Beekeeping Skills Transfer Training Report

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BEEKEEPING SKILLS TRANSFER TRAINING REPORT
INTRODUCTION
As part of the EbA project deliverables, it helps to create, supports, and strengthens communities’
natural resource-based enterprises to mitigate human impact on the environment as well as develop
income-generating activities to enhance community’s livelihoods in the Gambia.
Climate change have an increasing influence on the stability of the ecosystems and the livelihoods.
EbA aims to assist people to understand these changes, adapt to them, and make the most out of
the new opportunity, while addressing poverty. EbA supports regional EbA programs alongside
its partner institutions, facilitate the exchange of experience, and serve as a regional knowledge
hub for climate resilience. EbA is strengthening networking, capacity building among regional and
national groups. Overall, they are working to develop an economic and environmental sound
ecosystem to improve the living standards of the populations.
Beekeeping is one of the enterprises promoted by EbA as part of component two of the Project.
Beekeeping is a significant sustainable, and environmental sound activity involving integration of
forestry, community development and agricultural supporting activity. It provides medicinal,
nutritional, economic, and ecological balance, while providing employment and income
generation. Gambia has a good potential for beekeeping and to become a major honey exporting
nation. This industry can play key role in protecting the flora and fauna while creating employment
opportunities among the rural mass. EbA is implementing and promote natural resource-based
ecosystem at large extent.
EbA with stakeholders have identified eight participants from each Community Forestry
Enterprise in the four regions: LRR-Dumbuto, CRR South-YBK, CRR North-Bakadagy and URR
North-Yerobawol were the beneficiaries of Beekeeping training. Bee Cause was engaged to train
the individuals in the CFEs in modern beekeeping methods. As part of this assignment, Bee Cause
conducted a 12-day training between 15th March and 26th March 2022 to equip the communities
with the practical technical skills in apiary management to improve their apiaries and increase
production levels. The apiaries are expected to generate income for the communities and function
as deterrents to the destruction of the forest cover.
The participants introduced themselves with fun techniques as icebreaker exercise. Participants
mentioned their reasons for wanting to do the training or one or two of the things they want to
learn.
OBJECTIVES
The training objective is to train beekeepers acquire relevant knowledge in modern beekeeping
techniques, specifically on beehives setup and maintenance, caring for bees and beehives, apiary
management, honey harvesting and storing techniques. Thus, its aim is to promote the importance
of protecting and enhancing climate adaptation both of which are key elements to maintain the
now fragile ecosystem currently under threat.

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The aim is to train individual beekeeper on materials and needed equipment management,
characteristic of a good site selected for beekeeping practice; transferring bees from traditional
beehives to modern beehives; apiary management, bee diseases prevention and pest management;
techniques to control and improve the honey quality; Queen rearing and bee colony multiplication
and improving the value of bee products, especially beeswax. The training has provided the basic
knowledge and skills for beekeepers to be successful entrepreneurs. The main objectives of the
training were:
• To equip the beekeepers with technical skills in apiary management to increase production
levels.
• To provide skills needed to build beehive to mitigate the impact of change.
Trainees were destined to acquired knowledge to fulfill EbA’s mission of strengthening and
enhancing the capacities of local communities in accepting climate change, adapt and stay resilient.
There are factors that need to be considered so that farmers can make the most of the potential of
beekeeping, provide income for families and communities that contribute to the creation of
sustainable and durable natural-based enterprises. The foremost among these challenges is to build
the capacity of participants and other related individuals.
TRAINEES & SCOPE OF WORK
The 120 trainees participated in the training from thirty beekeeping selected enterprise
communities. The participants were train with the intent of building their capacity in their
respective communities. Composition of the CFE beekeeping groups that participated in the
training are adults, men and women equally represented: four females and four males from each
CFE area. It was imperative for participants to understand the importance of beekeeping and have
a knowledge of the status, advantages, and potential of beekeeping, and knowledge about the main
challenges of beekeeping in the region under consideration.
The trainees were trained on how to maintain colonies of healthy bees for pollination and
production of honey, collecting and packaging of all bee products including honey, beeswax, and
making decisions on yards selection, treatment, splits, honey harvesting, and all other beekeeping
activities, building and managing queen rearing operations, ensuring breeding yards are kept at an
optimal level of production, maintaining strict control over diseases and pests, identifying and
reporting hive health concerns, marketing honey products to consumers and preparing colonies for
both production and wintering during season changes.
The trainees were train on how to identify the different bee species and their characteristics and
know the climatic requirements of the different bee species and be aware of promotion and
conservation techniques for bees.
METHODOLOGY
The participants fell in the adult age group and the trainers adopted participatory learning
approach. The course content was presented in a straightforward way to ensure participants’
comprehension. Trainees were involved practical tasks and taught how to collect bee forage,
baiting beehives, making stands, preparing the site for the apiary, and placing the beehives. The

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trainers provided feedback during skills practice sessions. The learner depends on the instructor to
give them feedback to let them know how they are doing, if they are grasping the concepts and
ideas, and for confirmation.
The trainers used up-to-date technical content covering all the basic topics relevant for the
participants level of training in beekeeping. The training approach was participatory nature to
enhance the trainees’ motivation, commitment, and ownership of the process. The trainers used of
simple statements and visual presentations purposely to maximize the effectiveness of the sessions.
The training included short presentations, practical exercises, sharing of case studies, group
discussions, field observations, and discussion and question and answer sessions. The trainers had
an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and able to elaborate on the training material and
answer any questions that arose.
Learning was through sharing experiences with others to give opportunity to the participants to
learn from one another. To consolidate what they have learned, the trainees were given practical
exercises to complete. The participants worked in four groups, and the group was given tasks to
perform while the trainer observed and give directives.
Practical exercises were key method of delivery. The suggested length of each session varies from
45 minutes to 2 hours, with time allowed for participants to interact and discuss in each session.
There was brief review session at the start of each day.
Trainees participated actively and had comments and questions discussed in the formal sessions.
The trainer and trainees had break times (breakfast/lunch) to discuss with individuals and group
additional questions after the sessions. Participants were able to ask any questions.
TRAINING AIDS USED
The trainers used instructional aids saves time and to help trainees learn and makes their job easier.
The teaching aid used are:
• Movable catcher boxes with wax to demonstrate the practical aspect of beekeeping.
• A set of colony inspection and beekeeping equipment.
• Standard registration at the start of Session.
• A flipchart with stand and marker pens,
• Enough seats in the training room for all participants. The training room was set up each.
The seating arrangement must face-to-face interactions among the participants.
HIGHLIGHTS OF TRAINING
There are many factors to consider so that trainees can make the most of the potential of
beekeeping to provide income for families and communities and to contribute to nation
development. The foremost among these challenges is to build the capacity of farmers and other
individuals.
The trainees went through the importance of forage in beekeeping and importance of discussed
floral calendar.

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The trainers encouraged ownership by collaborating with participants to set a ‘code of conduct’
rules and norms for the training to ensure a good atmosphere and make the training more
productive and interesting. The trainers encouraged participants to interaction among themselves.
The participants received training on honeybee life cycle such as queen rearing, colony
multiplication, colony division, disease and pest management, and general apiary management.
Each colony has three distinct types of individuals: queens, workers, and drones and each with a
specific role. To be successful as a beekeeper, you must know the various kinds of adult honeybee,
their division of work, and their behaviours.
The trainer taught the participants about colony management as an integral part of modern
beekeeping and essential for maximizing honey production, colony division to produce other bee
products. There was a lot of emphasis on honey flow period the time when most flowering plants
are available for forage. The honey flow season is especially important for both bees and
beekeepers. This time for increases colony strength, honey production, colony multiplication,
queen production, swarming control, brood disease control, and migration.
REVIEWING PREVIOUS DAY WORK
Starting from the second day, the beginning of each day began with a review of the previous day’s
work, to identify, review and reflect on the key lessons learned. The review session provides an
opportunity:
• For participants to ask for more clarification from the trainers/facilitators.
• It was necessary for trainers to obtain feedback on the training content, training process,
methodology, and materials
• This was necessary for the trainers to discover any issues or problems emerging from each
day’s sessions.
APIARY SITE SELECTION
The preparation of excellent quality honey starts at bee yard. Beekeeping activity should ideally
be located where there are minimum movements of human activities and with extraordinarily little
noise. Forest area is suited with flowering plants naturally grown. Movable wooden frames with
boxes are placed in the best selected locations and these boxes are spread with honey spice to
attract increased honeybees.
Participants went through a practical session on the identification of a good site for beekeeping
and how to establishment a good apiary. There were factors to consider including the presence of
a fresh water supply, accessibility for the beekeepers, availability of food for bees, availability of
shade to shield the bees during the rainy season, hot weather, and good drainage, among others.
Other topics covered during the training included: Life cycle of bees, Colonization and Baiting
Trainees at a selected apiary site in their communities. The trainers did a presentation aimed colony
division, and appropriate conditions and time for dividing a colony.

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BEEHIVE INSPECTION & HYGIENE
It is critical to inspect all hives on a regular basis. This is an important management practice to
determine the presence or absence of established pests in beehives. It is a precautionary measure
for beekeepers to identify any exotic pests that may be in their hives, such as termites. The
following are guidelines for every beekeeper to follow when inspecting hives:
• Inspect the colony at regular intervals.
• Allow sufficient space in the brood and super for brood rearing and honey storage.
• Add new comb foundation so that the bees can make more comb cells for eggs and
collection of nectar and pollen.
• Destroy unnecessary queen cells.
• Remove any combs with unnecessary drone cells.
• Enable good ventilation with full air circulation in the hive.
• Requeen the colony with a quality queen each year.
• Place a queen gate at the hive entrance if there are signals indicating the start of swarming.
• Divide the colony.
Another crucial point is that good biosecurity is the responsibility of the entire beekeeping
community. The presence of a pest or disease in your hives could affect the operations of the
beekeepers. As such all beekeepers, whether commercial or amateur, oblige to conduct regular
inspections.
IMMEDIATE BENEFITS OF THE TRAINING
Training is important because it provides the opportunity for trainees to grow their knowledge base
and improve their job skills to become more effective in the workplace. Despite the cost of training
for employees, the return on investment is immense. The training provides the basic knowledge
and skills for beekeeping.
Training help trainees become more open to change and the threat to the ecosystem. They
developed new skills, gain courage and confidence, and override fear of becoming beekeepers.
They feel more empowered. Beekeepers equipped with training and resources to apply modern
beekeeping techniques to their communities, leading to healthier honeybee populations and
strengthened resistance against varroa infestations.
MARKET FOR THE BEE PRODUCTS
The market for honey is extraordinarily strong. Locally produced honey has increasingly strong
markets. The amount of honey on hand should dictate your marketing strategy. If you do not have
many to sell, the best option by word of mouth with friends and neighbors advertising. It is the
most cost-effective option since it costs next to nothing in the way of marketing and exacts the
highest retail price. Independently owned supermarkets in your neighborhood may be interested
in selling your honey. The demand for honey has increased at a notable pace both domestic and
international. Honey is a pure and natural food, and you do not need a license to package and sell
it, so no sticky legal worries where that is concerned.

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One of the best ways that they can market the honey business is by developing their own brand. A
terrific way to promote honey business is to place an ad in the local newspaper. This will help
provide competition for those that are already selling honey and entice individuals to visit your
honey operations. This is a wonderful way to assess whether people will buy the samples and will
give you valuable feedback that you can use to improve your business.
Virtual Marketing presence should be created for beekeeping enterprises. Using the Internet can
drive honeybee sales. In today’s interconnected world of the Internet and social media can reach
customers, promote your honeybee products, and make sales, all with the clicks of a buttons/mouse
and a little ingenuity.
OBSERVATIONS
There is lack of defined business structure. The poorly designed enterprise structure can bring
about confusion within roles, a lack of co-ordination among functions, failure to share ideas, and
slow decision-making, complexity, stress, and conflict. In other words, there are no benchmarks
in place for certain activities or functions for the enterprises. The business structure they choose
influence everything from day-to-day operations to taxes and how much of their personal assets
are at risk. They should choose a business structure that gives them the right balance of legal
protections and benefits.
There is no organogram or organizational chart to denote the flow of authority. There is a common
believe that organizing a social enterprise is more a question of generating social impact than
income, which puts it at odds with the standard idea of doing business. Therefore, social
entrepreneurship needs a business strategy that goes further than making a profit.
The catcher boxes were poorly designed, constructed and could not fit properly and could cause
bees to go rogue and cross comb between the frames, which can be a real mess to correct. Ill-fitting
clothing and accessories can create an unsafe environment for beekeepers such as lack of
ventilation, or a tight-fitting jacket or overalls, which may lead to stings. The training team, drivers
and participants mobilized to build catcher boxes. The beekeeping is not an organized industry,
and beekeepers are susceptible to opened to exploitation by go-between. The industry need
organization, strengthening to viable and profitability.
There was complete lack of coordination in all aspects of the training, beginning with equipment
delivery, accommodations, transportations, and poor sanitary conditions in the training locations
and mismanagement of the community money allocation in certain instances. A lack of
coordination has caused an increased in suffering and affected productivity, complicate processes.
To coordinate the efforts of an entire process, the organization requires a systematic integration of
the processes that can create accountability.
The issues affecting beekeeping sub-sector in the Gambia are lack of beekeeping knowledge,
shortage of skills labor, shortage of bee equipment, pests and predators, pesticide threat, poor
infrastructure development, shortage of bee forage and quality of bee products are the major
economic impediments for beekeepers.

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Lack of coordination has caused redundancy. Redundancy cost us to spent double the effort in
material time to produce the same item, or perform the same task, twice. Redundancy typically
results from a lack of coordination between various components within the organization, and a
lack of clear responsibilities and functions. Poor planning and coordination are barriers to an
effective organizational strategy. When there is a lack of coordination between management, labor,
and production, delays are causing the organization to become ineffective.
The trainees lack of skills to transfer colony from a traditional to an improved hive at an
unfavourable time of year, without appropriate technology. Consequently, farmers often take long
without visiting their apiaries, exposing the beehives to attack by pests like ants and rodents which
could be the reason for widespread fleeing of bees.
The CFE communities lack the modern beekeeping skills and continued to use the traditional
method of beekeeping. Apiary is non-labor intensive, non-time intensive and can create increased
income streams for the vulnerable inhabitants, especially, women. There is complete lack of
infrastructure, training and resources negatively affects yields and restricts access to market for
honey products.
There is lack of establish a collaborative network of beekeepers to ensure that best practice.
Coordinated action will increase the potential for individual beekeepers to expand their hive
numbers and resources. With the existence of limited alternative livelihood, communities are force
to rely on unsustainable practices, whilst forest and other resources face external exploitation,
leading to habitat destruction.
CONSTRAINTS
The catcher boxes were poorly designed and constructed by the contractor. It could not fit properly
which could cause bees to go rogue and cross comb between the frames, which can be a real mess
to correct. The bee suits were substandard either very large or very small. Ill-fitting clothing and
accessories can create an unsafe environment for beekeepers such as lack of ventilation, or a tight-
fitting jacket or overalls, which may lead to stings. The training team, drivers and participants
mobilized to build the catcher boxes.
The beehives were substandard and exceptionally large to hanged. The team had to work diligent
and tirelessly to dismantled and reconstruct catcher boxes/beehives. There were no ropes available
in the training locations and the team had to travel long distance to buy ropes. The catcher boxes
were transported to separate locations.
The lesson learned during this engagement should give the opportunities for EbA in the future, to
carefully plan and execute training programs with minimal constraints. The approach must be slow
and incremental with the goals of achieving EbA goals of strengthening communities ‘climate
adaptation.
The major constraints that affect beekeeping sub-sector in The Gambia are lack of beekeeping
knowledge, shortage of skills labor, shortage of bee equipment, pests and predators, poor
infrastructure development, shortage of bee forage and lack of research extension. Honeybees must

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deal with habitat loss, diminished food resources because of climate change and weather shifts,
and parasites and that is just the beginning.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Gambia possesses huge honey production potential. Beekeeping can play a significant role in
the national economy of the country as well as for the subsistence farmers. The identified
recommendations are:
• Increasing the productivity, production, and quality of honey by improving the
management of the traditional hives and introducing improved beehives, increasing the
productiveness of bee colonies by improving bee forage, and providing shades, feed and
water and introducing bee plants is especially important.
• Besides, establishing honey and beeswax collection centers or cooperatives and equipping
them with the necessary facilities.
• Efforts should be to alleviate the main constraints that hindered beekeeping development
in the communities.
• Promote beekeeping sub-sector strategy that would be applicable to different Production
systems.
• Product design and packaging. This is the purpose of packaging. Packaging, when done
correctly and creatively would ultimately sell their products. It's more than just putting
logos on packages. It would draw attention, send messages, and make consumers feel a
certain way.
• The target should be individual-based enterprises but not group-based enterprises, for
example, a sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is a business that can be owned and
controlled by an individual. The legal status of a sole proprietorship can be defined as
follows:
➢ It is not a separate legal entity from the business owner
➢ The business owner has unlimited liability (i.e., the business owner is personally
liable for all the debts and losses of the sole proprietorship)
➢ It can sue or be sued in the owner’s name
An organogram is another name for an organizational chart. There should be an organogram that
shows the structure of the organization and how the various positions are related to each other.
This can be used to show the chain of command and relative ranking of various positions in the
enterprises and may include information such as the job titles, names, and areas of responsibility
for the members of the organizations.
More training is needed in value addition to the primary products like honey and wax to diversify
honey products and to generate additional income. It is essential to develop and expand an
intensive capacity-building program for motivated beekeepers, whilst also safeguarding long-term
sustainable benefits to the wider community.
The field offices should organize buyer and seller meet for honey and other beehives products for
making available marketing platform. They should be publishing the monthly reports and quarterly

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reports along with details of Bee products. It would be essential to supply floral colanders to
facilitate beekeepers for migrating their colonies.
It is essential to have the proper protective equipment when journeying into beekeeping. No one
enjoys being stung by bees. Proper fitting bee suit, veil, and gloves are needed to ensure safety
from those pains.
There should be a business structure in place. Selecting a business structure is one of the most
important decisions business owners make. Business structure affects safety of personal assets,
taxation, and smooth continuation of the business upon ownership change. Businesses require
structure to grow and be profitable, otherwise you'd have people pulling in all sorts of different
directions. Another importance of organizational structure in business is that it defines the formal
way in which work, and people are grouped into units. It follows the value chain.
There should be implementation of control measures to increase coordination and to reduce
redundancies. The communication must be as direct as possible to minimize the chances of
misinterpretation. To ensure proper co-ordination, the following communication channels must be
used: verbal relay of information, and written reports documentation simultaneously.
There should be change in basic assumptions to a new development approach. EbA should
collaborate with its partners and communities in identifying potential individual beekeeping
candidates for support in the most sustainable, useful to equipment and increase the honey value
chain. Collaborative network in needed to motivate primary beekeepers’ and promote ‘Train the
Trainer’ capacity-building.
Women should be mobilized in this culturally society in sensible way, ensuring that male
beneficiaries feel supported and not displaced by mutually beneficial activities alongside partner
organizations.
In rural Gambia, beekeepers require more than the basic distribution of resources to modernize
hives; due to a knowledge gap on using such hives and a lack of available replacement parts and
equipment. A simplified version of the Langstroth modern beehive can be built from local sources,
sustainable materials and it does not require investment in expensive additional equipment.
REQUIRED FOLLOW-UP ACTION
Supporting the processing and quality control parameters, branding, marketing should be tie up
together. They are lacking in the existing system of distribution of bee boxes to individual
beneficiaries. Further, action is necessary to expand the existing Beekeeping activities by forming
“cluster mode” to ensure assured income generation and impact livelihoods as well as continuous
production of honey and other products.
Maintaining data base and details of beneficiaries assisted under EbA with their detailed data
uploaded on a web portal to be operationalized specifically for beekeeping program. Conducting
field survey for identifying potential beekeepers and beekeeping sites. Preparation of short films
on beekeeping for utilization in awareness/training/workshops and to disseminate beekeeping

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technologies to the field. Development of Value added is key in increasing the earning of the
beneficiaries involved in this area.
Co-ordination is needed to prevent the repetition of the past failures. As this would bring about
cohesion, motivation and persuade individual task performers to have an identity of interests and
outlook in group efforts. To achieve leadership must guide and co-ordinate the activities of all
stakeholders. There should clear-cut procedures that are well-known to all persons concerned to
ensure coordination. It regulates the flow of work, co-ordinates the efforts of the subordinates in
the organization.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The training delivered the most needed skills for the participants. However, training could only
contribute 25% to the success of beekeeping. The 75% is dependent on the beekeepers’
commitment to putting knowledge and skills gained into practice. Given that this was the first
major engagement with the beekeepers in the four regions, there is need for continued support to
the beekeepers including those not trained under this project in order increase production and
encourage group marketing in the entire sub county. EbA can do this through consulting with other
partners and encouraging EbA to support the beekeepers through revenue sharing that would
increase honey production to commercial levels. It offers a way for those with few resources
especially rural farmers and women to gain income, as it requires only a small startup investment,
and can be set in a small space close to the house and yields profits within a first year of operation.
CONCLUSION
The training delivered the most needed skills for the participants, who had never received any
training. However, the success of the training dependent on the CFEs commitment to putting
knowledge and skills gained into practice. Given that this was the one of the major engagements
with the beekeepers in the regions, there is need for continued support to the communities
including those not trained under this project to increase production and encourage group
marketing. This is through consultation with other partners and encouraging EbA to support the
beekeeping communities through training.
SUMMARY OF TRAINING CONTENT
Expectations of the Trainees
• History of beekeeping
• Dividing colony
• Hiving a swarm
• Siting hives in an apiary
• Transporting hives
• Taking starter strips
• Preparing beeswax products
• Removing, extracting, and processing honey for market
• Removing old combs

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• Storing drawn combs
• Seasonal calendar
• Catcher boxes construction and maintenance
• Diagnosing the brood pattern (condition of queen, diseases, workers, Drone, and pests)
• Identifying bee diseases and pests and their control
• Controlling swarming
• Switching colonies to equalize populations
• Rearing queens by simple methods
• Protecting bees from insecticides
• Providing water for bees
• Manipulating colonies for seasonal management
• Acquiring protective clothing
Learning Apiary management techniques
• Pests and how to control
• Increasing honey production
• Adding value to bee products
• Other bee products apart from honey
• Making money in beekeeping
• The different bee products gotten in the hive
• Harvesting different bee products
• Getting protective wear and hives
History of beekeeping
History of beekeeping and introduction of beekeeping in the Game reserve. Current beekeeping
practice is in the project area. Importance of beekeeping
• Pollination from food crops and plants.
• Requires low investment.
• Income generation through sale of the bee products; honey, propolis, wax, Pollen, Royal
jelly, bee venom.
• Control of elephant invasion on crops and communities.
• Environmental conservation - conserving the natural vegetation but as well as planting bee
forage.
• Promotion of bee keeping skills that leads to employment opportunities in various stages
of the honey value chain.
Bee Products Primary
Bee Products and Uses Honey as Medicinal purposes, Raw material for other secondary products
like Sugar in tea & juice, Soap, making candles, Shoe polish - Wood vanish - Baiting /attracting
bees in the hives.

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Treatment of various illnesses like arthritis and boosting immunity Pollen. Its rich in protein Royal
Jelly. Bee Biology include communication Bee Lifecycle. The different bee caste in the hive and
their roles Queen - It lays eggs 1000-2000 per a day. It is the only female that lays eggs in the hive.
Life span for the queen is 5 years Workers -The worker bees do all the work in the beehive.
• Security at the entrance
• Building combs
• Nursing and feeding young bees
• Collecting nectar, water, and pollen
• Cleaning the hive
Beehive is estimated to have over thirty thousand bees with one queen and drones between 100-
500 Communication in bees.
Types of Hives Advantages and Disadvantages Local hives
Advantages
Cheap; readily available materials; produce more propolis Disadvantages: Easily affected by the
pests; not durable (last for less than 5years) and Kenya top bar hives Advantages: according to
research, KTB Last for over 10 years; not so expensive compared to Langstroth produce all bee
products.
Disadvantages
Fairly costly for the CFE community; honey and pollen are all in one box; produce low quantities
of hives/frame hives It requires an extractor to harvest honey which is quite expensive; the hive is
so expensive.
Factors considered in site selection
• Near fresh water supply; not contaminated water
• Easy for the beekeeper to reach and work
• Near food sources for bees
• On high ground so water would drain
• Not in wet swampy ground or humid place because it makes it difficult to ‘mature’ the
honey
• Windbreak to prevent the hives been impressed by the wind
• Shady place during hot weather
• Away from floods and open fires
• Near the beekeeper’s house to discourage theft
• Away from areas heavily sprayed with insecticides Liken
• Away from people, animals.
• Hive setting and placement of hives Colonization

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Reasons for Absconding and examples
• Pests
• Weather conditions
• Disturbances by people Reasons for Swarming
• Old queen and emerging young queen
• Space narrowing in the hive
• Population increment
Hive inspection Practical session in the Apiary Day 3
The trainers evaluated and assessed trainees on the identification of pests in the beehives and
Control measures. Some pests were identified by the trainees. Control measures Harvesting Kit
Practical use of the bee protective wear (Bee suits, gloves, smoker, hive tool, airtight buckets, and
bee brush.
Bee keeping Business and cost benefit analysis Theory: Consider beekeeping as a business, as the
benefit outweighing the cost.
PESTS AND PEST CONTROL
According to the trainers, all insects have almost got similar solutions to counter their
destructiveness. The common control measures used by beekeepers are:
• Fresh ash to control crawling pests like ant, grease on the stands of the hives to prevent
small and big ants, old car oil at the base of the poles to prevent termites.
• Destroying ant nests.
• Flying insects like beetles, moth, and wasps require a well build hive with only entrance
hole which should be 8mm diameter.
• Regular inspection and destroying affected combs. Regular smoking with a bit of tobacco
as fuel before the honey flow season.
• The apiary should be clean with short grass with no littering of old or broken comb.
• A strong colony can encounter the following challenges: Small black ants, Spiders Wax,
moth Hive, Beetles, Termites, Wasp, and Cockroaches.
• Use of traps for honey badger which is quite common in Dumbuto.
• Fence the apiary and train beekeepers with good beekeeping practices.
• Regular inspection to kill any for rats
• Sensitize the surrounding community.