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Funded by:-THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA
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.
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.
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eggs.Shelivesforthreetofiveyears. It isverydifficulttofindthequeenbutshecanberecognizedbyherlongandslenderbodyandshortwings.Sheisfedbytheyoungworkersandisbiggerthantheotheroccupantsduetomassivefeedingespeciallywithroyaljelly.Shehasastingthatisonlyusedagainstrivalqueens.Herpheromonesorscentsservetocontroltheotherbeesandharmonizethecolony’sbehaviour.
The WorkersMostofthebeesinthehiveareworkers-theyareallsterilefemales.Theworkerbees’changetasksaccordingtoage.Youngworkerbeescleanthehive,feedbothyoungandtheQueenandmakethebeeswaxcombs.Theycontrolthetemperatureofthehivebyflappingtheirwingsandalsoguardthehive.Olderworkersscoutforfoodandcollectthepollen,nectar,waterandpropolis.Theyhaveastingplusspecialglandsandorganstohelpthemtodefendthecolonyagainstenemies.Theworkersarealsoresponsibleforthehoneyformationprocess.
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).
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.
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HAND OUT: The importance of BeekeepingBeekeepingisthescienceandartofkeepingbeesusingbestpractices.Beekeepingisveryimportant,fortheproductionofhoney,beeswax,propolis,pollen(beebread),royaljellyandbeevenom;forfood,medicineandincome.Beekeepingisalsoimportantforpollinationandrecreationalactivities.
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.
Beeproductsareused in thetreatmentofmanyhumanailments.Forexample,beevenom isanimportantremedyformanyailmentssuchasArthritis,Parkinsondiseaseandotherdiseasesrelatedtothenervoussystem.Thevenomcanbeobtainedthroughbeestings.
(ii) Allthenecessaryinputsandtechnologiesrequiredforbeekeepingareavailablelocally.Somemaybewastedifbeesarenotkept,e.g.pollenandnectarfromfloweringplants.
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.
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
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(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.
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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.
Top bar (transitional) hivesTop-barhivesareboxeswithaseriesofbarsarrangedsidebysidealongthetop.Beesareencouragedto construct their combs from theundersides of these top-bars. Top-bars enable thebeekeeper to liftindividualcombsoutofthehiveforinspection.Combscontainingunripehoneyorbroodcanbereplacedandthosecontainingripehoneycanberemovedforharvest.
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
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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
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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.
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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
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l Thebeebrushshouldbemadeofsoftnaturalfibree.g.sisalfibre.Onecanalsousebirdquillfeatherorverysoftleavesorgrassprovidedtheyareclean.
l Thehiveopenerismadeoutofflatironbarof6mmthickness,widthof25mmandlengthof24cm.Thehiveopenerissharpenedatbothendsbutcurvedatoneendandshouldbepaintedwithrustproofpainttoavoidcontaminationofhoneywithcorrosionandrustingwithhoney.
Fig 24: Bee brushes
Fig 25: Hive openers
Fig 26: Knife
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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.
t Thesidesofthehiveshouldbeatanangletoapproximatethecurveofthecombsthatthebeeswillnaturallymake(thislimitstheinclinationofthebeestoattachthecombtothesidewalls).
t Allsurfacesneedtobesmoothandalljointsfreefromcracksandgaps.
t Make6-8smallroundortriangularshapedholesatoneendofthehivenearthebottomastheentrance:8-10mmindiameter.
t Thetopbarsrequirecriticalmeasurementsanduniformityandmustbe32mmor1.24incheswide.
t Putastriporgroovealongthecentreofthetopbars,ontowhichbeeswaxisplacedtoencouragecombformationandbait.
t Thishiveshouldholdbetween20to33topbarspackedtightlyinthehivewithnogaps.
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.
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Using the solar wax extractor1. Themelterisplacedinasunnyspot.Theboxistiltedatanangletocatchthesun.
2. Combsareplacedonthemetalsheet.Thesheetshouldnotbepainted,aspaintcontainslead,whichcancontaminate thewax.Themeltercanbeused to renderoldcombs,cappingsandotherhivescrapings.
IntroductionAnapiary is the locationofbeehivesorbeecolonies inhives.Apiarymanagement is thesetofroutineactivities inanapiarydependingonweatherorseasonalchangesandthe initialobjectivesofsetup. Itis important for a beekeeper to knowanduseGoodAgricultural Practices (GAPs) in his/her apiary formaximumyieldsandqualityproducts.
HAND OUT: Apiary ManagementThelocationofhoneybeecolonies(beehives)iscalledanapiary.Beehivesarehollowcontainersthatcanbeclosedandarepurposelymadetohousebees,andtheseinclude:
a. Traditionalhiveswithfixedcombse.g.loghivesandwovenhives.
b. Topbarhiveswithmovablecombse.g.KenyaTopBar(KTB)hives.
c. Modernframehiveswithmovablecombse.g.Langstroth.
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.
Hive Hanging t Hanghivesusingstronggreasedgalvanizedwirestoprotectthebeesfrompests.
t Hanghivesinorunderwell-shadedtrees.
t Suspendhivesfromwiressothatpredatorssuchasthehoneybadgercannotpushthemover.
t Rememberalwayswhenhanginghivesthatitisimportanttoallowforeaseofharvesting.Honeyqualityisimprovedbycarefulharvestingwhichiseasierwhenthehiveiswithineasyandcomfortablereach.
t Usetreesorsolidpolestohangthehive.
t Thehivesshouldbehungatwaistheightabovetheground.Thisisimportantinmodernbeekeepingas thebeekeeperwearsabeesuitmakingclimbingdifficult.Traditionalhivesareusuallyhung intrees.
t Placehivestoallowyoutoapproachthehivesfrombehind.
t Placinghivesonstandsmakesthemaccessibleandeasytoharvestandmanage.
t Rememberthestandshouldbesturdyandhighenoughforthehivetobeatwaistheight.
t Thelegsofthestandmustbeplacedincansofusedengineoiltopreventpestssuchasantsgettingintothehive.Alternativelyputbandsofgreasearoundthelegsandspreadashesaroundthestandtodiscouragegrassgrowth.
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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.
XI. Thesebeeswillbecomeanewcolony.Mostoftheadultbeeswillremainintheoldhiveandcontinuetomakehoney.
XII. Thebeeswilllookafterthequeencellsinthenewcolonyandanewqueenwillhatchout.Thefirstqueentohatchoutwilldestroytheotherqueencell.
XIII. Waituntildarkthenmovethenewhivetoasiteatleast2kmsfromtheoldsiteifpossible.
XIV. Ifyoudon’thaveaplacetoputthenewdividedcolony2kmsawaythenyoumustmovebothhives1meithersideoftheoldlocation.Thiswillensurethatsomereturningbeesgointotheoldhiveandsomeintothenew.
XV. Youwillneedtofeedthebeesinthenewhive,astheywillnotknowwheretogoandgetfoodintheirnewplace.Asmallcolonycanbecomeweakveryquickly.
XVI. Ifyouseethequeenorbroodafter4weeksthenthishasnowbecomeanestablishedcolony.
XVII. Ifyouobservebeescollectingpollenafter twoweeks, this isan indicationthatanewqueenhasemergedinthathive.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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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.
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
Target Participants:Existing beekeepers, extension service providers, individuals and organizations interested in pest anddiseasecontrolandqualityhoneyharvesting.
Suggested Number of Participants:Amaximumof30persons
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.
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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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HAND OUT: Catching a SwarmAswarmisacolonyofbeesclusteredintheopenandlookingforanewhome.Aswarmingcolonyiseasytocatch.Abeekeepercancapturetheswarmandplaceitintoatemporaryorpermanenthive.Aswarmhasabetterchanceofstayinginitsnewhiveifitiscapturedandintroducedbetweenthebeginningandthepeakofamainnectarflow.Otherwisetheywon’tsettleeasilyandmayabscondsoonaftertheintroductionintoahive.
(ii) Useyoursmokerandbeeveilandsuitwhencatchingaswarm,assomeswarmsmaybehungryanddifficulttomanage.Generallyswarmingbeesaredocileastheyhavenobroodtoprotectbutalwaysbecarefulwithstrangebees,astheymaybeaggressive!Keepyoursmokeralightnearbyincaseyouneedit.
Trapping swarms in catcher boxesYoucanalsousespecialbaithivesorcatcherboxestocatchswarms.Thesearelikeminishorttopbarhiveswithabout4bars-butboxes,basketsorgourdsmayalsobeusedasbaithives.
The steps of trapping a swarm in a swarm box:-(i) Afewpiecesofemptycomb(withoutbroodordeadbrood)takenfromanestablishedcolonyand
(ii) Theideallocationstositebaithivesarethesameasthosewhereanapiarycouldbesetup.Itshouldbehunginatreeclosetotheplacewhereyouwanttoputthetopbarhive.Insomeareas,swarmsflyalongthesamerouteduringthesameseasoneachyear.Theseroutesmakegoodlocationsforbaithives.Youmayfindouttheroutesbyaskinglocalpeopleorbeekeepers.
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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
(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.
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.
t Weakeningthestrongcolonycanpreventitsurgetoswarm.Destroyallthequeencellsinthecolonythenswitchthehivelocationwithaweakercolony.Theforagingbeesfromthestrongcolonywillreturntotheoriginalsiteofthehiveandstrengthentheweakcolony.Youmayalsogivebroodcomb(withoutbees)fromthestrongcolonytoaweakercolonyandthusweakenthestrongone.Artificiallyswarmingthebeesforswarmcontrolbymakingadivision
t Makingdivisionsisalsoagreatwaytoincreaseyourcoloniesbutalwayschoosethemostproductiveanddocilecolony.Bydividingityouarespreadingitsgoodgeneticcharacteristics.
The steps of dividing a colony:-(i) Prepareyournewhivefirst–cleanitandbyrubitwithsomebeeswaxorpropolissoitsmellsfamiliar
(ii) Leavethiscolonyfor24hrs,theywillnowbemissingthequeenandreadytoacceptanewone.Theywillalsobelesslikelytofightastherewillbenosmellonthemofthedeadqueenafter24hours.
(iii) Intheeveningcatchandcagethequeenfromtheothercolonyinaqueencageandplacethehiveneartothequeenlesscolony.Youwillhavetomoveitslowlyandgraduallyoveranumberofdays(1mperday)soasnot to loseany foragingbees.Alternativelyalwayschoosethe locationof thestrongercolony.
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:-
HAND OUT: FEEDING OF BEESBeesdonotneedtobefedregularlylikeotherlivestock.Aslongasthereareflowersthenbeeswillfeedthemselves.Youcanwastealotofmoneybuyingsugartofeedbeeswhenyouneeditforyourselfandyourfamily.Itistimeconsuming,messyandexpensive.Buttherearesomeoccasionswhenitisimportanttofeedbees:-
(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!
(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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(ii) Placethefeederbottleclosetotheclusterofbeessothattheywillfinditquickly.Oncethefirst2or3beesfindthesyrupthewordsoongoesaroundandtherewillbeasteadymovementofsyrupoutofthefeeder.Removethefeederbottleassoonasitisempty.
(iii) Itisbettertoplacethefeedattheoppositesideofthehivefromtheentrancewhichwillmakeiteasier for thebees toprotect fromrobberbees.Ensuresure thatonly thebees in thehivehaveaccesstothesyrup.
IntroductionAnumberofbeepests,predatorsanddiseasesoccurandaffect toa significantdegree thehealthandproductivityofbeecoloniesworldover. It is thereforevery important toknowthedifferentbeepests,predatorsanddiseasesthatmayoccurinyourareaandhowtocombatthem.
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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.
European Foul Brood:Thisbacteriumaffectstheunsealedbrood.Itcauseslarvaetodieandseemto‘meltdown’inthecells.Theyturnbrownandcauseasoursmellinthehive.Combsareremovedandnewcombsareaddedfromunaffectedcolonies.Thequeeniscagedforafewdayssoworkerscanremovediseasedlarvaeandthenreleased.
American Foul Brood:Thisbacteriumcausesbeestodieinthelarvaeorpupastage.Itisveryseriousandverycontagious.Cappingsareindented,thesealedbroodbecomessunkenanditlookslikethereisglueinthecells.Thebroodnestbecomesirregularandthereisasmellofglueinthehive.Allbeesandtopbarsmustbeburntandthehivescorchedandwashed.Donotfeedhoneyorexchangetopbarsandcombs.RememberdonotimportbeesandusedbeekeepingequipmentsintoUganda.
Nosema:This isadiseaseofadultbees that causespoorbroodnestdevelopmentand isoftenaccompaniedbydiarrhea.Youwilloftenseeyellowdiarrheaoutsideandattheentranceofthehive.Ithastobedetectedbymicroscopeandtreatedwithmedicines.
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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MODULE 17: MAKING BIO-PESTICIDESBiopesticidesareorganicsubstancesusedasalternativestopesticidestodeterandeliminatecroppests,especiallyinsects.Farminginvolveswideuseofpesticidesthatalsokillbeesandmakebeekeepingimpossibleiftheyaresprayedheavilyinbeeforageareas.Itisthereforeadvisablethatfarmerslookforalternativeinsecticidessuchasbiopesticides.
HAND OUT: Making Bio-pesticidesBiopesticidesareorganicsubstancesusedasalternativestopesticidestodeterandeliminatecroppests,especiallyinsects.Farminginvolveswideuseofpesticidesthatalsokillbeesandmakebeekeepingimpossibleiftheyaresprayedheavilyinbeeforageareas.Itisthereforeadvisablethatfarmerslookforalternativeinsecticidessuchasbiopesticides.
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.
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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
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.
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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.
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.
How royal jelly is collectedItneedsspecializedequipmentandrefrigeration.Themethodinvolvesremovingthequeenfromthehivesothebeesmakenewqueencells.Whenthequalityandthequantityoftheroyaljellyareatitspeak,thebeekeeperextractsthequeenbeelarvaewithtweezersandremovestheprecioussubstancebysuction.250-500gcanbecollectedfromeachhiveeveryyear.Itmustbekeptbelow4degreescentigradefromthe
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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.
Applyingbeevenommedicinallycanbeeasy.Thisisdonebyholdingbothofthebee’swingsandapplying thetipof theabdomen to thepainful areaandallowing thebee to sting thearea.Thebeethendiesasthestingisleftintheskin.Thenumberofstingsandlengthoftreatmentrequireddependsonhowoldandseverethediseaseis.Howeveritmustberememberedthatitisdangeroustostingpeoplewhoareallergictobeestings.Alwaysaskthepersonfirstiftheyareallergictobeestings.Asmall,localizedswellingwithrednessisnormal.Itchingalloverthebodyandshortnessofbreathisnot.
How to collect bee venomAnelectricshockmethodisusedtostimulatethebeestostingacollectorframeorclothwhereitdriesandisthenscrapedoff.Thispowderisverydangeroustohandleanditmustbefreeze-driedandprotectedfrommoistureandlight.Ifdonecorrectlyitcanbecollectedwithoutkillingthebees.
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.
Step 2Introduce the topic and engage theparticipants to brainstormonwhatmaterials bees use formakinghoneyandwhydifferenthoneyshavedifferenttastesandsmells.
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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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.
NOTE: Honeyshouldbeprocessedinaspacewherebeescannotenter(allopeningsmustbeclosedwithfinewiremesh).Itisalsopossibletoworkintheevening.Youcanalsospinhoneyinatentwhichsealswellwiththegroundsothattherearenogaps.Ifnecessaryyoucanstorewell-cappedframesinawell-sealedcontainer.Ifyourhoneycontainstoomuchwater,youcandryyouruncappedhoneybymakingachimneyof thehoney supers andblowingair through themwith a ventilator. If youplacenewspapersontheflooroftheroomyoucaneasilyremovespilthoney.
Honeyisasupersaturatedsolutioni.e. itcontainsmoredissolvedsubstancethanthesolventcannormallyretain insolutionatanyspecifictemperature.Such a solution is unstable and will in time revert to the stable saturatedconditionbycrystallizingtheexcesssolute.
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%).
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 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.
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For largeramountsofwaxanopenboxmaysimplybe linedwithtin foil andplaced in thedirect sun.Anothersimplemethodistoplaceawiremeshacrossthetopofabucketandplaceitinthehotsun.Themeshwillseparatethecocoonsfromthemeltingwax,whichcanthenbestrainedthroughacloth.
The hot water bath method:Thismethodinvolvesheatingwaxinwateroverfire.Thisismuchsaferthanusingheataloneasbeeswaxisveryflammable.
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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t Waxshouldnotbestoredinthecombform.Combsshouldbeprocessedquicklyastheybecomebrittle.Inadditioncombsmaybeeatenbywaxmoth.Howeverputtingthecontainerofwaxoutsideforsomehoursinthesunshineeachdaycanhelpkeepthemothsout.
t Waxblocksmustbestoredinsealedplastic,airtightcontainersandinacooldryplace.
t Waxblocksshouldneverbestorednearpesticidesorchemicalsasthewaxmayabsorbthem.
t Waxshouldbewrappedinplasticornewspaperinordertostoreitforlongperiodsoftimewithoutdamage.Waxcanretainitsqualityandshapeforhundredsofyears.
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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
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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Royal jellyNutritioussubstanceproducedbyyoungworkerbeestofeedtheyounglarvaeandqueen.
Siting hive Isplacinghivesinasuitableplace.
Solar wax extractor Equipmentforextractingwaxusingsunshine.
Top Bar HiveAdesignofahivewithbarsontop.Top-barhivesaretransitionalhivesbetweenthetraditionalhivesandtheframehives.
Traditional hiveIsahivewhichismadeoutoflocalmaterialsavailableinanylocatione.g.loghive,claypothives,gourdhives,barkhives,orwoventwigsandmudbaskethives.
41. Polanda, R. O.(2009).BeekeepingTrainingNotes.AdjumaniLDG;Adjumani-Uganda.
42. Progressive Interventions().AnintroductiontoBeekeeping:Designed for extension workers to promote beekeeping as a commercial activity.Mogadishu-Somalia.