Posts

Langstroth HivePhoto by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

8 Honey Bee Pests Controlling Tips

/1 Comment/in /by
  • Use of small bee entrance holes helps in controlling and avoiding beetle invasions.
  • Regular hive inspection and physical removal of some pests such as beetles
  • Clearing of bush beneath and around the hives to control and prevent invasion of safari ants, sugar ants and termites attack.
  • Use of wasp traps, identifying and destroying their nests.
  • Avoid hanging hives in swampy areas. Constantly inspect hives to control frogs and toads.
  • Maintaining the apiary clean helps control snakes and lizards.
  • Fence the apiaries with thorns or chicken wire mesh. A strongly built bee house helps control honey badgers and monkeys.
  • Grease hanging wires and hanging poles at the ground level. This helps prevent ant attacks.

 

Honey CareDanika-Perkinson-Q5d6SzM_vlc-unsplash

Essential Beekeeping Equipment

/0 Comments/in /by
  1. Smoker

It is used to emit smoke when puffed to calm down honey bees. This allows for easy harvesting and hive inspection as it makes aggressive bees more docile. The Smoke masks the alarm pheromone given off by guard bees, minimizing the defensive reactions of the colony.

Features of a smoker include:

  • barrel (fire box) made of a flat iron sheet.
  • grate to hold the smoldering fuel.
  • nozzle (snout) to direct the smoke
  • bellows which compresses and pumps air into the combustion chamber (barrel).
  1. Hive Tool

It is a handheld multipurpose and a critical piece of equipment. Bees glue everything in the hive together with their resin-like propolis.

Uses of a hive tool include:

  • bent side is used as a hammer
  • sharpened end is used for; prying apart top bars and frames, as a knife for cutting honey combs during harvesting, and scrapping off propolis from inside and on the sides of the hive’s top bars and frames.
  1. Bee brush

The bee brush is used to gently brush the bees off from the comb surface.

Uses of a bee brush include:

  • honey harvest
  • repairing broken combs
  • swarm removal
  1. Bee Keeping Suit (Coverall and Veil)

This is a set of clothing made with the aim of protecting the beekeeper from bee stings when opening the hive during hive inspection and honey harvesting. It is made up of: Bee veil, Coverall, Gloves and Gumboots.

The veil is used to keep the head, neck, shoulder and face safe from bee stings. It must be black so that you can see through it well.

The coverall is one-piece of cloth that cover the trunk and limbs made of a light-colored material. There should not be any space or gap between your body and clothing to ensure the bees can’t reach in your body.

Gloves: Made of smooth leather and patched up with smooth light colored material, similar to that of the coverall. They protect the hands from bee stings. They should be worn over the sleeves of the bee suit.

Gumboots: To protect the feet and should be covered by the coverall. Wear the bee suit trousers over the gumboots to keep the bees from getting into the gumboots.