 HOME
ABOUT
APICONSULT
WHY
BEEKEEPING
NEWS
AND ARTICLES
BEEKEEPING
RESOURCES
FOR
SALE & WANTED
SPONSOR A BEEKEEPER
GALLERY
USEFUL
LINKS
BEEKEEPING
FORUM
|
Bee Houses Benefit Kenyan Beekeepers
One of the simple technologies being promoted by the Baraka
Agricultural College/SHDI beekeeping outreach project in Kenya is the use
of bee houses by beekeepers.
These houses can be very simply constructed out of mud, sticks, poles
and grass.
ADVANTAGES OF BEE HOUSES:
- They can be constructed out of simple locally available materials
- They provide shade for the hives in hot areas
- They provide protection for hives and bees from heavy rain -
important when hives are made from mud/sticks and other local
materials
- Because the hives are inside expensive hive roofing material can be
dispensed with (such as corrugated iron). Farmers in Kenya with
hives in bee houses frequently can use sacking material to cover their
hives to reduce the cost of hive construction
- The hives and bees are screened away from people and livestock,
reducing stinging by bees - this point is particularly important in
Kenya where farm size is small and fragmenting rapidly - for
example children are frequently tempted to throw stones at bee hives aggravating
the bees
- The bee house can be locked reducing theft which can be a major
problem for beekeepers in Kenya
THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY TOM CARROLL, MANAGER OF THE BARAKA/SHDI
BEEKEEPING OUTREACH PROJECT, KENYA. IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS PLEASE
SEND TO THE AUTHOR AT info@apiconsult.com
© Copyright Apiconsult 2004
|
