Beekeeping Training Notes | Nathnael Dejene

I took beekeeping training given by The Hive Group at their beautiful farm in Yatta Fields. These are my notes from the training.

TL;DR - Quick Reference

Getting Started:

Select site with forage within 4km, water access, 50m from people/roads
30 hives max per apiary, 1 acre sufficient
Expect ROI in year 2, not year 1

Colony Basics:

1 queen (5 year lifespan), 300-400 drones, up to 60,000 workers
Inspect every 2 weeks, replace old queens after 5 years
Colony size: 30,000-40,000 bees typical

Timeline to First Harvest:

Month 0: Colonize base box
Month 2: Add brood box + super box
Month 4: First harvest (then every 2 months)
4-7 harvests/year possible at ~10kg per hive

Products & Prices (KES):

Honey: 350-500/kg | Beeswax: 500/kg | Pollen: 1,800/kg
Bee Venom: 2,000/g | Royal Jelly: 35,000/kg | Propolis: 2,000/kg

Key Rule: “Bees do 99% of the work, you do 1%“

1. Apiary Selection

Site Feasibility Considerations

Key principle: Proper site selection is critical. Poor location choices will require ongoing professional consultation from an apiarist.

Types of Feasibility Studies

Physical feasibility: On-foot inspection of the area
Aerial feasibility: Using drones to survey the area

Essential Requirements

Forage

Ensure adequate forage availability for bees within 4km radius
Bees will abandon (abscond) if insufficient forage or water nearby

Security

Keep apiary 50m minimum from: homesteads, roads, markets, hospitals, schools
Protects against bee attacks on animals and children
Prevents theft

Land

Small portion sufficient (approximately 1 acre is considered quite plenty)
30 hives per apiary maximum
30-50 meters spacing between apiaries
For small spaces, consider a bee house (wooden structure)
Max 50 hives per bee house
Benefits: theft protection, equipment preservation, protection from honey badgers

Water

Critical: Bees forage in 4km radius
Lack of water = colony absconding
Provide shallow water with floating platforms (bees will sink in deep water)
Avoid deep buckets without floatation devices

2. Bee Colony Structure (Caste System)

Population Numbers

Queen: 1 per colony
Drones (males): 300-400
Worker bees (females): Up to 60,000
Typical colony size: 30,000-40,000 bees

Roles of Worker Bees (in order of lifecycle)

Nurse bees
Guard bees
Scout bees
Forager bees

Lifespan

Queen: 5 years (fertile), becomes infertile after 5 years and produces mostly drones
Drones: 75 days
Workers: 45 days

Life Cycle Stages

Egg → Larvae → Pupa → Adult

Queen Bee Management

Identifying Old/Failing Queens:

Weak colony with reduced production (50%)
Excessive drone population (more drones = more consumers, less producers)
Loud hive sound indicates too many drones

Queen Replacement Process:

Locate and physically remove the old queen
Split the head and return to hive (death scent notification)
Workers select healthy larvae and place in queen cell
Feed larvae royal jelly
22 days to develop new queen
New queen takes nuptial flight to mate in the sky (segregation zone)

Note: Follow national specifications for hive standards

3. Bee Season & Calendar

Timing and Expectations

Long-term project: ROI expected in year 2, not year 1
Honey flow season: Before and after rainy season (nectar flow = swarming period)
Bees less active during rainy season
Contact Department of Livestock for local bee calendar

Colonization Methods

Starting with Empty Hives:

Can buy pre-colonized hives with bees inside
Use swarm catcher boxes (mini-hives) to trap swarms from nearby colonies
Colony multiplication occurs naturally (queen produces new queens)

Colonization Timeline Example:

10 empty hives: 1 in Jan, 3 in Feb, 2 in March, etc.
So it takes time to get full colonization in all your hives. And the time to production will also lag behind by some months. It is good to consider these factors and plan accordingly.

Colony Management

Strong vs. Weak Colonies:

Observe hive activity to assess colony strength
Weak colonies often have old queen bees
More drones in weak colonies = lower production

Inspection Schedule:

Continuous inspection every 2 weeks
“Bees do 99% of the work, you do 1%”
Monitor for: webs, pests, ants, comb wax moth
Listen to hive sound (too loud = excessive drones)

Keep detailed records of colonization progress

4. Feeding Your Bees

Dry Season Feeding

Bee food mixture: Scum (foam on top of honey) + honey
Keep two buckets
Mix 1 liter of water with 1 scoop of bee food
Store airtight to prevent fermentation

5. Hive Setup & Harvesting Timeline

Initial Setup

Colonize the base box
After 2 months: Introduce brood box (bees build their home)
Introduce super box
After 2 more months: First harvest
Repeat harvest: Every 2 months thereafter

Harvest Frequency & Yields

4-7 harvests per year possible
10 kg per hive per harvest (approximate)
1 kg of honey per frame (approximate)

Harvest Management

Timely harvest is critical
If not harvested on time: bees consume honey and expand upward, reducing available harvest space

6. Smoking Techniques

Smoke Types

Blue smoke: Indicates oxygen presence (avoid during harvest)
White smoke: Carbon dioxide (use for harvesting and inspecting)

Why White Smoke?

Blue smoke contaminates honey (gets stuck to it)
Use charcoal, wood chipping, and fire for proper smoke

Quality Testing

Refractometer: Tests honey purity and water content

7. Bee Products & Market Prices

Product	Price (KES)	Notes
Honey	350-500/kg	Primary product
Beeswax	500/kg	For candles, cosmetics, etc.
Bee Venom	2,000/gram	Used in apitherapy
Pollen	1,800/kg	Nutritional supplement
Royal Jelly	35,000/kg	Anti-aging properties, immunity boost
Propolis	2,000/kg	From tree resins, antibacterial properties, natural sanitizer

8. Essential Equipment

Hive boxes (brood box, super box)
Queen catcher cage (for queen rearing)
Honey extractor
Bee suit (protective clothing)
Hive tool
Bee brush
Uncapping tool
Settling tank
Refractometer (honey quality testing)