforetheydie. Ifyouwanttokeepbeesandalsoproducefruits,vegetablesandotherlivestock,thenyouneedtolookfornaturalalternativestoinsecticidessuchasbio-pesticides.
Bio pesticides help:-
t Bio-pesticidesmaynotkillbeneficialinsects(insectsthatarepredatorstopestinsectsandhelptocontrolthem).
t Topreventpestinsectinfestation-theyareusuallynotharmfultohumansbutaretoxicordistastefultopestinsects.
t Togetridofinsectpestsaftertheyhaveattackedthecrop.
t Toactasfertilizer-theycanalsohavethedoublebenefitofactingasfertilizersaswellasdeterringinsects.
t Tosavemoneyoninsecticidesandfertilizers-becausebio-pesticidescanbemadeusingthelocallyavailableplantsinanarea,theyarecheaperthanusinginsecticides.
t Toprotecttheenvironmentfromchemicalpollution.
t Tobeindependentandnothavetowaitforchemicalpesticidestobeavailable.
t Tohelpmaintainsoilquality.
t Toavoidthetoxiceffectsofinsecticidesonourfamilies.
t Tosaveourbeesandourlivelihoods!
t Biochemicalsdonotcontaminatehoney.
Aneffectivebio-pesticide-cum-liquidmanurecanbemadebycompostingdifferentplantsthatarebitter,strongsmelling,hottotaste,toxictoinsectsandnoteatenbylivestock.Thesemayinclude:cowdung,ash,urine,wastematerials,etcyoumayknowinyourlocalarea.
Followsteps1to3toprepareyourbio-pesticide:
1. Collectasmanyleavesandrootsfromthelistofplantsgivenaboveaspossible,enoughtofitintothebigdrumorbucketthatyouhavechosen.
2. Cutuptheseplantsveryfinely, ifyouhaveapestleandmortaryoucangrindthechilies,onions,garlic,corianderandcloves.Putallthecutupplantsintothedrumandthencovertheplantmaterialwithwater.
3. Takerawfreshcowdungandashesandtiethemupintothepieceofsackoroldcloth.Putthisintothedrumontopof thecutup leavesandcoverwithwater.Thecowdungwillactasa ‘seed’ofmicroorganismstohelptheleavestorotinthewaterandtheasheshelpprovidetherightenvironmentforthecompostingprocess.
4. Allowtheleavestorotcompletelyinthewater.Thisshouldtakeaboutaweekinveryhotweatherandamaximumofabout3weeksintherainyseasons.Themixtureshouldsmellstrongandshouldlookalittlelikeliquidmanure(cowdung).
5. Thesmellingliquid,withtheleavesstrainedoff,isyourcompletedbio-pesticide.
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How to apply bio pesticidesThemethodofapplicationofthebio-pesticideisthesameforbothyoungandestablishedplantsbutthedilutionsaredifferent.Itcanbeputintoacleansprayer(notonewhichcontainsremnantsofinsecticides)and sprayedonto theplants.Alternatively, it canbemixed in abucketandabroomor leavesused tosprinkleitontoyourcropstostoptheinsectsfromattacking.Applyitregularlytoyourcropsjustbeforetheusualseasonthatinsectpestscauseproblems.Sprayyourplantswithbio-pesticideallthroughthecropcycle.Theregularityofsprayingdependsonhowsusceptibletheplantsaretoinsectattackandhowmuchinneedofextrafertilizerthesoilis.Thelessfertilethesoilandthehighertheriskofinsectattack,themoreregularlyyoushouldapplythebio-pesticide.
Note:Bio-pesticide Treatments if the bio-pesticidecumliquidmanurefailstowork
Ifinsectsattackthecropdespitetheuseofbio-pesticidetryusingthebio-pesticideslightlylessdilutedbutonlyapplyittoaffectedareas.Youcanalsotryusinganotherbio-pesticidetreatmentrecipesuchas:
t Tobacco water-Soaktobaccoleavesinwaterovernightwithsomeashesandsomecow’surine.Addalittlesoappowderandsprinklethisontheaffectedplants.
t Neem Water-Soakneemleavesandfruitsinwaterovernightandsprinklethisontheaffectedareas.Themixtureshouldbeconcentratedandtasteverybitter.Ifitdoesnottastebittertryboilingtheleavesinwater.
t Ashes-Applyashesaroundtheaffectedplants.
t Myrrh water-Soakabout250gmyrrhin7litresofwaterfor6-7daysandspraythisontheplants.
t Datura-Mixtogetheraboutahalf(½)kgofdriedpowderedleavesin10litresofwaterandsoakthemfor24hours.BewarethatDatura is toxic!Sprayonplantsbutavoidbeesanddonotsprayanythingyouwilleatinthenextweek.
Anothermethodofcontrolling insectpestsespeciallyonvegetablecrops is touse integratedvegetablegrowingtechniquesorintercropping.Thismethodofvegetablegrowinginvolvesmixingupdifferentshapes,smellsandtypesofplantsinyourvegetableplots,sothatitismoredifficultfortheinsectpesttolocateitspreferredplantandtomovefromoneplanttoanother.Combineleafcropsandrootcropstogetherandtomixupdifferentshapesofplant.Mixgarlic,onions,coriander,marigold,basilandanyotherstrongsmellingplantsamongstyourvegetablecropstohelpmaskthesmellofanyplantsthatattractinsectpests.
Everyoneshouldtryandpreventtheunnecessaryuseofpesticidesbyusingnaturalbio-pesticidesmadefromlocallyavailableplants.Weshouldalltrytoeducatefarmersaboutchemicalinsecticidesandtheirnegativeimpactonbothbeesandtheenvironment.
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CHAPTER THREE
HIVE PRODUCTS AND PROCESSING
MODULE 18: HIVE PRODUCTS
IntroductionInthehive,beesproduceanumberofproductsusefultomanandtothebees.Theseproductsmaybeuseddirectlyormayactasrawmaterialsformakingotherby-products.
Learning ObjectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Listanddescribethedifferentbeeproducts
2. Listandexplaintheusesofthedifferentbeeproducts
3. Explainhowthedifferentbeeproductsareextracted
Target ParticipantBeekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,individualsandorganizations/Institutions
Suggested Number of Participants:Maximum30
Duration:2hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,notebooksandpens,markerpensorchalk,hiveproducts,
by-productsand/ortheirpictures,anyotherrelevantmaterialsandhandouts.
Methodt Lectures
t Brainstorming
t Discussions
t Practicals(demonstrations)
STEPS
Step 1Writethetitle“Hiveproducts”onthechalkboardorflipchartandintroduceit.
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonthedifferenthiveproductsintheirareas.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Listanddescribethedifferentbeeproducts
Group 2: Listandexplaintheusesofthedifferentbeeproducts
Group 3: Explainhowthedifferentbeeproductsareextracted
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
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HAND OUTS: Hive Productst Honeyt Pollent RoyalJellyt Propolist Beevenomt Beeswax
(i) Honey
Honeyisthesweet,viscousjuiceusuallycollectedinthelargestquantitiesfromthebeehive. It isfoundincellsofthehoneybeecomb.Mature(ripe)honeyisusuallyfoundinsealedcombsandcanbekeptindefinitely;unsealedhoneyisnotmature(unripe)andthereforefermentsshortlyafteritisharvested.
Honeyisusedasfood,medicine(constipation,duodenalulcers,liverproblems,burns,etc)andasingredients inmedicine(added incoughsyrups), food(confectionary industry),makingbeveragesandcosmeticcreams.
Fig 54: Farmers selling Honey Wine at a show Fig 55: Hoima Natural Honey on display
(ii) Pollen
Pollenistheprinciplefoodofbeesandiscollectedfromtheanthersofflowersonthelegsofthebees.Thehairsonthebee’slegsactlikeahaircomb.Asthebeescollectthepollen,theymoistenitwithalittlenectarwhenpackingitintopollenloadsontheirhindlegs.Partofthepollenservestopollinateflowers,andpartisbroughtbacktothehiveintheirpollenbaskets.Beesthenstorepolleninthecombsbutnot ingreatquantities.Pollencomesinmanydifferentcoloursfromred,yellowtobrown,dependingontheflowersource.Allaredifferent,somecanbebitterwhilesomecanbesweetandallthesevarietiescanbemixedtogether.
Beekeeperscollectitformedicinalneedsasitcontainshighqualitynutrientsandisricherinproteinthaneggs,meatandmilk.Itcontainsmostofthevitaminsandproteinsthatthebodyneeds.Itcanbeeatendrybutisprimarilyusedinfood,traditionalmedicines,asnutritionalsupplementsandincosmeticssuchasshampoos,creamsandevenperfume.Asafood,itaidsdigestion,buildsenergy,strengthens immunity, improvesconcentration(it isgoodforthebrain!)andhelpstobalancethemetabolism(soaidsweightlossorgain).Italsohassomeantibioticproperties.
Manybeekeeperseatpolleninthecomb(beebread).Itiseasiertodigestthandrypollenandcanhelppeople live longer lives, forexample,onetribe inPakistan isknownonlytosurviveonnuts,berriesandbeebread– theiraverageage is140years.Bothbeebreadandpollenshouldnotbeeateninlargequantitiesasitishardtodigestandcancausestomachupset.Itisbettertoeatsmallamounts,especiallyatfirsttoallowthebodytobecomeaccustomedtoit.
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How pollen is collectedIt is easy.Thebeekeeperputsapollentrapinthehiveentrance.Thepollentraplookslikeametalsheetfullofholesora5mmwiremesh.Asimplepollentrapcanbemadelocally,cheaplyandeasily.Asthebeespassthroughtheholesthepollenpelletsareknockedfromthebees’legsandfallintoadrawerortraycoveredbyafinermesh.However,inordernottoharmthecolony,collectionsmustbelimitedtoeveryotherdayto2-3kgperhiveperyearfromastrongcolony.Rememberthebeesneedpollenstorestofeedthebroodsotrapsshouldberemovedatregular intervalsorthecolonywillbeshortof food.Pollenmustnotbecollectedfromaweakcolony.Thepollenmustbeimmediatelydriedoutofthesun,asthesunwilldestroythevitaminsinthepollen.Itshouldbespreadinathinlayerintheshadewhereabreezeisfelt.Pollenitselfismoistasitmixeswithnectarbutwelldriedpollenwillcrackbetweenaperson’steethlikerice.Itmustbestoredinadrycoolplaceinsealedcontainersandprotectedagainstmoisture.Pollencollectionismoresuccessfulindryareasashumidityincreasesthedangerofcontaminationofcollectedpollenwithmouldandfungi.
Fig 56: A pollen trap
(iii) Royal jelly
RoyalJelly isawhitishfluid,secretedbytheyoungbeesandusedtofeedthequeenbeein largeamounts.Youngbeesthathavejusthatchedoutproduceitjustwithintheirfirst6days.Royaljellydoesnotcomefromflowers.Aqueenbeecanlivebetweenfourandfiveyearsifsheisfedexclusivelyonroyaljelly,laysabout1,500eggsaday,andhasahealthylifeprotectedfrombacteriaandparasites.Withoutroyaljellyshecannotbeaqueenbee.Itistherichnutritioninroyaljellythatmakesthequeenfertileandstrong.Itcontainsvitaminsandhormonesforincreasingfertility,whichiswhyshecanlaysomanyeggsoversomanyyears.Otherfemaleworkerbeesthatdonotfeedonroyaljellyaresterileandcannotlayeggs.
Royaljellyalsohasnutritional,energeticandmetabolicadvantagesforhumans.Itissospecialbutnotmanybeekeeperscollectit.ItisrichinproteinsandallBvitaminsandincreasesoverallmentalandphysicalwell-being.Itcanbetakenpureorblendedwithhoney(5partsroyaljellyto120partshoney).Itisalsousedasadietarysupplementandfertilitystimulant.Inskinpreparationsuchassoapitisknowntopreventwrinkles.
How royal jelly is collectedItneedsspecializedequipmentandrefrigeration.Themethodinvolvesremovingthequeenfromthehivesothebeesmakenewqueencells.Whenthequalityandthequantityoftheroyaljellyareatitspeak,thebeekeeperextractsthequeenbeelarvaewithtweezersandremovestheprecioussubstancebysuction.250-500gcanbecollectedfromeachhiveeveryyear.Itmustbekeptbelow4degreescentigradefromthe
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pointofcollectionasitgoesrottenveryquickly,ifitistobesoldforcommercialvalue.ThismaybeagoodincomeopportunityforbeekeepersinUgandatoexplore.
(iv) Propolis
Beesgatherresinfromaroundthenewbudsofcertainlivingtreesandplants.Theycollectitintheirmouths,packitintheirlegsanduseitformakingpropolis.Itisusedbybeesforrepairingthehiveandalsoservesasprotectiontothehivefrombacteria,fungiandviruses.Beesuseitasmedicineinthehivebecauseitisapowerfulnaturalantibioticandisbothantifungalandantibacterial.Interestingly,ifapestorpredatordiesinthehiveandcannotberemoved,thebeeswillwrapit inpropolissothatitdoesnotrotorsmell.Humansalsousepropolistopreventinfection.Propolisishelpfulforpreventingcoughsandcolds;andtreatingstomachulcers. Ifeaten in itsnaturalstate, it isbettertosuckasmallpieceasitstickstotheteethifyouchewit!Italsohelpstotreatwoundsandskindisorders.Rawpropoliscanbetakenandstuckoveracutjustlikesealingplaster!Italsohelpstostimulatethebody’sownimmunesystemtofightdiseasefor itself.Propoliscanbeusedinmanyapplicationsandisusedtoproducecreams,mouthwash,toothpaste,andthroatsyrup.Itisalsousedinanimalfeedtotreatsomedisordersandasthebasisforfinewoodvarnishes.
How to collect propolisThebeekeepercollectsitbyscrapingthebarsandwallsofthehivewithaknifeorhivetool.Toincreasecollection,manybeekeeperswillputapieceofmeshinsidethetopofthehive.Thebeeswillfilltheholesofthemeshwithpropolisastheywillconsiderthistobetheboundaryofthenest.Itisstickyandsoftwhenwarmbuthardandbrittlewhencold.Thepropoliscanthenbescrapedofforthemeshcanbeputinthefreezerfor24hours.Thiswillmakeiteasiertoknockorscrapeoffthehardenedpropolis.100-200gayearcanbecollectedfromeachhive.Itshouldbestoredindark,cleansealedbuckets,awayfromexcessiveheatandmustbeprotectedagainstcontaminationsuchaschemicals.Generallyspeaking,mostusesrequireittobeinliquidformandithastobedissolved.Thisextractionhoweverrequiressomecareandskill.
(v) Bee venom
Beevenomisthepoisonous,colorlessliquidcontainedinthevenomsacofthebee,usedtostingpredatorsorenemies.Itisananti-inflammatoryandisusedbyhumanstorelievepain.Itiseffectiveintreatingthesymptomsofrheumatoidarthritis,neuralgia,highbloodpressure,highcholesterolandevenmultiplesclerosis.Beevenomtherapycanalsohelpwithinfertilityproblems.
Applyingbeevenommedicinallycanbeeasy.Thisisdonebyholdingbothofthebee’swingsandapplying thetipof theabdomen to thepainful areaandallowing thebee to sting thearea.Thebeethendiesasthestingisleftintheskin.Thenumberofstingsandlengthoftreatmentrequireddependsonhowoldandseverethediseaseis.Howeveritmustberememberedthatitisdangeroustostingpeoplewhoareallergictobeestings.Alwaysaskthepersonfirstiftheyareallergictobeestings.Asmall,localizedswellingwithrednessisnormal.Itchingalloverthebodyandshortnessofbreathisnot.
Beevenomiswidelyusedincreams,soaps,linimentsandointments.Itmayalsocomeincapsuleform.
How to collect bee venomAnelectricshockmethodisusedtostimulatethebeestostingacollectorframeorclothwhereitdriesandisthenscrapedoff.Thispowderisverydangeroustohandleanditmustbefreeze-driedandprotectedfrommoistureandlight.Ifdonecorrectlyitcanbecollectedwithoutkillingthebees.
(vi) Beeswax
Beeswaxisnotaplantproductbutabeesecretionandbeesdonotcollectitfromoutsideofthehive.Workerbeesmakeregularhexagonalwaxcellsandcappingsinthehivetostorenewhoney.Thesehoneycombsaremadefrombeeswaxproducedbywaxglandsontheundersideoftheabdomenof
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aworkerbeebetween12and15daysold.Tinyscalesofwaxaresecretedandknead(softened)andthenusetheirlegstoconstructthecellsofthehoneycomb.
Note:Beeseatbetween8and22kgsofhoneytoproduce1kgofwax.
Humansmostcommonlyusewaxincandlemakingasitmakesdripless,smokelessandlonglastingcandles.Itisthebaseforlipstickandrougeandisusedinlipbalm,skincreams,deodorantsandhaircreams.Itisalsousedindrugs(astheoutsidecoatingofpills),modelingandstatuemaking,cosmetics,printing,foodprocessingandfurniturepolish.
How to collect beeswaxThebeekeepergetsthebeeswaxfromthehoneycombshavingfirstextractedthehoney.Beeswaxcanalsobegotfromoldemptycombs.Itcanthenbemeltedandsievedandsoldasarawcommodity.Howevermostbeekeepersdonotknowthebenefitsofbeeswaxandthrowcombsaway.Butmanysmallbusinessescanbedevelopedfrombeeswaxproduction.
MODULE 19: QUALITY HONEY HARVESTING
Introduction Itisimportantforabeekeepertoidentify,harvest,gradeandhandleexcellentqualityhoneyformarketingpurposes. The quality of honey can be judged from its cleanliness, taste, smell, colour and moisturecontent.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
1. Identify,harvest,gradeandhandleexcellentqualityhoney
2. Explainthedifferentmethodsusedtocheckwatercontentinhoney
Target Participants:Existingbeekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,honeytraders,individualsandorganizationsinterestedinharvesting,processingandsellinghoney.
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:3hours.
Materialst Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,cappedhoney
and/orthepicture,2airtightbuckets,beesuits,smokersandhivetoolset(hiveopener,beebrushandstainlesssteelknife),water,spoon,refractometer(ifavailable),honeysamples–arangefromotherregionsandothercountriesandhandouts.
Methodst Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Fieldorpracticalexercisetoidentify,harvest,gradeandhandleexcellentqualityhoney
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STEPS Step. 1 Writethetitle“Qualityhoneyharvesting”onthechalkboardorflipchart
Step 2Introduce the topic and engage theparticipants to brainstormonwhatmaterials bees use formakinghoneyandwhydifferenthoneyshavedifferenttastesandsmells.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Whataffectsthegoodqualityofahoneyproduct?
Group 2: Howdoweknowwhenhoneyisreadytobeharvested?
Group 3: Whatshouldyouconsiderwhenactuallyharvestinghoneyfromthehive?
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5 Giveoutthehandoutonbeediseasesanddiscusseachdiseaseonebyoneusingthenotesandpicturesonthehandout.
Step 6Fieldorpracticalexercisefortraineestoparticipateinhoneyharvestinginanearbyapiary,whilefollowingthestepsoftheharvestingprocessinthehandout.
t Whatabouttheotherbeeproducts.
t Includepropolisandwaxharvesting.
t Pollenbelookedintofortappingresources.
HAND OUT: Quality Honey Harvesting
What do bees make honey from?
Honey is theprimaryproductof thehive.Beesmakehoneyfromnectarwhich isasugarysecretionofflowers.Nectarcontains70-80%water.Tomakehoneythebeesaddenzymesandreducethewatercontentofthenectartothatofhoney(goodhoneycontainslessthan19%water).
Bees transfer nectar from their stomachs to other bees that in turn pass it on to other bees. As it istransferred,thewatercontentisreducedandthebeesaddenzymesfromtheirhoneysacks,whichpreventfermentationof thenectar. Thebees thenplace this into the cells of thehoneycomband continue toreducethewatercontentfurtherbywarmingthehoneytoabout35degreescentigrade(thetemperatureofhumanblood).Thebeesfantheirwingstotakeanywarmdampairoutofthehiveandtoallowcoolerdryairin.Thisevaporationprocesseventuallyreducesthewatercontentto19%andthebeesthencapthehoney.Thisprocesshelpsthehoneytobekeptforalongperiodsinthehive.
Why do different honeys have different tastes and smells?Thedifferenttastes,aromasandcoloursofhoneyarearesultofthedifferentflowersthatthebeeshavecollectednectarfrom.Colourisalsoaffectedbytheageofthecombs–oldcombsgivedarkerhoneythannewcombs.
Honeymostly contains different kinds of natural fruit sugars (80-85%) that are easily and immediatelyabsorbedbythebody,arehighincarbohydratesandgivethebodyenergy.Thesugarinhoneyisnotthesameasrefinedgranules(sucrose),whichcanhaveanegativeeffectonthehealth.Refinedsugarismoredifficultforthebodytobreakdownandcanleadtodiabetesinlaterlife.
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Honeyalsocontainsmanyvitaminsandmineralsfromthepollen.Honeyhasmedicinalpropertiesandisusedtohelpcurecoughs,ulcers,woundsandsorethroats.Generallybeesdoaverygoodjobofmakinghoneyanditisthebeekeeperthattendstospoilthequalityofthehoneywithpoorharvesting,processingandmarketingtechniques.Itisessentialthattheproductbeingsoldretainsitsproperties,isofgoodqualityandwellpresented.
What affects the good quality of a honey product?t Honeymustbecleanandclear-nodirt,deadbees,wax,dust,splintersofwoodorashes.
t Honeymusthaveagoodtaste.Itshouldnotbetoosmokyorhaveafermentedtaste.Chemicalsandinsecticidescanaffectthesmellandtasteofhoney.
t Honeymusthaveagoodsmell.Harvestingolddarkcombsandbroodcombscanaffectthesmellandcolourofthehoney.Oversmokingthecombscanalsoaffectitssmell.
t Honeymusthaveagoodcolour–thisdependsuponthenectarsourceandageofthecombs.Usuallydarkhoneyhasstrongerflavourandlightcolouredhoneyamoredelicateflavour.
t ThePresenceofpollencanmakethehoneyappearmuddyorcloudybutisinfacthighlynutritiousandgoodforthebody.
Honeymustberipeandhavealowwatercontent–moistureshouldnotbegreaterthan19%orthehoneyislikelytoferment.Harvestingincompletelysealedcombscanresultinexcessivewatercontentinhoney.Thisismeasuredusingarefractometer
Honeybuyersandtradersoftenusearefractometertocheckthewatercontentofhoneysamplesfromhuntersandbeekeepers.Theywillavoidbuyinghoneywithhighwatercontent,asitislikelytoferment.Theywillselectonlyhoneywithawatercontentofaround19%,ashoneywithawatercontentofover20%mustbeusedtooquicklyformarketinginotherregionsorcountries.Howevertheywillnotbewaryofhoneywithverylowwatercontent.Ifitistoolowthentheyknowthehoneyhasprobablybeenheatedtoevaporateoffmorewaterormayhaveevenbeenadulteratedwithsugarwater.
Therearesomeverysimplemethodsthatyoucantrytocheckthewatercontentwithoutarefractometer.
t Putamatchstickinthehoneyandifthewatercontentistoohighthentheheadwillbedampandwillnotburn.
t Dropadropletofhoneyondrysoil.Ifthehoneyspreadsintothesoilanddispersesthenthewatercontentistoohigh.Thehoneyshouldsitonthesoilasaglobule.
How do we know when honey is ready to be harvested?Honeyisreadyforharvestwhenthehivebecomesheavy,smellsofhoneyandbeesmayhavebecomemoreaggressiveandnoisythanusualastheyprotecttheirstores.Lookforripesealedhoneywithanevenlayerofsealingonthehoneycomb.Regularinspectionsofthehivesduringthehoneyflowperiodwillensurethatyouharvestassoonasthehoneyisready.Generallyharvestingisrelatedtotherainsandharvestingshouldbedoneaftertheflowershavewitheredandfallen.
What should you consider when actually harvesting honey from the hive?t Theidealharvestingtimeisinthecoolofdusk,justbeforedark.Don’tharvestduringthedaytime
unlessapiaryislocatedfarawayfrompublicplaces.
t Do not crop honey during rainy weather as the honey draws moisture from the air and gets toowatery.
t Useabeesuitandasmokerwhenharvesting,asusuallythebeesgetupset!
t 2peoplearebetterthanoneand2smokersarebetterthanone.Don’tharvestalone.
t Harvestcombsthatareatleast2/3cappedorsealedfullofhoney.Uncappedhoneycontainstoomuchwaterandwillstarttoferment.
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t Usingacleanknifecutawaythelight-coloredcombsleavingabout2cmsofcombforthebeestousetorebuildanewhoneycomb.
t Leavethecombswithbrood,pollenandsomehoneyforthebeestoeattoenablefutureproductionofhoney.Infixedcombhivesonlytakeawaythecombsatthesidesofthehive.
t Alwayscarry2cleananddrycontainerswithairtightlids.ThecontainersshouldbeplasticorwoodandNOTmetalunlessthemetalcontainsstainlesssteel.Honeyiscorrosiveandifputinametalliccontainerthatisnotcoated,itwillreactwiththemetal.Themetaldissolvedinthehoneymaypresentahealthhazardtotheconsumer.Placethehoneycombsintoapotorbucketthatcanbeclosedtoavoidrobbing.
t Putcombswithlittleornocappedhoneyintotheothercontainer.Keepthis2ndgradehoneyforlocalorhomeconsumption,asitcannotbestoredforalongperiod–eatitquickly!
t Makesurethereisnodirtinthehoney.
t Sometimesmoremoneyispaidforcertainkindsorcoloursofhoneythanforamixturesoharvestthiskindofhoneyseparately.Separatethelightanddarkcombs.
t Avoidpropolisandtoomuchpolleninhoneyifyouaremarketingyourhoneywidely.Thesemakethehoneycloudyandmanycustomerspreferclearhoney.
t Honeypresentedforsaleinthecombisseentobepureandcanfetchagoodprice.Selectundamagedwhitesealedcombtosellascutcombasdarkcombsdonottastesonice.
Thestepsoftheharvestingprocess:
1. Lightthesmokersandputonthebeesuits.
2. Smokethebeesandcheckforcombsthatareatleast2/3cappedorsealedfullofhoney.Honeycombsareusuallyatthebackofthehiveoppositetheentrance.Alwaysleavethecombswithbrood,largeportionsofpollenandsomehoneyforthebees.
3. Alwaysholdthecombsinaverticalpositiontoavoidbreaking.
4. Liftthecomb,blowsmokeonbothsidesandquicklybrushthebeesbackintothehivewithafeatherorbeebrush.
5. Cutawaythelight-colouredcombswithaknife leavingabout1cmofcomb.Thiswillserveasanorientationlineforanewcomb.
6. Placethecappedhoneyinacleananddrycontainerwithasealedlidtokeepthebeesout.Returnthetopbartothehive.
7. Putcombswithlittleornocappedhoneyintoaseparatecontainer.
8. Make sure there is no dirt or bees in the honey and avoid propolis and too much pollen in thehoney.
9. Whileharvestingalsoscrapethepropolisoffthetopbarsbeforereplacingthemandkeepthisforfuturebaitingofhives.
10. Continuecroppingalltheripecombsinthesamewaybutdonotcroptoomuchorthebeesmayabscond.Leaveatleast8combsforthebees.
11. Beforeclosingthehivepushtheunripecombsbehindthelastbroodorpollencombandputthecroppedtopbarsbehindthese.
12. Carrythecontainersoutofreachofthebeesstillbuzzingaround.
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MODULE 20: PROCESSING HONEY
IntroductionThereareanumberofmethodsforprocessinghoney,namelyfloating,pressingandcentrifuging.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
t Statethedifferentusesofhoney
t Describethevariousmethodsofprocessinghoney
t Processhoneyforsaleoruse.
Target participants:Existingbeekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,traders,individualsandorganizationsinterestedinsellingorusingofhoney.
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:3hours.
Materials:Flipchartandmasking tapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,combedhoney,cleanhoney sieve cloth,honey refractometer, cleanairtightbuckets, cleanhoney jars,honeywarmer,uncappingforkorknife,honeypress,centrifugalhoneyextractorandhandouts.
Methods:t Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Practicalexercisetoprocessqualityhoney
STEPS:
Step 1 Writethetitle“ProcessingHoney”onthechalkboardorflipchart
Step 2Engagealltheparticipantstobrainstormonwhatishoney,howitisprocessedandwhatisitusedfor.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin3groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:-
Group 1:: Describethestepsinvolvedinusingfloatingmethodforprocessinghoney.
Group 2:: Describethestepsinvolvedinusingpressingmethodforprocessinghoney.
Group 3:: Describethestepsinvolvedinusingcentrifugalmethodforprocessinghoney.
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5 Practicalexercisetoprocessqualityhoney
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HAND OUT: Processing HoneyHoneyisthesweetproductofthehoneybee.Honeycanbeprocessedintocombhoney,chunkedhoney,creamhoney,pressedhoneyandstrainedhoney.
Methods of processing honey Therearethreemethodsofextractinghoney:
1. Floating Method
Floatingisthesimplest,buttakesthelongest,whichisespeciallydisadvantageousintherainyseason(honeyishygroscopicandwillabsorbwaterfromtheairintimesofhighhumidity)unlessyouworkwithclosedcontainers.
Thismethodrequiresacleanairtightcontainer,acleanclothorspecialhoneysieveandanuncappingforkorknife.
Fig. 57: Uncapping fork
Steps:1. Removethewaxcapsofthecappedhoneycellswithanuncappingforkorknife.Uncappingknives
mustbewellfiledandrazorsharp.Attemperaturesoflessthan25°Cyoucanmakeuncappingeasierbyholdingtheuncappingtoolinabasinofhotwaterforashortwhile(butdodryitbeforeuse).
2. Thecombsarebrokenintosmallpiecesandplacedinanairtightbucketorothercontainer.
3. Afterafewdaysthewaxwhichhasfloatedtothetopcanbeskimmedoff.
4. Thehoneyisstrainedthroughacleancloth,nylonstockingorspecialhoneysieveandisagainputawayfor3daystosettle.
5. Anyfoamandwaxparticleswhichhavefloatedtothesurfacecanbeskimmedoffandthehoneyisnowreadyforstorageandpackaging.
2. Pressing
Pressinghoneyismorework,buttakeslesstime.Therearevariouspressconstructions.
Fig: 58: Different types of Honey Press and locally made bottling containers
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Steps:1. Scrapeopenthecombs,breakthemintopiecesandtiethemupinacleanporousclothintheshape
ofapillowcase.
2. Kneadthecombsintheclothandthenpressthehoneythroughthecloth.
3. Twistoutthecloth(youneedtwopeopleforthis,oronepersonandafixedpoint),butitisfastertoworkwithawoodenpress.Therearevariouspressconstructions.
4. Pourthehoneythroughacleanclothorsieveintoapotormaturingvesselandleaveittostandforafewdays.Anyremainingwaxparticlesandpollengrainswillfloattothetopandcanbeskimmedoff.
3. Centrifuging Method
Thecentrifugalhoneyextractorconsistsofacylindricalcontainerinwhichacagemadeofaframecoveredwithstrongwiremeshturnsonanaxle.
Theadvantageofcentrifugingisthatyoucanextractthehoneyveryquicklyandthatyoucanusethecombsagain.
Fig. 59: A sketch and picture of a honey centrifuge extractor
Inthiskindofcentrifugalhoneyextractor2,3,4,6or8framescanbeextractedatthesametime.Thecageinwhichtheframesareplacedisturnedbymeansofahandlewithgears.Thehoneyisthrownoutofthecombsagainsttheinsidewallsofthecontainer.
Ahandyblacksmithcanmakethesecentrifugalhoneyextractorsusing,forexample,somecogsfromanoldgearbox.Itisevenpossibletocentrifugepartsofthecombortopbarcombsintoacentrifugalextractor.Inthatcaseyoumustmakewirebasketsinwhichthecombpiecesaretightlyenclosed.Thebasketsarehandledasthoughtheseareframes.Thepiecesofcombcanbeusedagaininthehive,re-attachingthemtotopbarswithpiecesofstringorstraws.Alternatively,theremainingcombcanbeusedforwaxprocessing.
Steps:-1. Beneaththetapatthebottomofthecontainerplacethehoneysieveorcleancloththroughwhich
thehoneyrunsintoabucketorstraightintothevessel.
2. Placehoneyframesintothecage(oneoneachsideofthecage).Incaseoftopbars,placethewirebasket.
3. First,turnthehandleslowly,otherwisetheweightofthehoneyinsidethecombwillpressthecombthroughthewiremeshofthecage.
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4. Thenplacetheframesinreverseandturnthehandleuntilthecellsonthissideofthecombsarecompletelyempty.
5. Finallyturnthecombsonceagainandturnthehandleuntilthecellsonthefirstsideofthecombsarealsocompletelyempty.
6. Theemptycombsareputintoahoneysuperandgivenbacktothecolony,sothattheycanlickthecellsclean.Ifthereisnolongeranyhoneyflowtheoldcombsmustberemoved.Newonescanbestored.
7. Leavethehoneyinthesettlingvesselforafewdayssothatairbubblesandwaxparticlescanfloattothetop.Skimtheseoffandpourthehoneyintoairtightcontainers.
NOTE: Honeyshouldbeprocessedinaspacewherebeescannotenter(allopeningsmustbeclosedwithfinewiremesh).Itisalsopossibletoworkintheevening.Youcanalsospinhoneyinatentwhichsealswellwiththegroundsothattherearenogaps.Ifnecessaryyoucanstorewell-cappedframesinawell-sealedcontainer.Ifyourhoneycontainstoomuchwater,youcandryyouruncappedhoneybymakingachimneyof thehoney supers andblowingair through themwith a ventilator. If youplacenewspapersontheflooroftheroomyoucaneasilyremovespilthoney.
Table 6: Forms of honey and how they are made:
Liquid HoneySomehoneyremainsinliquidstatenaturallyiftheyhaveglucosetowaterratiooflessthan1:8.
Chunk honeyThisiswhere1or2stripsofcutcombareplacedinatransparentwidemouthedjar,whichisthenfilledwithlight-colouredliquidhoney.
Creamed honeyHomogeneouslystablecrystallizedhoneywithapleasantcreamyappearanceobtainedbytheadditionofasmallquantityofalreadycrystallizedhoneytoliquidhoney.
Comb honeySmallsectionofcompletelysealedcombbuiltofvirgin(new/white)beeswax,preferablywithlightcolouredhoney.
Crude honeyCombinationofhoney,pollen,beebroodsandotherimpuritieslikesticks,treeleaves…etc.
Semi-refined honeySkimmedhoneyafterremovalofcombafterseveraldaysofsettling.Itneedstobefurthersievedtoremoveimpurities.
Granulated honey
Honeyisasupersaturatedsolutioni.e. itcontainsmoredissolvedsubstancethanthesolventcannormallyretain insolutionatanyspecifictemperature.Such a solution is unstable and will in time revert to the stable saturatedconditionbycrystallizingtheexcesssolute.
Liquid HoneySomehoneyremainsinliquidstatenaturallyiftheyhaveglucosetowaterratiooflessthan1:8.
Chunk honeyThisiswhere1or2stripsofcutcombareplacedinatransparentwidemouthedjar,whichisthenfilledwithlight-colouredliquidhoney.
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Creamed honeyHomogeneouslystablecrystallizedhoneywithapleasantcreamyappearanceobtainedbytheadditionofasmallquantityofalreadycrystallizedhoneytoliquidhoney.
Comb honeySmallsectionofcompletelysealedcombbuiltofvirgin(new/white)beeswax,preferablywithlightcolouredhoney.
Crude honeyCombinationofhoney,pollen,beebroodsandotherimpuritieslikesticks,treeleaves…etc.
Semi-refined honeySkimmedhoneyafterremovalofcombafterseveraldaysofsettling.Itneedstobefurthersievedtoremoveimpurities.
Granulated honeyHoneyisasupersaturatedsolutioni.e.itcontainsmoredissolvedsubstancethanthesolventcannormallyretain insolutionatanyspecifictemperature.Suchasolution isunstableandwill intimerevert tothestablesaturatedconditionbycrystallizingtheexcesssolute.
Storage of honey Honey should be stored in clean glass jars, food grade plastic airtight buckets or plastic coatedmetalcontainersimmediatelyafterextraction.
NOTE: Thehoneycanstart to fermentduringstorage ifthewatercontentistoohigh(>19%).
Heatingthehoneywillcauseboththetasteandsmellofthehoneytodeteriorate.Heatedhoneyisofaninferiorqualityastheenzymesarebrokendown.
MODULE 21: BEESWAX
IntroductionBeeswaxisoftenthesecondmostvaluableproductafterhoney.UnfortunatelyinUgandamanybeekeepersthrowawaywaxcombsonharvestingorafterhoneyextraction.Soitisimportantforourbeekeeperstohavetheknowledgeandskillsontheusesofbeeswaxandhowtoprocessitatlocallevel.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
t Statethedifferentusesofbeeswax
t Describethevariousmethodsofprocessingbeeswax
t Processbeeswaxfromthecombsforsaleoruse.
Target participants:Existingbeekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,traders,individualsandorganizationsinterestedinsellingorusingofbeeswax.
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
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Duration:3hours.
Materials:Flipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,solarwaxmelter,waxcombs(fromhoneyrefiningsession)–soakedovernightincleanwater,largealuminiumcookingpot,additionalpot,fireandwater,oldricesackorclothbag(nottoofineaweave),2longcleansticks(1Inchdiameter),selectionofbeeswax,beeswaxproductssuchaslipbalm,soap,creamandcandles,andhandouts.
Methods:t Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Practicalexercisetoprocessqualitybeeswaxfromthecombs
STEPS:
Step 1 Writethetitle“Beeswax”onthechalkboardorflipchart
Step 2Engagealltheparticipantstobrainstormonwhatisbeeswax,whereitcomesfromandonwhatisitusedfor.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin2groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:-
Group 1: Describethestepsinvolvedinusingsolarwaxmelterforprocessingwax.
Group 2: Describethestepsinvolvedinusinghotwaterbathmethodforprocessingwax.
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5 Practicalexercisetoprocessqualitybeeswaxfromthecombs
Instruction t Organize the training sessions so that making products from beeswax follows directly after this
module.Encourageparticipantstoattendbothsessions.
t Prepareallyourequipmentingoodtimeanddonotkeepyourtraineeswaiting–soakthecombsovernight,putthebeeswaxinthewaxmelteratthebeginningofthesessionandputthemelterinthesun,startthefireandbeginheatingthecombmix.
HAND OUTS: Beeswax
What is beeswax?t Beeswaxisthesubstanceusedbybeestomaketheircombstostoretheirhoney.
t Beeswaxisoftenthesecondmostvaluableproductafterhoney.
t It is harder than other waxes such as paraffin wax and has a low melting point (64 degreescentigrade).
t Beeswaxisnotaplantproductbutabeesecretion.
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Where does it come from?t Thewax bee (aworker bee aged between 12-18 days)makes perfectly hexagonalwax cells and
cappingsinthehivetostorenewhoney,pollenandbrood.
t These honeycombs are made from beeswax secreted from wax glands on the underside of theabdomenofaworkerbee.Waxcanbeseenassmallflakesontheundersideofbees.
t Beesarestimulatedtoproducewaxwhenthequeenneedsspacetolaymoreeggswhenthecolonyisexpandingduringthebuildup.
t Beesarestimulatedtoproducewaxwhenthereissurplushoneytobestoredduringthehoneyflowandalackofhoneycombinwhichtostoreit.
t Beekeepingusingtraditionalhivesormovablecombscanresultinhighyieldofbeeswax.
What is it used for?t Thebeesuseittomakecombs.
t Beekeepersuseiton‘starter’stripsandtobaithives.
t Industriesuseitformaking:
t Cosmetics:itisthebaseforlipstickandrougeandisusedinlipbalm,skincreams,soaps,deodorantsandhaircreams.
t Pharmaceuticals.
t Foodprocessing.
t Candlesthataredripless,smokelessandlonglasting.
t Polishesforpreservingleatherandwoodsuchasshoepolishandfurniturepolish.
t Ointmentsforskinproblems,cutsandgrazes.
t Lostwaxcastingandmodelingforstatuemaking.
t Waxprintingandbatiks.
t Treatmentforcrackedhoovesoflivestock.
t Mendingcrackedpotsandwatercontainers.
t Forwaxingthreadsinshoemaking.
Beeswaxcanbeusedasthebasisofmanysmallbusinessactivitiesandisavaluablecommodityandexportcrop,whichsellsforUS$3-5perkgontheworldmarket.Insomecountries,waxratherthanhoneyisthemostvaluedhiveproduct.Beeswaxisvaluedaccordingtoitspurityandsometimesitscolour-lightwax(fromnewcombs)isoftenmorehighlyvaluedthandarkwax(fromoldcombs).Thepresenceofpollen,propolisandimpuritiescancausethebeeswaxtobecomeyellow.Itwillalsodarkenwithagesoitisbetterusedorsoldasquicklyaspossible.
Unlikehoney,beeswaxdoesnotrequirecarefulpackaging,whichsimplifiestransportandstorage.Howeverwaxmustbestoredinasealedcontainertoprotectitfromattackbywaxmoths.
Explainthatasimplewaxcollectingsystemandbulksellingofwaxcanresultinincomefromanotherwisewastedresource.Bothhoneyhuntersandbeekeepersshouldrealizethatbeeswaxisavaluableproductinadditiontohoney.
Thebeekeepercanharvestcombsfromthehivethatarenotbeingused.Thebeekeepercanalsotakethebeeswaxfromthehoneycombshavingfirstextractedthehoney.Thehoneyisextractedbyfirstremovingthewaxcappings.Thehoneyisthensqueezedandstrainedthroughacleancloth.Thecombscanthenbemeltedandsievedandusedorsoldasarawcommodity.
Beeswaxisvaluableandalloldcombs,scrapingsfromthehiveandpiecesofwaxshouldbekept!
Theprocessbywhichwaxfromcombsisconvertedintoblocksofcleanwaxisknownas‘rendering’.Allmethodsofrenderinginvolvemeltingthewax.
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Points to note:-t Neveruse iron,zinc,brassorcoppercontainersasthewaxwillreactwiththepot-theydiscolor
waxandmakeitlooseitssmell.Useunchippedenamel,galvanizediron,stainlesssteeloraluminumcontainers.
t Neverboilwaxorheatitdirectlyonthefireasitdamagesthewaxandreducesitsquality.Overheatedorburntwaxisworthless.
t Becareful,aswaxisflammable!
t Usefreshcombsrecentlyremovedfromhiveswheneverpossible.
t Freshpalewhitecombsgivethebestbeeswax.Avoidcombswithbrood,asitwillmakethewaxsmellovertime.
t Newwhitecombsarebetter thandarkcombs (asnewbeesarebornoutof thecomb, theyspincocoonsmakingthecombsdarkandhardandtheyholdlesswax).
t Alwaysprocessoldcombseparatelyfromnewlightcolouredcombasoldcombislowerqualityandwillreducethevalueoftheendproduct.
t Ensureallequipmentiscleanandwillnotcontaminatethewax.Neverusecontainersthathaveheldanychemicals.
t NEVERaddanythingtothebeeswax.Somepeopleputstonesandsandintothesettingbeeswaxtoincreasetheweight.Thisisunethicalandmostbuyerswillbreakbeeswaxintopiecestocheckthequality.
Methods of wax extraction:Thereare2mainmethodsofwaxextraction.
t Solarwaxmelter.
t Hotwaterbathmethod.
The solar wax melter.Thisprovidesasimple,safeandcheapmethodusingtheheatofthesun.Itisaboxwithaglasslidthatistiltedatanangletocatchthesun.Thesunmeltsthewaxoveraperiodoftime.
t Thereisasheetofaluminummetal(orgalvanizedsteel)thatdirectswaxintothecontainer
t Thereisasingleordoublewallofglassthathelpsheatabsorption.
t Thewiremeshpreventsdebrisfromslippingintothecontainer.
t Thedarkpaintedwallshelptoheatabsorptionifnecessary.
Themeltermustnothaveanycracksorgapsthatwillencourageheatlossorallowanyrobberbeesinside.Thesmellof thewaxwill attractbeesandants. Itmustbe setup in suchaway thatants cannotgainaccess.
Steps:t Washthestickycombsoutincoldwaterandletthecombsdryoutinthesun.
t Placethecombsonthemetalsheetsofthemelter.
t Placetheboxinthedirectsunshineforafewhoursuntilthewaxhasmelted,runintothecontainerandformedblocks.
t Strainitthroughaclothintoasecondcontainer
Averysimplewaytomeltsmallscrapsofwaxistoplacethemonapieceofmetalaluminumfoil(suchasfromacigarettepacket)andleavetheminthesun.Foldthefoilcarefullysothemeltedwaxcannotrunout!Instrongsunlightthewaxwillmeltandcanbepouredintoacontainer.Thisisaverygoodwayofpreparingwaxforthestarterstripsontopbars.
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For largeramountsofwaxanopenboxmaysimplybe linedwithtin foil andplaced in thedirect sun.Anothersimplemethodistoplaceawiremeshacrossthetopofabucketandplaceitinthehotsun.Themeshwillseparatethecocoonsfromthemeltingwax,whichcanthenbestrainedthroughacloth.
The hot water bath method:Thismethodinvolvesheatingwaxinwateroverfire.Thisismuchsaferthanusingheataloneasbeeswaxisveryflammable.
Steps:t Breakupcombintosmallpiecesandwashorsoakitovernightincleanwarmfreshwater.Rinsethe
combs2or3timestogetridofallthehoneyanddirt.(Rememberdon’tthrowthewateraway–useitasbeefeed!)
t Addwatertocoverthecombs.Beawarethatcombswillfloatsoensurethereisadequatewaterinthepot.
t Putthepotonthefireandheatthemixtureslowlyandgentlyandstiruntilthewaxmelts.DoNOTmakethewaterboilforlongortoohardbecausetoomuchheatwillspoilthewaxandmakeitbrittle.Infactwaterboilsat100degreescentigradeandwaxmeltsatabout64degreescentigradesothereisnoneedtoboilit.Inadditionthewatermustnotbeallowedtoboilover,aswaxisveryflammableandcouldburneasily.
Fig. 60: melting wax
t Smearthesidesofasecondbigwidepotorbucketwithnon-scentedsoapywater.
t Onceyellowoilyliquidbeeswaxisseenonthetopofthewater,themixtureisthenstrainedthroughawiremeshorclothbagintothesecondcleanemptycontainerorbucket.
t Theendsof theclothcan thenbe twistedand themixturesqueezed.Or2 stickscanbeused tosqueezethebagfromtoptobottom.Youneed2peopletodothis!
t Beeswax is squeezedoutof thecombs.Theblackcocoons spunby the larvae (andotherdebris)remaininthecloth.Thisresiduecanbeusedasswarmbait.
t Asitcoolsthewaxseparatesfromthewaterandrisestothesurfaceofthecontainerlikeaplate.
t Coverthepotsodustandinsectscannotgetit.Leavethepotwiththewaterandmoltenbeeswaxinacooldarkplace.Donotdisturbthepotuntilthebeeswaxhassethardonthetopofthewater.Thismaytake12–24hoursespeciallyinthehotseason.
t Liftthesheetofbeeswaxfromthesurfaceofthewateranddiscardthewater.
t Debrisisscrapedfromthebottomofthewaxcakeonceithashardened.
t Toobtainevenpurerwaxmeltthewaxinadoubleboilerandstrainagain.
t Therenderedbeeswaxisnowreadyforsaleortobemadeintocandles,skincreamsorpolishes.
t Anothermethodforlargeamountsofcombcanbetriedusinganoildrum
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Combsandrocksaretiedinasackandthesackplacedinadrumofwateroverthefire.Thewatershouldbeheatedbutnotboilingandthewaxwillmeltandcometothesurface.Thesackshouldberemovedandsqueezedandthewaxandwaterlefttocool.
Fig. 61: Wax extraction using a sack and a drum
t Waxshouldnotbestoredinthecombform.Combsshouldbeprocessedquicklyastheybecomebrittle.Inadditioncombsmaybeeatenbywaxmoth.Howeverputtingthecontainerofwaxoutsideforsomehoursinthesunshineeachdaycanhelpkeepthemothsout.
t Waxblocksmustbestoredinsealedplastic,airtightcontainersandinacooldryplace.
t Waxblocksshouldneverbestorednearpesticidesorchemicalsasthewaxmayabsorbthem.
t Waxshouldbewrappedinplasticornewspaperinordertostoreitforlongperiodsoftimewithoutdamage.Waxcanretainitsqualityandshapeforhundredsofyears.
Summary:Beeswaxisavaluablecommodityandexportcropandcanbeusedasthebasisofmanysmallbusinessactivities.Asimplewaxcollectingsystemandbulksellingofwaxcanresultinincomefromanotherwisewastedresource.Bothhoneyhuntersandbeekeepersshouldrealizethatbeeswaxisavaluableproductinadditiontohoney.Insomecountries,waxratherthanhoneyisthemostvaluedhiveproduct.Beeswaxisvaluedaccordingtoitspurityandsometimesitscolour-lightwaxisoftenmorehighlyvaluedthandarkwax.Thepresenceofpollen,propolisandimpuritiescancausethebeeswaxtobecomeyellowanditwilldarkenwithage.Unlikehoney,beeswaxdoesnotrequirecarefulpackaging,whichsimplifiestransportandstorage.Howeverwaxmustbestoredinasealedcontainertoprotectitfromattackbywaxmoths.
Collectingbeeswaxiseasy:thebeekeepertakesthebeeswaxfromthehoneycombshavingfirstextractedthehoney.Thebeeswaxcanthenbemeltedandsievedandsoldasarawcommodity.Theprocessbywhichwaxfromcombsisconvertedintoblocksofcleanwaxisknownas‘rendering’.Allmethodsofrenderinginvolvemeltingthewax.
Duringrenderingneveruseiron,zinc,brassorcoppercontainersastheydiscolourwaxandmakeitlooseitssmell.Useun-chippedenamel,galvanizediron,stainlesssteeloraluminiumcontainers.Neverboilwaxas itdamages thewaxand isdangerousaswax isflammable.Use freshcombs recently removed fromhiveswheneverpossible.Alwaysprocessoldcombseparatelyfromnewcombasoldcombislowerquality.Alwaysprocessdarkcombseparately fromlightcombasthiswill reducethevalueof theendproduct.Ensureallequipmentiscleanandwillnotcontaminatethewax.NEVERaddanythingtothebeeswax.Somepeopleputstonesandsandintothesettingbeeswaxtoincreasetheweight.This isunethicalandmostbuyerswillbreakbeeswaxintopiecestocheckthequality.
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There are 2 main methods of wax extraction:-Thehotwaterbathmethod:involvesheatingwaxinwater,whichismuchsaferthanusingheataloneasbeeswaxisveryflammable.
t Breakupoldcombintosmallpiecesandwashitincleanwarmfreshwater.
Fig. 62: Wax extraction with cloth and sticks
t Putinanaluminiumpotandwaterisaddedtocoverthewax.
t Thepotisputonthefireandthemixtureheatedgentlyandstirreduntilthewaxmelts.
t Themixtureisthenstrainedthroughawiremeshorclothbag.
t Theendsoftheclothcanthenbetwistedandthemixturesqueezed.
t Thedebrisremainsinthecloth.
t Thewaxseparatesfromthewaterandrisestothesurface.
t Coverthepotandleaveittocool.
t Liftthesheetofbeeswaxfromthesurfaceofthewater.
t Debrisisscrapedfromthebottomofthewaxcakeonceithashardened.
t Averysimplewaytomeltsmallscrapsofwaxistoplacethemonapieceofmetalfoilandleavetheminthesun.Instrongsunlightthewaxwillmeltandcanbepouredintoacontainer.
t Thesolarwaxmelter:providesasimple,safeandcheapmethodusingtheheatofthesun.
t Theboxwithaglasslidistiltedatanangletocatchthesun.Thesunmeltsthewaxoveraperiodoftime.Themeltermustnothaveanycracksorgapsthatwillencourageheatlossorallowanyrobberbeesorantsinside.
Remember: t Waxshouldnotbestoredinthecombform,asitwillbeeatenbywaxmoth.Howeverputtingthe
containerofwaxoutsideforsomehoursinthesunshineeachdaycankeepthemothsout.
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Fig. 63: Sketch of a solar wax extractor
t Waxblocksmustbestoredinsealedplastic,airtightcontainersandinacooldryplace.
t Waxblocksshouldneverbestorednearpesticidesorchemicalsasthewaxmayabsorbthem.
t Waxshouldbewrappedinplasticornewspaperinordertostoreitforlongperiodsoftimewithoutdamage.Waxcanretainitsqualityandshapeforhundredsofyears.
MODULE 22: MAKING BEESWAX PRODUCTS
IntroductionBeeswaxisgoodforcandlemakingasitburnswithabrightsteadyflame.Beeswaxisthebestsubstanceformakingskinproductssuchasscentedcreamsandantisepticointments.
Learning objectivesBytheendofthesession,participantswillbeableto:-
t Makebodycreams
t Makecandles
Target participants:Existingbeekeepers,extensionserviceproviders,traders,individualsandorganizationsinterestedinsellingbeeswaxproducts.
Suggested number of participants:Amaximumof30persons
Duration:3hours.
MaterialsFlipchartandmaskingtapeorchalkboard,markerpensorchalk,notebooksandpens,Purecleanrenderedbeeswax,cleancandlemoulds(bamboo,cardboard,woodorplasticpipe),soappowderoroil,wick(fromparaffinlamporbraidedcottonstring),bottletops,matchsticksortoothpicks,cookingpotandsmallbowl/tincan,boxofclaysoil,water,fireandfuel,stickforstirring,containersforcream(Suchasfilmcanisters),perfumeorotherflavouringandhandouts.
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Methodst Lecture
t Brainstorming
t Groupdiscussion
t Practicalexercisetomakebodycreamsandbeeswaxcandles
STEPS
Step 1 Writethetitle“MakingBeeswaxproducts”onthechalkboardorflipchart
Step 2Engagetheparticipantstobrainstormonwhatmaterialsareusedformakingdifferentbeeswaxproducts.
Step 3Allocatetheparticipantsin4groupsandassignthemthefollowingtasks:
Group 1: Describethestepsfollowedinmakingbasiccream
Group 2: Describethestepsfollowedinmakingturmericcream
Group 3: Describethestepsfollowedinmakingpropoliscream
Group 4: Describethestepsfollowedinmakingscentedcream
Step 4Inplenary,participantspresentfindings,thetrainerclarifiesandsummarizes,givesoutthehandouts.
Step 5 Practicalexercisefortraineestoparticipateinmakingbeeswaxproducts.
HANDOUT: Making Beeswax Products
CANDLESBeeswaxisgoodforcandlemakingasitburnswithabrightsteadyflameandithasahighermeltingpointthancheapercandles.Thecandlewillremainuprightinhotweatheranddoesnotsmoke.Candlescanbemadesimplyusingboughtcandlemouldsorlocalproductslikeplasticpipe,gourdsorhollowedoutfruit.Alternativelyusearolleduppieceofcardboard(fromasoappacket)fastenedwithrubberbands.Pleasenotethatathickcandlewillneedathickwickbutathincandlewillneedathinnerwick.
Followthesesteps:-
t Smeartheinsideofthepipewithoilorsoap/detergentmixedwithwater.
t Threadthewickthroughthepipe.
t Punchaholeinthemiddleofthebottletop,threadthewickthroughandknotit.
t Coverthebottomofthepipebypushingthepipeontothebottletop.
t Tiethetopofthewicktoamatchstickandensurethewickisinthecenterofthepipe.
t Standthemoulduprightinthefirmsoiltopreventleakage.
t Breakupthewaxandmeltitindirectlyinsideatincanplacedinapotofhotwater.Donotboilthewax.
t Pourthemeltedwaxintothemouldsmakingsurethewickremainsinthemiddleofthepipe.
t Leavethecandlefor2to3daystobecomesolidandthenremoveitfromthelubricatedmould.
t Testthecandlestoensuretheyburnproperly.Varyingthewicksizecanalterhowacandleburns.Ifthewickistoothinthecandlewillgoout.Ifitistoothickthecandlewillburnveryquickly.
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CreamsBeeswaxisgoodformakingcreamsandointments.Addingingredientssuchasturmeric,honeyorpropoliscangivethecreamantibacterialproperties.Addingherbs,gumsorboughtperfumecangivethecreamanicescentofyourchoice.
Tomakethebasiccream,followthesesteps:-
t Heatwaterinthebigpotonthefire.
t Meltthebeeswaxbyplacingitinsidethesmallbowlandplacingthesmallbowlinsidethepot.
t Removefromtheheatandmix1tablespoonorcupofmoltenbeeswaxto4tablespoonsorcupofoilintooneofthesmallbowls.
t Add1tablespoonofanyadditionalingredients.
t Returntoheatandmix.
t Removeandstirituntilitcools.Itshouldhaveacreamyconsistency.
t Spoonitintosmallcontainers.
t Coverimmediately.
Tomakepropoliscream,followthesesteps:-
• Scrapesomepropolisfromyourhiveintoacontainer.
t Addsomewaterandheat.
t Anywaxwillmeltandfloattothesurface.Thepropoliswillsticktothebottom.
t Aftercoolingremovethewax,pouroffthewaterandsavethepropolismassbeneath.
t Placethecontainerinacoolplaceandletthepropolishardenandbecomedryandbrittle.
t Storethepropolisinasealedcontainer.
t Heatwaterinthebigpotonthefire.
t Meltthebeeswaxbyplacingitinsidethesmallbowlandplacingthesmallbowlinsidethepot.
t Removefromtheheatandmix1tablespoonofmoltenbeeswaxto4tablespoonsofoilinasmallbowl.
t Add1tablespoonofpropolisgranules.
t Returntoheatandmix.
t Removeandstirituntilitcools.Itshouldhaveacreamyconsistency.
t Spoonitintosmallcontainers.
t Coverimmediately.
Tomaketurmericcream,followthesesteps:-
t Mix5tablespoonofturmericwith1litreofoil.(Infuseanysmellingherbsorgumsinthesamewayforanalternativecream).
t Leavethemixturefor15daystoallowtheturmericpowdertoinfuseinthecookingoil.Shakethepoteachmorningandevening.
t Strainthestainedoilandthrowawaythepowderdebris.
t Heatwaterinthebigpotonthefire.
t Meltthebeeswaxbyplacingitinsidethesmallbowlandplacingthesmallbowlinsidethepot.
t Removefromtheheatandmix1tablespoonofmoltenbeeswaxto4tablespoonsoftheinfusedoilinasmallbowl.
t Returntoheatandmix.
t Removeandstirituntilitcools.Itshouldhaveacreamyconsistency.
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t Spoonitintosmallcontainers.
t Coverimmediately.
Tomakescentedcream,followthesesteps:-
t Heatwaterinthebigpotonthefire.
t Meltthebeeswaxbyplacingitinsidethesmallbowlandplacingthesmallbowlinsidethepot.
t Removefromtheheatandmix1tablespoonofmoltenbeeswaxto4tablespoonsofoilinasmallbowl.
t Returntoheatandmix.
t Removeandstirituntilitcools.Itshouldhaveacreamyconsistency.
t Addafewdropofperfumeasyouspoonitintosmallcontainers.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012125
CHAPTER FOUR
EXPLANATION OF COMMON BEEKEEPING TERMS
Terms Explanation
Absconding Thisoccurswhenallhoneybeesleavethehiveornest.
Apiary Thesitewhereanumberofcolonizedhivesarekept.
Apiary hygiene Iskeepingapiaryclean.
Apiary inspection Routineobservationofwhatisgoingoninandaroundtheapiary.
Apiculture Thescienceandartofbeesandbeekeeping
Bark hiveIsatypeoftraditionalorlocalhivemadeoutofthebarkoftreeswhichcanbebuiltinacylindricalorothershape.
Basket hive Isawovenhivemadeoutofvariouslocallyavailablematerials.
Bee breadIsaproductofpollenandhoneytomakeadoughstoredasfoodforthebees.
Bee brood Itincludeseggs,larvaeandpupainacomb.
Bee brush Usedtobrushoffbeesfromthehoneycombduringinspectionorharvesting.
Bee calendar Iswhathappensinsidethehiveallyearround.
Bee Forage Plantswhichprovidepollen,nectar,honeydewandpropolisforthecolony.
Bee HouseAhousespecificallydesignedwithholesonthewallsthatareconnectedtothehiveentrances.
Bee keeper’s calendar Isaseriesofactivitiescarriedoutbyabeekeeperduringvariousseasons.
Bee Protective WearUsedtoprotectbeekeepersfromstingsandcomprisesofanoverall,beegloves,beeveilandgumboots.
Bee SmokerIsasimpledevice/toolusedtogeneratesmokeduringhiveinspectionorharvestingtocalmthebees.
Beeswax Waxproducedbyhoneybeesandusedtobuildcombs.
Bee Venom Isapoisonoussubstanceproducedbyworkerandqueenbeesfordefense.
Build-upIsaseasonwhentherearemanybeeforageplantsandtheweatherisfavourable,thecolonyexpands.
Catcher box Isasmallhivewithabout4to5frames/barsusedtotrappassingswarms.
Centrifuge extractor Itisamachineusedtoextracthoneyfromcombs.
CombThisisahangingstructurebuiltbybeesoutofbeewaxusedforrearingbroodandstoringhoneyandpollen.
Comb Knife Usedtocutoffhoneycombfromatopbaroralocalhive.
DearthIsaseasonwhennotmuchnectarisbeingcollectedduetobadweatherandpoorforage.
Frame hiveAhivewhichcontainsframese.g.Langstroth,Dadant,andSmith.Theyallrecognizetheimportanceofbeespaceandusemovable-framesasshowninfigure.
126National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
HiveThisisaman-madecontainerornaturalcavityorhollowinatree/groundmodifiedbymaninwhichacolonylives.
Hive BaitingThisisaactofattractingbeesintoahivebyusingbeattractantssuchasbeeswax,propolisoranyothersuitablematerial.
Hive InspectionOpeningthehiveandobservingwhatisgoingoninsidethehiveandalsowhatisgoingonoutsidethehive.
Hive ToolUsedtoopenthehiveandloosenthebarsorframesthatarestucktogetherwithpropolis.
HoneyAsweetviscousfluidmadebybeesfromNectarorhoneydewandstoredincombs.
Honey Bee ColonyAcolonyisagroupofhoneybeeslivingtogethercomprisingofaqueen,dronesandworkers.
Honey flow Isaseasonwhenmanyplantsprovidenectarandfloweratthesametime.
Honey processing Isthegettingofhoneyoutofthecomb.
Honey Refractometer Aninstrumentusedtomeasurethemoisturecontentofhoney.
Modern processing methods
Usingequipment(Honeypress,Stainlesssteeltanksetc)toprocessthehoney.
NectorThesweetfluidsecretedbynectariesofplantscommonlyinflowersthathelpsattractbeesandistherawmaterialfromwhichhoneyismade.
PropolisIsahiveproductmadebybeesfromresinoussubstancespickedfromplants.Itisusedtosealcracksinthehiveandtoreducehiveentrancewhennecessary.
Pollen Aregrainsproducedbyflowersandareusedasfoodforbees.
Royal jellyNutritioussubstanceproducedbyyoungworkerbeestofeedtheyounglarvaeandqueen.
Siting hive Isplacinghivesinasuitableplace.
Solar wax extractor Equipmentforextractingwaxusingsunshine.
Top Bar HiveAdesignofahivewithbarsontop.Top-barhivesaretransitionalhivesbetweenthetraditionalhivesandtheframehives.
Traditional hiveIsahivewhichismadeoutoflocalmaterialsavailableinanylocatione.g.loghive,claypothives,gourdhives,barkhives,orwoventwigsandmudbaskethives.
Watering bees Thisisprovisionofwaterinanapiary.
Queen Excluder Adeviceforconviningthequeentoaparticularsectionofthehive.
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012127
Appendix
Appendix 1:
The regions and districts where the beekeeping training and extension literature was collected:
Region N0. Districts
Northern and West Nile
1 Nakasongola
2 Lira
3 Adjumani
4 Moyo
5 Yumbe
6 Arua
7 Nebbi
8 Luweero
Eastern
9 Mbale
10 Sironko
11 Kapchorwa
12 Bukedea
13 Soroti
North Western & South Western
14 Masindi
15 Hoima
16 Kibaale
17 Kabarole
18 Kasese
19 Bushenyi
20 Mbarara
21 Masaka
128National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012
Appendix 2:
Attendance list in the retreat to produce the first draft:
S/No. NAMESDISTRICT/ORGANIZATION
DESIGNATIONCONTACT(TEL/E-MAIL)
1 RamseyOwotNakasongolaApicultureCentre
Director0772495672
2 GeorgeAyoOgwalLiraDistrictLocalGovernment
SeniorEntomologist
0772872274
3 KyaligonzaPeterBusiaDistrictLocalGovernment
Entomologist07725552280
4 NdyabaremaRobert TUNADOExecutiveDirector
0712417452
5 AgapitusKatoMukonoDistrictLocalGovernment
SeniorEntomologist
0772985698
6 KabbaleFredrickKamuliDistrictLocalGovernment
Entomologist0772482119
7 KadduJohnWakisoDistrict/KadduJohnBeeEquipments
Technicalpersonnel
0712567395/0784368998
8 KangaveAlice MAAIFPrincipalEntomologist
0712273059
9ButeleCosmasAlfred
MAAIFSeniorEntomologist
0772994665
10 KanyikeCharles NakasongolaSeniorEntomologist
0772340468
11 BisaseG. KampalaFarmer/processor
0712844956
National Bee keeping training and extension manual, 2012129
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