Beekeeping: How To Keep Bees and Process Honey
Beekeeping: How To Keep Bees and Process Honey
Beekeeping: How To Keep Bees and Process Honey
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1.4.1 Baiting a swarm feather;
• Use a small hive that has already been • cut away combs and honey, leaving about
inhabited by bees and fill it with frames 1 cm of comb on the bar;
or top bars; two of the frames should • place capped honey in a clean, dry
contain combs and the others should container and cover;
have foundation sheets or strips of old • leave at least eight combs for the bees;
comb. and
• Place the hive in a tree or on a roof in • before closing hive, push the unripe combs
such a way that there is some protection next to the combs with brood and place
from the wind. harvested bars behind these.
• Place the hive in its desired place the See Table 1 for possible complications.
very day that the swarm has taken 2.1 Honey processing
occupation of it.
• Baiting is useful only in the swarming To process Honey follow the following
season, usually at the beginning of the steps:
dry season and end of a cold season. • Use a hot rod or knife to de-cap the
1.4.2 Capturing a swarm honeycombs (by passing it over the
combs).
You may capture a newly settled swarm • Place the de-capped comb on a piece
around a branch of a tree, but make sure of fine white linen tied over the top of
you wear protective clothing. a plastic container. The de-capped side
• First sprinkle cold water over the bees should face downwards.
with a brush or spray bottle to stop them • Let the honey drip through the cloth until
from moving away. the cells are empty.
• Hold a small hive without frames, a • Turn over the comb and repeat the above
basket or a box under the swarm. process.
• Drive the bees into the hive with a bee • Pack honey in clean, dry jars with well-
brush or smoke. sealed lids. Label with date harvested and
2. Honey harvesting store in a cool place.
For traditional and top-bar hives, harvest 2.2 Keeping records
once or twice a year. For the Langstroth hive, It is important to keep records during
harvest three or four times a year. each hive inspection in order to follow the
Steps for honey harvesting: progress of each colony and monitor its
condition. Hives should be inspected two to
• wear protective clothing: overall, veils, three-times a month. Entries may be made
gloves, boots; under the following headings: hive number,
• light the smoker; date hive occupied, date of inspection,
• gently open the hive; observation, yield in kilogrammes.
• select combs that are two-thirds sealed
full of honey; 3. Case study
• avoid combs with brood; Asaf Ayatuhaire, from Bushenyi District
• lift comb, blow smoke on both sides and in South Western Uganda, has more than
gently brush bees back into hive with a 100 beehives of different types. With an
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Table 2: What can go wrong