Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Techniques May Not Be the Best Way for Beekeeping

By Ipis Mumba

In our quest to enhance readership experience, this column shall continue to introduce and add on new features and formats from time to time. Starting with this article, our readers can no wen joy practical beekeeping tips and beekeepers duties relevant to that particular month, and then the regular content of a diverse nature will continue on a variety of topics.

APRIL TIPS

The rains will be coming to an end; Honey is being collected and stored inside hives; breeding is decreasing; swarming is decreasing.

Ø  Sealed honey can be harvested towards the end where the May/June honey flow season starts early. Watch out for robbing.

Ø  There will still be some swarming so rebait collecting boxes again.

Ø  Slash grass and weeds around apiaries.

Ø  In bad flowering season, absconding may be high. Remove traces of wax moth and combs from absconded hives.

Ø  Red ants are notorious at this time so take caution.

Back to this month’s discussion about DIY in beekeeping. While having a go at making for yourself some beekeeping equipment, such as hives, for example, may be a good cost saving measure, there are serious drawbacks as well. In the first instance, modern hive boxes are not just ordinary boxes which can be constructed by just anybody with knowledge of craftsmanship. There are serious design considerations which are only understood by people with a thorough understanding of the underlying principles behind the designs. Take for instance the design of the top bar hive with slanting walls on their long sides, this feature is not for aesthetic purposes but it accomplishes a very important function. The slant angle again has to be precise for this function to be efficiently achieved otherwise, the top bar hive becomes a fixed comb hive just like traditional hives thereby losing the benefits of comb movability which opens this type of hive to some colony manipulations which may enhance productivity.

In most cases, it is best to procure equipment from specialised manufacturers and suppliers who usually have a thorough understanding of the equipment and will offer professional advice not only about the equipment but also about other beekeeping aspects as well. Another important advantage is that equipment suppliers will usually carry the complete range of required items so that buyers do not have to move from one dealer to the next but can procure all their requirements under one roof

Another important area where it is not advisable to do-it yourself alone is having to handle or work with bees alone or by yourself. It is not only safer but also more convenient to have an aide in activities like product harvesting, hive mounting or apiary establishing. During product harvesting for example, it is very difficult to achieve a high quality standard of product when you do it alone having to do all the steps of the process –operating the smoker, handling the bee brush, using the hive tool, etc. single handed.

Product marketing is yet another area that can benefit from engaging others to assist you or do it for you. While engaging middle men or retailers may cut into your profits, on the overall, it will be found that the cost aspects are hugely offset by the many benefits, especially where large quantities are involved. Involving specialist sales people will yield big dividends

In conclusion, let us take our beekeeping to the next level by seeking expert advice, procuring from specialists, and generally making liberal use of professional services in our production systems. Beekeeping is a business and in business you can’t afford to run away from spending, that is what investing is.

Enjoy reading your favourite paper, Agricoop while you anticipate the forthcoming honey flow.

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