A Guide To Lucrative Bee Keeping In Kenya

Bee keeping is one of the most traditional activities that has been practised in Kenya since time immemorial. But come to think of it, why is the activity still booming even in this century? As of 2021, Kenya was the 4^th highest honey producer in Africa after Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Angola.

Bee Harvesting.

Apiculture, which is the practise of bee keeping, involves the maintenance of bee colonies in hives for production of honey and products such as wax, bee pollen and royal jelly. To better understand the practise of bee farming in Kenya, we shall need to answer some of the most asked questions on bee keeping in this article.

What do you need to start a profitable bee farm in Kenya?

With the modernized technology, bee keeping has become easier than it was many years ago. However, starting a profitable bee farm in Kenya requires careful planning and investment. Some of the essential elements are:

1.    Knowledge and training

Any aspiring bee farmer should purpose to gain expertise through training programs on bee keeping to understand the basics of the whole practise, to understand the bee species, their behaviour, and the common challenges in this sector. Africanized honeybees are more defensive than European bees and therefore, it’s important to receive proper training and handling techniques that are crucial to manage them effectively and safely.

2.    A good location/ Apiary set up

An aspiring beekeeper should choose a suitable location for bee keeping. A suitable location for bee keeping should be a place that is less disturbed, far from noise or human activities with access to forage and water sources. A beehive should be located near high producing nectar plants like sunflower, bananas, lavenders, legumes, pumpkins, flowering broccoli etc.

3.    Hive and Hive equipment

Hive Equipment.

Starters in bee farming need high quality hives that are strong and durable to house their bees. The hives should be simple, easy to maintain and easily accessible for hive inspection and honey harvesting. Other equipment that a bee farmer should have include a pair of gloves, uncapping fork that is effective for removing comb caps without damaging the comb and a bee suit that is meant to offer maximum protection from bee stings.

4.    Best honeybee breeds

There are many different bee species in the world but the best bees for bee keeping are often bee species that can easily adapt to local conditions. In Kenya, the best bees for beekeeping are African honeybee subspecies with the most common being Apis Mellifera Scutellate, a type of Africanized honeybee.

Apis Mellifera Scutellate bee.

African honeybees are well adapted to the local climate and environmental conditions in Kenya, they show resistance to certain pests and diseases, they have very high honey productivity, and they can perfectly survive even during challenging conditions.

How many bee hives per acre?

The ideal number of bee hives per acre depends on a combination of ecological and economic factors. It’s often a balance between maximizing production and ensuring the well-being of the bees as well as the surrounding environment. The number of hives per acre depend on factors such as:

§  The beekeeping methodology

The approach to bee keeping, whether it’s traditional, modern, or commercial can influence hive density. Traditional methods may have fewer hives per acre compared to modern or commercial setups.

§  Ecological Conditions

The environment, the floral resources influence the number of hives to be set up greatly. Areas with abundant nectar and pollen sources are likely to have higher hive densities.

§  Bee species

The type of bees being kept can impact how many hives can be sustained in an acre due to factors such as foraging, bee aggressiveness, nectar and pollen preferences and colonization patterns.

§  Beekeeper Expertise

The skill and the expertise of the beekeeper matters when considering the number of hives to set up in an acre. A knowledgeable and experienced beekeeper can manage more hives efficiently.

Proper and Safe ways of harvesting honey

Honey harvesting should be done with care to ensure both beekeeper safety and bee health.

Honey harvesting should be done when the comb is almost fully capped. The harvester should be wearing the appropriate attires such as a bee suit, gloves, and a veil to minimise the risk of stings.

During harvesting, a beekeeper can perform smoking to calm the bees and reduce aggression to make the process safer. Uncapping fork should be used to gently remove bees from frames without destroying the combs. A honey harvester should leave enough honey in the hive for the bees to sustain themselves, especially during the colder months.

Importance of bee keeping

Beyond the sweet taste of honey, bee farming in Kenya has far-reaching implications, impacting livelihoods, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture. Some of the various advantages of bee farming include:

§  Honey production

Bee keeping is a primary source of honey production. Honey is a valuable, natural sweetener with diverse uses and has potential economic value.

§  Pollination

Pollination is a vital ecological process that facilitates the reproduction of flowering plants. Bee keeping enhances crop pollination, improving yields for various fruits, vegetables, and cash crops. This also contributes to plant diversity and maintains an ecosystem balance.

§  Food security

Increased pollination results in better crop production, contributing to food security for both local consumption and potential export.

§  Income Generation

Bee keeping provides a sustainable source of income for communities through the sale of honey, wax, and other bee-related products.

§  Medicinal benefits

Bee products such as propolis and royal jelly, have medicinal properties hence adding a health-related dimension to bee keeping.

Due to the country’s diverse flora and the climatic advantage, the future of bee farming is very promising with the market highly increasing domestically and internationally.